Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering, his lovelynesse in his death, and the efficacie thereof in which some cases of soule-trouble in weeke beleevers ... are opened ... delivered in sermons on the Evangel according to S. John Chap. XII, vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 ...

Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.

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PART. III. All men.

I will draw all men. The parties drawne to Christ, is the third Article in the doctrine of Christs drawing; and they are here called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, All men. It is a great question betweene us, and such as are for universall attonement, and grace uni∣versall, as many Anabaptists in England now are; what is meant by All men, in which these are to be observed.

1. The state of the question.
2. The mind of the Adversaries.
3. Our minde.
4. The clearing of places alledged by the Adversaries.
5. The answering of that principall doubt, what faith Page 365 is required of all within the visible Church.
6. The uses of the Doctrine.

Of all these shortly.

The state of the Question.

The Question toucheth, 1. Gods intention and purpose to save man. 2. In chusing some to salvation, not others. 3. Gods purpose in sending Christ to dye for some, not for others.

The first Article is called universall grace, the second condi∣tionall; or which to me is all one, vniversall election to glory, and so no Election. The third is, the question touching the universalitie of Christs death, or a fancied universall attonment made by Christ for all▪ I cannot particularly handle all the three.

For the first: God ingageth all men as Christs debters thus far;* that it is mercy that they live or have any opportunity of seeking God, what ever be the means naturall or super-natu∣rall; whereas for the sin of Adam God might by a like ju∣stice have destroyed the world and all mankinde, vanity is pe∣nally inflicted on all the servants, for treason of the Master a∣gainst the King of Heaven and earth, but in Christ there be two mitigations. 1. One is, that the servants are not destroid for the sin of the Master. 2. That as the fore-fated Lord is restored,* so the sick servants groaning under vanity shall bee delivered from that bondage they come under for the sinne of man, Rom. 8.20, 21, 22. Hence it is, though we be out-laws by nature, that now by a priviledge of grace from the Me∣diator, the Tenents receive and lodge the Master, because Christ hath taken off the Statute and Act of forfeiture. 2. No man living on earth, but he is beholding to Christ (though many know him not) for common helps of providence, and expe∣riences do teach him some more of God by nature. 3. The sound of Christ, God revealed in the Gospel, in the Apostles ministery is declared, and is gone to the ends of the earth, and to the Nations, Psal. 19.4. Rom. 10.18. But some say these words, Have they not heard, have relation to v. 14. the hea∣ring of the Gospel, or the publishing of the glad tidings of the Gospel to all and every one of mankind, and must be meant of that same hearing.

Ans. It relates to hearing of God revealing himselfe in the meanes of salvation, say the Adversaries. But then the questi∣on Page 366 is, Whether these meanes be the preaching of the Gospel, or of the same God revealed as Creator, by the Sun, Moon, and Stars, who is revealed in the Gospel, and salvation by him. Now the Sun, and Stars, and heaven declare the glory of God, and sound forth his praises and salvation through Christ, by this sense, to all and every Nation, and to every single person without exception; not onely when Paul wrote this to the Romans, but when David penned the 19. Psalme, what dif∣ference then between the Iewes to whom God revealed his Testimonies, and the Gentiles to whom God made no such revelation? Psal. 147.19, 20. Deut. 4.33, 34, &c. Deut. 5.25, 26. Psal. 78.1, 2, &c. Psal. 81▪ 4, 5. and this sound, if it be the Gospel preached to as many as see the Sun, and ever when they see the Sun; then at that time, and to this day, the Sun and Moone, must be sent Apostles and Preachers, by whose words and Ministery all, and every man, that seeth the Sun, then and now, and to Christs second comming are obli∣ged to pray to God in Christ, and to beleeve, and Faith comes by hearing;* the Sun, Stars, night and day preach Christ, for sure the same hearing of the Gospel, v. 18. must be under∣stood which is spoken, v. 14.15. for if the one be an hearing of the Gospel, by the Apostles, which produceth faith and sal∣vation, and the other a hearing of Sun and Stars in the book of the Creation. This produceth not faith and salvation, by the confession of the Adversaries. 2. The Apostle shall not answer his own Objection. Ver. 18. If all both Jew and Gen∣tile have not heard the Gospel, its unpossible they can beleeve, for faith cometh by hearing the Gospel from their mouth who are sent of God; and if they hear not, they must be excused, because they beleeve not in Christ, of whom they never heard. The Apostle must answer, yea, but they have heard the Gospel. Why? they heard the Sun, and the Stars preach Christ, and salvation by him, to the farthest ends of the earth, for sure David in the literall and native sense of that 19. Psalme speak∣eth of such dumbe Preachers. Now this is no answer at all, for Sun and Stars are not sent of God to preach salvation by Christ. 2. Faith comes not by hearing the creatures preach Christ. 3. The Prophets and Apostles, not the dumbe and livelesse creatures have pleasant feet on the Mountains to preach peace, as it is verse 14, 15, 16. cited from Isai. 52.7. Nah. 1.15. Page 367 But the native sense of the words, v. 18. is but a meer allu∣sion in Scripture phrase, to Davids words Psal. 19. It is neither citation nor exposition of them, but an using of Scrip∣ture language in comparing the Gospel to the Sun, the sound of the Gospel preached to the sound of the glory of the Crea∣tor in the works of heaven and earth, to show how ample the preaching of the Gospel under the New Testament is; to wit, that it is not preached to one Nation of the Jewes only, as of old; but to all nations, to the Jewes, and to the foo∣lish people, by whom the Lord provokes the Jewes to jealousie, as is clear, v. 19, 20. and that voice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; their voice is gone to the ends of the earth, is the voice of the twelve Apostles, of the Lambe, who preached the Gospel to Nations of all kinds, to Iewes and Gentiles, its not the voice of the crea∣tures, the heaven and earth, but a meer allusion to that voice, Psal. 19. for the words have no sense otherwise, for the Apo∣stle avoucheth the Gospel is preached, the promise of salvati∣on published to all that call on the Lords Name, v. 12. Be they Jewes or Grecians, that is, Gentiles, and beleeve they must, or else they cannot pray, and needs they must heare, or then they cannot beleeve, and hear they cannot except God send Preachers. But God hath sent Preachers with pleasant feet to both Iewes and Gentiles, as the Prophets Isaiah and Nahum f•retold, v. 13, 14, 15. and they have not all obeyed, v. 16, 17, 18. But it may be said, They have not all heard the Gospel preached, this must certainly excuse the Gentiles if they beleeve not, having never heard of Christ, how can they beleeve, as it is v. 14. Its a rationall excuse, I cannot sin in not be∣leeving, the Gospel, saith the Gentile; yea, and Christ frees them from the sin of unbeliefe also, Ioh. 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken unto them (and so if they had not had a Lord Spea∣ker from heaven) they had not had sin. That is, they should have ben free of the Gospel-sin of unbelief; but now they have no cloak for their sin. Now they cannot say, Lord, we cannot beleeve a Gospel, never spoken to us by any, nor heard of, by us. But sure the Iewes heard these creatures and works of God that preached his glory, Psal. 19.6. And if they preach Christ objectively, as Amyrald, and other Arminians fancie; then the not hearing, and not obeying the Gospel thus preached, had been their sin, though Christ, or his Apostles had never spoken Page 368 the Gospel, which is contrary to Christs word, Ioh. 15.22. And contrary to Paul, how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard, by the preaching of a sent Minister, who subjectively, and vocally must preach the Gospel.

*But to return to the state of the question. 4. So much of God is revealed to all, even to those who never heard of Christ, as serves to make all unexcusable for that knowing willingly, and knowingly, they glorifie not God as God, Rom. 1.19, 20, 21. 5. All within the visible Church, have meanes sufficient in their kinde, in genere mediorum externorum, to save them.

*6. As none can be saved by the light of nature, nor ever any u∣sed, or could use it so far forth, as to improve it for their sufficient preparation, to receive the tidings of the Gospel, either from Men, or Angels sent to preach to them; or by any inspiration, bringing the sense, or things signified in the Gospel: so saved they cannot bee, by any name under heaven, but by the Name of Christ; that is, Christ named, preached, and revealed in the Gospel. Act. 4.10, 11, 12. Joh. 14.6. Heb. 11.6. Joh. 5.40. and 1 Joh. 5.12. He that hath the Son, hath life, and hee that hath not the Son, hath not life.

7. The question is, whether or no God so farre forth willeth, desireth,* intendeth, that all and every one, within, and without the visible Church, Tartarians, and Indians (who never by any rumor, hard of Christ) not excepted, that hee giveth them sufficient meanes and helps of a common and universall grace; which if they would use well, the Lord should so reward, pro-move, or increase, whether out of decencie, or a congruous dis∣position of goodness, or of equity, or of free promise, or any ob∣ligation? so farre as to send the Gospel to them, and bestow on them a larger measure of saving and internall grace; by which they should, if they so would, bee converted to the Faith of Christ, and saved? We deny, Arminians affirme.

*2. Whether the Lord from eternity (late Arminians are for time-election) hath absolutely, without any provision in, or pre-science, or fore-knowledge of good works; Faith, perseverance in both, or of condition, reason, cause, merit, qualification in some certaine and definite persons; rather then others predesti∣nated, and chosen them to glory and life eternall. And all the meanes conducing to this end, and that of meere free grace; Page 369 because he so willeth, or if the Lord passe no definite, compleat, peremptorie, and irrevocable decree, to save some certain per∣sons while he forsees them expiring, and dying, in faith and holy conversation? Arminians hold, that the Lords decree of election of men to glory; is generall, conditionall, incom∣pleat, changeable, while he forsees they have ended their course in the Faith, and then peremptorily, and irrevocably, he passeth a fixed decree to save such, and not others; we deny any such loose decrees in the Almighty, and beleeve that of free grace; he chuseth some absolutely without conditions in them, or re∣spect to any good foreseene to be in them, rather then in others, because He hath mercy on whom hee will, and hardens whom he will. Rom. 9.17.18.

3. Upon this generall, indefinite, revocable, and conditio∣nall good will and intention of God, to save all, and every one,* whether or no did the Father give his Sonne, and the Sonne dye for all, and every one; intending absolutely to impetrate and obtaine to all, and every one of mankinde, remission of sinnes, and especially, expiation of sinne originall, and all sins against the covenant of works; and salvation to them all, both with∣in, and without the visible Church, and the opening of the gates of heaven; so as God hath laid aside his anger for all these sins, hath made all savable, reconciliable, that notwith∣standing of divine Justices plea against men, all and every one,* may according to the intention of God bee saved in his bloud, so they would, as they may, and can, beleeve in Christ; we de∣ny, Arminans here affirme.

2. The mind of Arminians. Arminians runne upon six U∣niversalities.

1. They say God beareth to all, and every man, of what kind soever, an equall, universall, and Catholike good will; y•a, to Esau, Pharaoh, Judas, as to Jaakob, Moses, and Peter, [ 1] to save them all,* so as this love is not stinted to any certaine per∣sons, precisely, and absolutly; loved and chosen, to salva∣tion.

2. That there is a Catholicke price, an universall ransome, given by Christ, dying on the Crosse, for all and every one,* an [ 2] Attonement made, and a Redemption purchased in Christs bloud; by which, all and every one, Pharaoh, Judas, Cain, all the heathens, Tartarians, Americans, Virginians, that never Page 370 heard of Christ, are made savable, and reconcil•iable, and God made placable and exorable to them, so a• though they be lost in the first Adam, yet have they a new venture of heaven; and in Christs death, the Lord hath a generall antecedent, and pri••ry intention to save all without exception; yet no more to save Moses and Peter, then Judas and Pharaoh; Yea, that the fruit of Christs death, and the effect of it may stand, though all and every one of mankinde, were eternally lost, and not one person saved.

[] 3. As there was a Catholicke forfeiture of all, so there is a second covenant of free grace made with all,* and every one of Adams sonnes, with promises of free grace, a new heart, righteousnesse, and eternall life to all and every one, upon faire conditions, if their free will play the game of salvation and damnation handsomely; as if Christ were not free wills choi∣sest tutor.

[ 4] 4. All and every man are received in this covenant, in the new state of reconciliation,* grace, and favour; and justificati∣on from any breach of the Law, or the first covenant; all are once fairely delivered, both young and old from damnation and wrath, all the heathen are reconciled and justified by Christ, in his blood; and all sinnes now, are against the 1. Co∣venant of grace, Christ and all mankinde now, beginne to reckon on a new score. 2. Though the ship be broken, and all mankinde sent to Sea to die there, yet so are they cast o∣ver board, as Christ the surety of a better Covenant, is made the great vessell, that ship-broken men, may, if it seeme good to Lord free will, swimme unto, and so come safe, the second time, to land. 3. So as there be two Redemptions in Christ two Justifications by grace. 4. Yet neither the tydings of this new covenant made with all men, nor this state of re∣conciliation, or justification, are ever revealed to the thousand part of mankind; and though all and every one be under this Law of Faith, and Covenant of Grace; yet is this obliging and supernaturall Law never promulgate to millions of man∣kind, whom it obligeth to obedience, so farre forth as by the good industry▪ and improving of common gifts of nature, or rather the hire and merit of men out of Christ, to make a con∣quest of the preached Gospell and Christ, free will doing its best.

Page 3715. All and every Mothers sonne, and children of Adam, are called and invited; yea, and Christ by our Text,* draweth [ 5] all and every man, though they will not be drawn; say they, the sole cause of election, reprobation, of salvation, damnation, ly∣ing on mans free will.

6. All and every one are furnished with all externall meanes of salvation, with sufficient grace, and absolute indifferenci• and [ 6] power of free will to say ay, or no, to the drawing of Christ,* and purchase, by industrious improvement, and carefull hus∣banding of the common gifts, or relicts of nature, and their new sufficient grace, (if they could give it a name to us) a farther degree of grace, while they conquesse the Preaching of the Gos∣pell, and the grace of conversion. Yet so are they, (let Christ doe his best) as all may be converted, or not any one at all, but all lost, and all may persevere in grace and be saved, as not one men shall be damned, and all may so totally and finally fall away from grace, as not one man may persevere, but all be eternally lost, if free will use his owne liberty, notwith∣standing of the Lords eternall decrees of Election or Reproba∣tion, or of Christs death, the strength of free grace,* the inter∣cession of Christ, at the right hand of God, the unchangeable love of God; for all these can doe nothing to marre the abso∣lute, and independent free will of men, to worke as it listeth, for either wayes.

Propos. 1. Election is the decree of free grace, setting apart certaine definite, individuall, and particular men to glory.

1. The men chosen and drawne, are by head designed. Jaa∣kob, not Esau, before the children had done good or evill;* [ 1] though Esau be elder, Isaak must be the Sonne of the pro∣mise: father and mother were free grace, rather 〈…〉 of Abraham and Sarah, now pa•led natures 〈…〉E•∣mael: Peter and John, not Judas the Sonne of 〈…〉A∣braham; and his house, worshipping Idols beyond the 〈◊〉 is singled out, not any other; the Lord sets his love on 〈◊〉 Jews, because he loved them, Deut 7.7. When their Father 〈…〉 Amorite, and their mother an Hittite, and they dy•〈…〉 bloud, Ezech. 16.3.4.5.6.7. not any one of the rest of the Ca∣naanites; the Tribes of Judah is the King by Tribe, not any of the rest of the Families. Low Jephtahs Family, not an• of the rest of the sonnes of that Family. None of the seven sonnes, Page 372 but the dispised shepheard, the ruddy Boy singing after the Ew's, David forgotten by all, as none of the number.

2. They are pointed out with the finger, with pronownes. [ 2] Psalm. 87.5. And of Sion its said, this man, Hebr, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉man and man shall be born in Sion,* Esai. 49.1. The Lord hath cal∣led me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath hee made mention of my name. Thou art (head, or member, or of which the Prophet spake, its all one) in the mouth of God, by name from eternity, John, Anna, &c. Esai 43.1. O Israel feare not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name thou art mine. So the Lord points them out with the finger, E∣sai 49.12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Behold these shall come from farre, and behold these from the North. (North-land men) and from the Sea, (Ilanders) or from the West (West-land men) so it may be read, and these from the land of Shimin, Ezech. 36.20. These are the people of the Lord. Hebr. 11.13. All these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, died in the Faith, they are named and told by the head. Revel. 14.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these are thrise in one Verse. These are they that are not defiled with women, — these are they that follow the Lambe, whithersoever he goeth, These were re∣deemed from amongst men.

[ 3] 3. They are defined by their countrey. Esai 19.18. Five Cities of the land of Egypt shall speake the Language of Ca∣naan.* Vers. 24. In that day Israel shall bee the third part with Egypt and Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the Land. Vers. 25. Whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse, saying, bles∣sed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the worke of my hand, Zephan. 3.10. From beyond the river of Ethiopia, my sup∣pliants, even the daughters of my dispersed shall come.

.4 Their names are particularly inrolled in the Lambes [ 4] booke of life, Luk. 10.20. Revel. 13.8. Revel. 20.15. As Citizens of some famous incorporation,* or Senators that go∣vernes a Citie are written in the booke of Records of the King or Citie; so these that are to follow the Lambe, cloathed in white, are booked in the publike Register of heaven, in the minde of God, to be members of the heavenly Society.

5. It was no blind bargaine that Christ made; hee knew [ 5] what he gave, hee knew what he got. Christ told downe a Page 373 definite and certaine Ransome, as a told summe of money, eve∣ry penny reckoned and layed, and he knew who was his own,* and whom, and how many, by the head and name, he bought; there is no hazard that one come in, in the lieu and roome of another. Joh. 10.14. I am the good Shepherd, how is that made good? He hath particular care of all the flock, by the head he knowes how many, and who are his; if any bee not his, if any be sicke, or lost, or wandered away, that proves a good Shepherd, I know my sheepe, and am known of mine.* I know them, and they know mee. Sure it is Relative to that. 2 Tim. 2.19. Neverthelesse, the foundation of God stands sure, ha∣ving this seale, the Lord knoweth them that are his. Sure, the sheep that Christ dyeth for, Joh. 10. are the sheepe that hee gi∣veth his life for, vers. 11. and dyes for; and these 1. vers. 10. That have life in abundance. 2. The sheep known in the Lords eternall Predestination, and known by Christ in time. 3. Such as he mindes to call in, that there may be one Shepherd, and one sheep-fold, vers. 16. (4) Such as are his owne sheepe, as hee goeth before, and they follow him, and know his voice, vers. 4. and will not follow a stranger, vers. 5. (5) Such as heare not a stranger, vers. 5. but vers. 27 heare and know the voice of Christ, are known of him, and follow Christ. (6) Such sheep as are gifted with life eternall, and shall never perish; and cannot fall away, no more then there can be a greater then the Father, that can plucke them out of the hands of Christ; for vers. 28.29. the standing of these that shall not be plucked out of the Fathers hand, depends on the greatnesse and power of Christs Father. None can plucke them out of my hand, (saith Christ) Why? The Father, that gave them me, is grea∣ter then all. Then he must be greater then Christs Father, who plucks one of the Sheep of Christ out of his hand; and where dwells he who is greater then the Father? Neither in heaven, nor hell. And for such Christ dyed.

6. Hee dyed for such sheepe, as infallibly beleeves, be∣cause he saith, vers. 26. Yee beleeve not. Why? Because yee [ 6] are not of my sheepe; then certainely they should beleeve, if they were of such sheepe, as Christ dyed for. I shall never beleeve that this Reply can stand. David saith, and Job saith, Thou, Lord, formedst me in the wombe; and the Church, Esai 64. Thou art the Potter, and we the clay; but it will never fol∣low; Page 374 therefore God hath created none but David, Job, and his chosen Church, so it follows not here. Christ dyed for his sheep, therefore he dyed for no other, but his sheep.

1. Because dying of sinners is a worke of meere grace, be∣stowed onely on some,* as all the Texts that ever Papists, Je∣suits, Arminians, alledge, Resrict ever these that Christ dyed for, to some certaine persons, to beleevers, the sheepe of Christ, these for whom Christ is an Advocate at the right hand of G•d, &c. And there is not a Text in Scripture, in Old or New Testa∣ment, in which, wee may not limit the persons, on whom grace universall, and redemption in Christs bloud, are pretended to be bestowed, to the elect and beleevers onely; these pla∣ces I except, in which some are said to be Redeemed in pro∣fession on•ly, as may be demonstrated; and therefore this an∣swer of 〈◊〉 is pe•i•io principii, & a begging of what they cannot prove And Vers. 2. upon the same reason, because God created man on the earth, and dyed for men, and for the world (as the Scripture saith) they might inferre; as God created not m•n on•ly, but Angels, beasts, birds, fish•s, trees, Sunne, Moone, so Christ dyed not for men onely, but for Angels, Devils, beasts, birds, fishes, trees; yea, for wormes. cree∣ping thin•s, and all, and every creature: for if wee re∣gard the free decree of God, Devils are as capable of Redem∣ption by Christ, as men; if so God had purposed from e∣ternity; and in regard of the same decree, the Reprobate can no more bee saved, a•d beleeve of their owne strength, then ston•s of themselves can be sonnes of Abraham, except God elevate them above their nature and Omnipotency ef∣fectuate the same.

2. There be some certaine men oppignotated, and laid in pledge in Christs hand.* 2 Tim. 2.13. Now all are not so, but certaine d•fi•ite 〈◊〉 is onely.

3. These 〈◊〉 the Lord hath chos•n to life, are given of the Father in Christ Ioh. 10.26. Ioh. 6.37. Ioh. 1•.2.6.8.9.12.24. And all such are raised up at the last day and ••ved. Ioh. 6.•7.•9. and Christ cannot lose one of them, Ioh. 17.9. yea hee can 〈…〉 of them, neither soule nor body, neither a 〈◊〉 nor a piece of an ear of his sheepe, as he speakes, Amos 3. so Christ speaketh, Ioh. 6.39. yea, 1 Cor. 15.23. Every man shall be raised in his owne order vers. 24. Then cometh the Page 375 end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdome to the Fa∣t•er: He presents his conquested on•s, not one lad, or the most despised girle, fall by, or are miscounted in the telling; we have often groundlesse jealousies touching Christ,*O hee hath forgotten mee; but that is to say, Christ is not faithfull in his charge, and the Father gave so many th•usands to his keeping; but he loosed the largest halfe of them, now to bee given of the Father to Christ, must note Ch•••ts accepting of the recept of them, by dying for those so given of the Father to him, for another way of giving, bu••ither in electio• from eter∣nitie, or of sitting them in time for actuall beleeving, no man knowes; but either wayes all given, are raised up at the last day. Ioh. 6.39. and so all redeemed must either be chosen from eternitie, or then in time beleeve, and so be raised at the last day; then there can be none Redeemed, but such as are chosen and saved. Master Moores universall attonement pag. 4.5. Tels us of a twofold reconciliation or redemption, on which Christ effected in his owne body with God for men. This is perfect and accomplished fully, so as the Father is well pleased with his Sonne, Matth. 3.17. and this is done by sh•dding of blood. There is a Reconciliation, Redemption, and Salvation which Christ effecteth, by the Spirit, in men to God, and this is by washing and blood-sprinkling; his proofes after shall be heard. Thus the belgick Arminians, explain the matter Script. Sino∣dal. ar. 2. They say the former redemption,*and reconcilia∣tion, is the pacifying of the offended partie; or such an action, or passion, by which satisfaction, so farre forth is made to the offended partie, that he is willing to returne in favour, and grace, with the offender; and the effect of this reconciliation is the obtaining of the favour of God, that is the restoring of Page 376 men to such a state, in which God without impeachment of re∣venging justice, according to the tender affection of his mercy, of new, may, and will bestow his benefits; and transact with man touching his salvation, and the conditions thereof, after the way, and manner, seemeth good to God, whether by a covenant of works, or of grace, or of commanding faith in God, or faith in an Angel, if so it seeme good to him. And by his law, the affection of saving man, which is in God from a naturall instinct of mercy, doth breake forth, as it were, in a full and compleat purpose of Gods will to save: now when the impediment is removed, by satisfaction given to justice; And when Christ hath compleatly performed the former re∣demption,* and by his death hath obtained this redemption; yet it may fall out, that not one man be saved. But as we de∣ny not this distinction of salvation purchased, or the purchased redemption, and the applied redemption, as our Divines ac∣knowledge Christ to be a Saviour by merit, and efficacie; so that the members of the distinction are different, but that they are separated, we deny: yea, the distinction, in the Arminian sense, we deny.

1. Because, Christ Redeemer, is a relative person, there is a full redemption in Christ, but not for Christ, but that he might make over that Redemption to his poor brethren; there is a purchased salvation in Christ, not to lye by him like a trea∣sure of silver rousted through not using; but they were so ma∣ny heavens and salvations, and so much grace and gracious re∣demptions to be made away, as now purchased, and all these Christ disbursed; he was not a Treasurer who kept from sin∣ners the pensions of grace and glory, that the Father and King of the Church allowed on his people.* What Christ bought with his blood, that he gave out, and so much the places al∣ledged by M^r. Moor the Arminian, proveth just contrary to himself, Joh. 4.42. he is the Saviour, not of himself to save God, and justice, and the Law; but the Saviour of the world, of poor sinners, not of the Jewes onely, but of the Samaritans and Gentiles, as Isai. 49.6. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles. that thou maist be my savation to the ends of the earth. This is the mysterie hidden from the beginning of the world, that Christ should be preached among the Gentiles, Eph. 3.8, 9. Now 〈◊〉 is not a Magazine and treasure of Re∣demption Page 377 to remain within the corners of Christs heart and his bowels, but it is the mystery of the New Covenant to be made out to the world of Gentiles, heires of the same promise. This heritage Christ never purchased to keep to himselfe, and where∣as M^r. Moor will have Christ to be 1 Joh. 2. a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world, by obtaining of reconciliation of God to men; he is farre wide, for that place clearly speaketh of reconciliation of this whole world, the New Testament world, if I may so speak; or Christs new conquest of the world of Gentiles; so is Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of the world of Gentiles in opposition to Moses,* the Judges who were Sa∣viours and Redeemers of the people of Israel, who were but a spot and a poore fragment of the world in comparison of Christs large world, God redeemed Israel by the hand of Moses, but never the world; so is Christ a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, in opposition to the propitiatory sacrifices of Aaron and the Leviticall Priests (for to these he alludeth) which were propitiations only for the sins of a bit of the world; but sure as the Leviticall Sacrifices were offered only in faith for the true Israel of God, otherwise they were no better then the cutting off of a dogs necke, in a Sacrifice which was abomination,* so were they types of that Sacrifice which was to be offered for the elect world, which is a whole world of Iewes and Gentiles, in comparison of little Judea. And by what Scrip∣ture is a propitiation for the sins of the world, which is onely an acquiring of a new power to Christ to trans-act with men on what termes he thinketh best to pardon sins; this or that way, for faith or good works, a Redemption of men? Or how is it a taking away the sins of the world, an everlasting Redemption, a suffe∣ring all that men should have suffered, a bearing of our sins on the Tree; an answering as Surety for the debts of broken men.

Object. But if Christ purchased no salvation for me, how can I sin in not resting on Christ for a shadow, for a salvation not purchased to me, is no salvation at all, but a very no∣thing.

Ans. If you were to beleeve first a salvation purchased to you by name, this Objection were strong, but you are at first and im∣mediately to beleeve no such thing, but only that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come, that is, that beleeveth, and Page 378 you, if yee believe. 2. A salvation purchased by Christ with∣out an efficacious intention in God to apply it to all, and every one is no lesse a shadow and a very nothing, then the salvation purchased to all and every one, and this maketh as much against Arminians, as against us. Now sure salvation is purchased with an efficacious intention in God to apply it to those only who shall be saved, and the smallest part of man∣kinde. 3. This way sendeth me at first to beleeve Gods se∣cret and efficacious good-will to save me by name, before e∣ver I beleeve the Gospel, That Jesus Christ came to save all beleevers, which is no Gospel-order of beleeving; and raiseth in my mind jealousies against Christ, that he out of his love died for mee, but putteth mee on a ground of doubting, if he will apply his death to me, except I begin first to love him and with free-will apply Christ, so Christ first extendeth raw wishes to save me, but I must extend to him reall deeds of ap∣plying, by faith, his wishing and halfe-love to me, and the most reall kindness begins at me, not at Christ.

But say I by what Scripture is a naked power to justifie, par∣don, wash, sprinkle sinners, and such a power which may con∣sist with the eternall perishing of all men, (saith Moor p. 5. with the Arminians) an eternall perfect Redemption, a per∣fect satisfaction of justice and the Law of God? Are not so the sins of the world taken away, and yet they remain? Doth not Christ bear the sins of all the world; yet it may fall out, that all the world bear their own sins, and not one man bee saved; yea, as it is, the greatest part of mankind bear their own iniquities, die in these same sins that were imputed to Christ, suffer the curses of the Law which Christ suffered for them.

Yea, M^r. Moor saith, Gods reconciling of the world, and his not imputing their sins to them, is the reconciling of all Adams sons in Christs bodie before God; yet Paul and David both say, Blessed are they to whom the Lord imputes no sin. Moor saith, a whole world to whom the Lord imputeth no sin, may be under the curse of the second death. 2. To put reconciling of the world to God, as Paul doth 2 Cor. 5. for the recon∣ciling of Christ in his owne bodie with God, as M. Moor doth, is strange divinity; for it is reconciling of God to man, in stead of a reconciling of man to God, Heb. 9.14. and cannot be meant of only reconciling of God in Christs body, or of obtaining only of re∣demption Page 379 without application. 1. Because the blood of Christ is compared with the blood of Buls and Goats, which was offered for the reconciling of men to God, not of God to men. 2. Because that blood is said to sanctifie and purge the consci∣ence from dead works to serve the living God, which cannot be said of God, but clearly holdeth forth, that Christ having offered himselfe without spot to God, through the eternal Spi∣rit, those for whom he offereth himself, cannot eternally pe∣rish, as M. Moor saith p. 5. but that their consciences, by this blood are purged from dead works to serve the living God.

And the place 1 Pet. 2.24. doth not prove that Christ bare the sinnes of many, on the tree,* who are not actually saved by his death. 1. The place saith the contrary, and no such thing, as that the Lord layd on Christ the iniquities of all, and every one of mankinde. 1 Peter restraines it to belee∣vers, elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit — begotten again unto a lively hope— who are kept through the power of God by faith, unto salvation. 1 Pet. 1.2, 3, 4, 5. And there is no colour that Peter speaketh of all Adams sonnes, of all the heathen, because hee saith, Christ bare our sinnes. Which bee these? The sins of these that be called to patient suffering, for well doing, who are to follow Christ, who left us an example of patient suffering; who when he was, vers. 23. reviled, revi∣led not again. Now what? is this the Indians and Tartarians patient suffering, after Christs example; to whose eares the name of Christ, and his suffering never came by a dream, or imagination? 2. The sinnes of these, which Christ bare on his own bodie, on the tree, are these that are healed with Christs strips, and these that are returned to the Shepherd, and Bi∣shop of their soules; and are to live to righteousnesse, being dead to sin by the death of Christ, who bare their sins. v. 24, 25. now these are the All that Isai speaketh of, c. 53. when he saith 53.6. The Lord layd on him t•e iniquities of us all. That is, (if we beleeve Arminians) of all Moab, Ammon, Egypt, Philistims, Caldeans, Ethiopians, and all Adams Children, who never heard of Christ; for the thousand part of Adams Sons never heard of Christ, then are they not obliged to be∣leeve in him of whom they never heard, nor is it their sinne, that they beleeve not, Rom. 10.14. Ioh. 15.22. Ergo, they Page 380 are not obliged to live to righteousnesse, being dead to sinne through Christs death; because they never heard of Christs death. Far lesse are all Adams sonnes healed with Christs stripes, and returned to the shepherd, and Bishop of soules: nor was the chastisement of all the heathens, peace upon Christ. And Esaiah expoundeth who be these all〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whose iniqui∣ties were laid upon Christ, v. 8. for the transgressions of my peo∣ple was he stricken, and v. 12. he bare the sins of many, as Matth. 20.28. and 26.28. The blood which is shed for many, and he made intercession for sinners. What? doth he beare stripes for all the heathen? and is he entred as High Priest for all Adams sons into the Holy of Holiest, to plead and Advo∣cate for such, as Cicero, Regulus, Scipio, Cato, such as Pha∣roah, Cain, Judas, Julian? If he bare their iniquities, he must beare their apostacie, and finall infidelity: or doth hee inter∣cede, for all and every one of mankinde. 1 Ioh. 1.2. compared with 1 Ioh. 1.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. and Hebrew. 9. He appeareth for us, ver. 24. for those that are sprinkled, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. and looke for him the second time vers, 28. He maketh intercession for them that come to God through him, Heb. 7.25. Who have a High Priest over the house of God, Heb. 10.20, 21, 22. All these and many other places sheweth the contrary. And the re∣demption that is in Iesus Christ, Rom. 3.24. is not a Redemp∣tion which might have been confined within Christ to recon∣cile God to himselfe, and which might consist with the finall, to∣tall and utter perishing of all mankind. 1. We are justified through this redemption, and not by the works of the law 2. V. 25. God set forth Christ this redeemer to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood. 3. That Christ might appeare the justifier of the ungodly. vers. 26. and exclude boasting, by the law of faith. ver. 27. and bee the God of Iews and Gen∣tiles ver. 30.31. so that it was never Gods minde to impri∣son a reconciliation, within the Father and the Sonne: and leave our heaven at such a dead and cold venture, as the dis∣cretion of indifferent free will; so as it might fall out, if men pleased, that the suretie Christ should die, and all his poore broken friends die eternally, and suffer the second death also. Arminians turne the Gospel in the sadest, and bloodiest bargaine that ever was, and yet the new English ArminiansPage 381 worse then their fathers: say they preach not the Gospel of grace,*nor Christ who preach not their universall attone∣ment, in a grosser way then ever Arminians did, for. 1. Ar∣minians durst not say Christ died vice, & loco omnium & singulorum, sed tantum in bonum eorum; he died not in the person, place, and roome of all mankinde, but onely for their good, as Socinus taught them: But Master Moore saith this right downe. pag. 3. 2. Arminians durst not say, Christ died and rose again, and pleadeth as high Priest and Advocate for all, but onely for beleevers, M^r. Moore saith, that for all he rose, and acquiteth us of all our sins. pag. 4.

The place, 2 Cor. 5.14.15. doth not prove a Reconcili∣ation of all, within God, as M^r. Moore dreameth.*

1. The All that Christ died for, (if one died for all, then were all dead) by no reason must bee in number equivalent to all that died in the first Adam. Nor is there any reason, in the text to make all those that are actually made alive in Christ, and live not to themselves; but to Christ, equall in number, to all that died in Adam. 1. God gave not Christ to die for hea∣then, who were never to hear of Christ, that they might live to Christ. 2. These words, hence forth know we no man, not Christ after the flesh, nor for the outward priviledge of Jew∣ish dignitie, circumcision, or a temporall kindgome, which flesh∣lie dignity the Apostles sometime knew Christ for, and expect∣ed in him; but now this is taken away, and Christ hath died for all,: that is, for Iews and Gentiles, without respect of any such differencie, for Christ gave his life for the Gentiles, as well as for the Iews. 3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for All is a word of efficacie, and holds forth the Lords effectuall intention; but if M^r. Moores glosse stand, there is no effectuall intention in Christ to save all and every one.*

Nor doth the place, 1 Tim. 2.4.6. signifie any reconciliation, not applyed to persons, for his being given a ransome for all, noteth clearely an interest and propriety in these, for whom he gave himselfe a ransome, as Luk. 22, 20. for many, Matth. 20.28. Matth. 26.28. So 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, doth in all Greek Au∣thors insinuate, Joh. 6.51. Joh. 10.11. Rom. 5.6. such an in∣terest.*

Object. 1. But the reason were frivolous; we are to pray for all, except we know that God willeth salvation to all, how Page 382 can we with the certainety of faith pray for all? It must bee a doubting faith, and so no faith at all.

Answ. But seeing God will not have Nero, Persecutors, Apostates, Rebellious unbeleevers, men obstinate against the Gospel, such as Paul was before his conversion, to be excluded out of our prayers. What certaintie of faith have Arminians to pray for all? Or for the twenty, or hundreth part of all mankinde? This therefore is denyed. Christ gave himselfe for as many, as we are to pray for, but we are to pray for all with∣out exception. The proposition and the assumption both are false, nor doth our prayers for men, depend on the certitude of Gods decree of election of men to glory, which is Gods secret will not knowne to us, to whom the Lambes booke of life is not opened, but on the revealed will of God, commanding us to pray for all, that sinne not to death, but conditionally, and with a speciall reserve of the Lords decrees of Election, and Reprobation; and this in effect, is to pray for the Elect only; nor am I warranted, by the Word of God, the rule of my prayers,* to pray for any others. Nor is there promise, precept, or practise in Scripture to pray for all, and every one of man-kind; Therefore I retort the Argument thus; wee are to thinke God willeth so many to be saved, and his Sonne to give himselfe a ransome for so many, as wee are warranted to pray for, that they may be saved, but we are not warranted to pray for all, and every one that they may be saved, but only for the Elect. Ergo, God will have them onely to be saved and his Son to give himselfe a ransome for them onely.

Object. 2. Judgement of charity is no ground of our pray∣ers. We have no charity to beleeve all, and every one shall be sa∣ved, nor have wee any faith or certainety in these prayers.

Answ. I may have judgement of charity touching this or that man, to pray for him; but this judgement is a motive to my affection, not a foundation to my faith. My faith is bot∣tomed on a word of precept, to pray for the salvation of all, conditionally, but not for the salvation of any, but for my owne onely, absolutly.

Object. 3. God will have as many to be saved, as hee will have to come to the knowledge of the truth; But he will have all to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Answ. The argument is strong for us; the Apostle speaketh Page 383 of the Gospel-truth; but he will not have the Gospel preached to Samaritans, Mat. 10. to Bithinians, and thousands others. 2. He wil not open the hearts of housands that heare the Gospel, because he will, Mat. 11.28. Rom. 9.17. and many he blindeth, and judicially hardneth. Math. 13.14. Joh. 1•.37, 38. Esai 6.9, 10. Acts 28.24, 25, 26, 27.

Object. 4. Its uncertaine whether yee pray for Magi∣strats as such, or for vulgar men as such, and uncertaine, whether yee pray for this or that ranke.

Answ. It is certaine we are to pray for Kings, Subjects, Men, Women, Jewes, Gentiles, reserving the Lords decrees to his owne Soveraigne liberty.

Object. If we are to pray but for some, because God wil∣leth the salvation of some, he should have said, we are to pray for no man, for the farre largest part of the world are lost.

Answ. This is to censure the Holy Ghosts speaking, not us. Upon the same ground, a Physician in a Citie cannot bee called the healer of all diseased; nor a Professor, a teacher of Phy∣losophy to all in the Citie, because many in the City dye of the Pest, and the twentieth person remaine ignorant of Philosophie; if God will have all to be saved, that he predestinate to life, hee is rightly said to will all men to bee saved, and in that sense, wee are to pray that all may bee saved. 2. God, by his consequent will,* desireth the farre greatest part of the world to be damned. Ergo, By the Arminian way, hee should say, God willeth not any man to bee saved, nor any to come to the knowledge of the truth, but that all may be damned: and be∣cause they say, there is in the Almighty an Antecedent natu∣rall affection and desire, that justice may be satifyed in Men and Angels, which affection is in order of nature prior, and before Gods full, peremptory, and deliberate will of damning all, that are finally obstinate; as there is a naturall antecedent will in God, to call, invite to repentance, offer Christ to all, and will the salvation of all and every one, which is afore and precedent to his peremptory, compleat, and irrevocable decree of electing to glory, all that God foreseeth shall dye in the faith of Christ. Upon the same ground, it may well bee said, GOD willeth the damnation of all, and every one of man∣kind, and the salvation and repentance of none at all, and that Christ dyed upon no intention naturall to redeeme, Page 384 or save any, but upon a conditionall and naturall desire, that ju∣stice might be declared in the just destruction of all; for sure all Gods naturall affections and desires of justice, are as naturall and essentiall to him, and so as universally extended toward the creature, as his desires and antecedent natural affections of mercy.

Object. 5. The sense of the word All, appeares to be of A∣dam,*and all that come by propagation of him. 1. The word Men is used for Adam, and all his Sons, Hebr. 9.27. (2.) Of∣ten in the fullest sense, not regenerated, nor wholly reprobated, are called Men, Job 11.11, 12. Psal. 12.1. and 4.2. and 53.2. (3) Beleevers are called Men, Acts 1.11. 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. In regard of passions, Acts 14.15. Of carnall walking, 1 Cor. 3.3. Yet they are called something more, Sonnes of God. Joh. 1.12. 1 Joh. 3.1. Saints, 1 Cor. 1.1. Brethren, faithfull, Ephes. 1.1. Christians, Acts 11.26. Some who have heardned their heart, are called Men, but something more, reprobate, Jer. 6.28, 30. Seed of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15. Children of Belial, Deut. 1.3. Of the Devil, Joh. 8.4•. and with an Emphasis, the wicked, Psal. 9.17.

Answ. In these Grammattications M. Moor sheweth how weake his cause is, and how dubious from the word men, and all; for Heb. 9.27. Its said, its appointed for all men to die, and the Holy Ghost insinuateth clearly, that Christ died for all men that die, in the very next words, v. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; he saith not all men: Observe the change of words. 2. We deny not but all men in Scrip∣ture signifieth all descended of the first Adam by propagation. Ergo, It signifieth so here? This is to be proved. 3. What M^r. Moor meaneth by some not wholly reprobated, I know not, except he make in God answerable thereunto a whole and compleat decree of Reprobation, and so of Election, and a half, and incompleat decree of both, as Arminians doe. Which Scripture knoweth not, and removeth all certainty of salvation, of perseverance, joy, comfort, earnest of the Spirit, seal of Spi∣rit. 4. We contend not that by all men here must be meant beleevers and regenerated persons only, and so he fighteth with his own shadow. 5. He granteth beleevers are called men, and I hope to prove that the elect and beleevers, are called all, and all flesh, and us all, &c. though it be true, be∣leevers are called men, because of their humane passions and Page 385 carnall walking, and some more, to wit, Sons of God, Saints, faithfull Christians; it followeth not, that here they should be called Sons of God, Saints, because Christ dieth not for them as Saints, but as men, and sinners chosen to life: Else Paul should not say, Ephes. 2.1. God hath quickned you who were dead in sins, &c. for those whom God quickneth are something more then dead in sin; sure they are chosen Saints, new crea∣tures, &c. after they are converted.

Object. 6. All men here 1 Tim. 2.6. intentionally, ex∣pressely, principally and especially is meant of the first sort,*for naturall men, sons of Adam, sinners, unbeleevers. 1. Because this sense includeth all, at first all men, having some in which they are such, and neither better nor worse then such before they be borne of God, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. Tit. 3.3. Rom. 3.9.20.

Answ. We deny not but all men includeth unregenerate men, but Master Moor proveth idem per idem, the same thing by the same thing. All men must be meant of all Adams sons, Why? because all includeth all, at first, all men; That is, all includeth all, but not all men distributively, all and every one without exception. 2. Its denyed that all men includeth all as unregenerate, or under that reduplication, it is meant of all men unregenerate as fallen under the good will of GODS Election of Grace,* and as stated in his eye as objects of speciall favour and grace. Nor doth the Lord quicken men as dead in sins, Ephes. 2.1. as foolish and disobe∣dient, Tit. 3.3. as under sin, Rom. 3.9. for then he should quicken all dead in sin, all foolish and disobedient, all under sin, and this will prove the conversion and salvation of all and every Son of Adam, the Lord quickneth dead sinners, as they lie un∣der his free choice of election to glory.

Object. 7. Because Christ died to make a propitiation for them, as they are sinners.

Answ. That is denyed, he died for them as they were sinners,* but as within the pale and under the covering of the fair and sweet shadow of eternally chusing love, otherwise, if Christ died for sinners as sinners; he died for all sinners; and for those that are finally obstinate, for these with the first come under the reduplication of sinners as sinners.

Object. 8. It is no where said Christ died for good men, for Page 386 righteous for beleevers, neither when they were such, nor as they were such; but for the unjust, ungodly, his enemies, Rom. 5, 6, 8. 1 Pet. 3.18. Gal. 1.14.

Answ. Christ neither died for sinners as sinners, nor for sin∣ners as righteous, as Iacob neither served for his wife as a wife, nor for his wif• as a sinful woman, datur tertium. This is an im∣perfect enumeration, Christ died for the ungodly, the unjust, his e∣nemi•s; as fre•ly chosen to be made righteous, and the friends of Christ; as Jacob served for a wife, that is, for Rachel, whom he freely chos•d before Leah,•hat he might make her his wife; neither when she was his wife, nor as she was his wife; and as the Scripture saith, Christ died for the ungodly, the uniust, his enemies so also f•r his friends, Joh. 15.13. his sheep, Joh. 10.11. his beloved Church and Spouse, Ephes. 5.25, 26. And the places cit•d, Rom. 5. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet.•.•8. are all re∣strictive of these for whom Christ died, as Rom. 5. he died for us who are justified by faith, have peace with God, accesse by faith, who glory in tribulation, rejoyce in hope, Gal. 1.4. He gave himselfe for us. The Churches of Galatia, to whom Paul prayeth, Grace and peace. 1 Pet. 3.18. for those that he was to br•ng to God, and in no place of Scripture, nor yet 1 Tim. 1.15. Is it said, Christ died for sinners, as sinners, but only for those that were sinners, which can never prove the Ar∣minian conclusion, That he died for all sinners.

Object. 8. He saith not, pray for some of all sorts, but for all men,*and nameth but one sort.

Answ. His naming one sort, inferreth, we should exclude no sort out of our prayers; seeing this one sort were persecu∣ters, that may seem farthest from our prayers.

Moor. We are not to pray for such as are known to sin a∣gainst the Holy Ghost, because they cast aside the sacrifice and ransome of Christs blood, and there is no more sacrifice for them, and so they are blotted out of the hopefull book of life, and sepa∣rated from all men of which they were once, being now repro∣bated of God, Jer. 16.5. 1 Ioh. 5.16.

Answ. But either Christ did bear on his body on the tree, that sin of casting aside the sacrifice of Christ,* or not; if the first be said, Christ died for them, and we are to pray for them, and further such as sin against the Holy Ghost, as such must come under the reduplication of Gods enemies, the ungodly sin∣ners, Page 387 disobedient, dead in sins and trespasses, in the highest de∣gree, and so Christ must have died for them under that sin; or then there is a sin of some of the sons of Adam, that Christ did no more bear on his body on the tree, then the sin of Devils which should render that sin intrinsecally unpardonable, even in relation to Christs blood, which Arminians cannot bear. 2. A blotting out of the book of life, and time-reprobation here asserted by M^r. Moor, is the highest indignity done to the unchangeable love and grace of God, and grosse Armini∣anisme.

Object. 9. Praying for their brethren could not be doubted of,*but the doubt was to pray for opposers and persecuters; The Apostle saith, th•s to pray for all men was good according to Matth. 5.44.48.

Answ. To pray for all rankes of men, Nero and others was the doubt; but Matth. 5. Which saith, we must pray for, and blesse our enemies, with submission to Gods decree, and in imitation of God, who causeth the Sun to shine on the un∣just, cannot infer that we are to pray for all and every one, ab∣solutely, as Arminians dream, That Christ died for all abso∣lutely.

Object. 10. The motives to pray for all men are from only Gods good will to man,*and what Christ hath done to ransome us, like Matth. 5.44.45. Motives to pray for beleevers are sweeter, as their uprightnesse with God, faith in Christ, love in the Saints, fellowship to the Gospel.

Answ. The thing in question is not concluded; we say not we are to pray for the salvation of none but beleevers only, and that Christ died for none but those that already beleeved: We are to pray for all ranks, beleevers or unbeleevers, as Christ died for thousands of both, but ever in order to faith, and election to glory. 2. Its a •lasphemous comparison to say the gracious good will of God to chuse men to glory, and the highest and most matchlesse love of Christ, Ioh. 3.16. and 15.13. Ephes. 5.25, 26, 27. Acts 20.28. Tit. 3.3, 4. is but a common motive to induce us to pray for all men,* and such belly-blessings as a shining Sun, and raining clouds, which God bestoweth on blasphemers, apostates, and cru•ifyers of the Lord Iesus, Psal. 73.1, 2, &c. Ier. 12.1, 2. Job 21.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Yea, the giving of Christ to die for sinners, is an Page 388 argument to prove that far more Christ will give us all other things, Rom. 8.32. even righteousnesse, faith, love, and all gra∣ces, and therefore there can be no sweeter motive to move us to pray for all men conditionally, then because for any thing our charity is to deem on the contrary; they may even though persecuters, be within the circumference and sweet lists of Gods free love, and greatest good will, and affection of Election and Redemption, Rom. 9.11, 12, 13. Ephes. 1.9 Ioh. 15.13. and 3.16. Gal. 2.20. and we are to pray for them under this re∣duplication and notion, as freely loved of God, and redeemed of his rich grace, and in no other consideration, which is the far sweeter motive then any inherent uprightnesse, faith, or love that can be in us.

Object. 11. We are to pray without wrath, ver. 8. which is incident, when we pray for those that crosse and persecute us, not when we pray for beleevers.

Answ. Non concluditur negatum; Ergo, We are to pray for all, and every man, because we can hardly pray without wrath and grudging for such as Nero. 2. If beleevers injure us (as they often doe now adaies) hee knowes not his owne heart, who is not tempted to wrath in praying for them. 3. Vers. 8. All prayers in generall must be without wrath, and with pure hands, and not prayers onely for persecuters.

Ob. 12. The thing prayed for, is that wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life, that so the Gospel might runne and be glo∣rified. 2 Thes. •.1. Joh. 17.22, 23. But things to bee prayed for to the beleevers are higher, as increase of love, sincerity, filling with the fruits of Righteousnesse, Phil. 1.9, &c.

Answ. All these prove this place will prove onely, wee are to pray for Magistrates under whom we have peace, and the Gospel, nor for beleevers, and so not for all Adams sonnes; as the next words, Pag. 59. prove.

Object. 13. Here is a ground to preach the Gospel to all men,*to every Creature, Matth. 28.20. Mark. 16.15. And how farre to all men, Joh. 16.12. 1 Cor. 3.12. Hebr. 5.12. even though they hate and persecute us.

Answ. If every creature be no Senechdoche, it must war∣rant us to preach to Devils. 2. Its evident by the story of the Acts that the Apostles, obeyed not this command, in the letter, •s Master Moore presseth it; there bee many Nations, and Page 389 thousands of people, to whom the Apostles never preached the Gospel, neither to fathers, nor sons. 3. Gods decree is no warrant to the to preach the Gospel, except God confer miraculously the gift of tongus, and this strongly proveth the contrary; the Lord never yet sent the meanes of the knowledge of the truth to all and eve∣ry Son of Adam, then he cannot will all, and every Son of Adam to be saved, and Christ dyed not for all and every creature, then he commanded not to preach the Gospel to all & every creature, but onely to every creature, that is, to all Nations, Jewes, and Gentiles: now when the partition wall is broken downe.

Object. 14. He sheweth the will of God touching the Me∣diator to save and ransome all.* 2. To bring all to the know∣ledge of the truth. 3. By this knowledge sinne is removed, death abolished, enmitie slaine, peace obtained, so farre for all men, that God hath given all over to the dispose of Christ, and made him Lord and Judge of all. 4. The other part of Gods will, Jesus Christ performeth, to wit, to preach the Go∣spel to all, and will performe it in due time. 5. The Gospel may be preached to all, vers. 7. 6. Prayers made for all, v. 1, 2, 3, 4, and here is no more then Christ doth to all men.

Answ. Here be faire Positions, but not a word to prove that this is Gods will concerning all and every sonne of Adam. He supposeth all this as granted, because he saith, not because the Text saith it, and therefore we deny what he proveth not.

Master Moore alledgeth, that Joh. 1.29.*Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world.

Answ. The word World, is the Nations and Gentiles, and beleevers are elect of both Jewes and Gentiles, Joh. 3, 16. God so loved the world. Rom. 11.12. If the fall of them bee the riches of the world; if the casting away of them bee the reconcilement of the world; of the Gentiles, and especially of Jewes and Gentiles. Math. 24.14. And this Gospel of the kingdome shall be preached in all the world, for a witnesse to all Nations; that is, Jewes and Gentiles. A personall wit∣nesse to every single man it cannot be, except every single man heard it. Rom. 10.14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard? Joh. 15.22. Rom. 2.12. So is the world all Nations, taken, Mar. 14.9, 10. and the word World, Mark. 16.15. (2) Taking away of sinne is the actuall free compleat pardoning of sinne; so as Judas sin is sought, and not found, Jer, Page 390 50.20. As 2 Sam. 24.10. David having numbred the people, prayeth,*O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant; any Arminian in conscience answer, Did David pray for no more, then is due to Iudas, Cain, and all mankind, of whom many never, in faith, can pray, as David here doth? Or doth he not seeke the effectuall pardon of his numbring the people? Job 7.21. And why doest thou not pardon mine iniquity, and take away my transgression? Esai 27.9. This is all the fruit, to take away his sinne: this cannot be the potentiall, and ineffe∣ctuall removing of sinne, common to all the world, but pro∣per to the Church, and brought to passe by particular afflicti∣ons on the Church. Rom. 11.27. This is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sinnes. These words are not fulfilled, till all Israel be saved, both elect Iewes and Gentiles, and the Iewes converted. But Arminians say, Though the Iews were never converted, and not a man of Israel saved, yet the Lambe of God taketh away the sinnes of the world; So E∣sai 6.7. Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sinne purged; this is no halfe pardon, such as Esaiah had before the Lord touched his lips. 1 Joh. 3.5. And yee know that he was ma∣nifested to take away our sinnes. Iohn speaketh of the taking away of the sinnes of us, Iohn and the Saints, who were lo∣ved, Vers. 1. with a wonderfull love to bee called the Sonnes of God, us whom the World knoweth not, vers. 2. us who shall be like Christ, when he appeareth. Arminians are obliged to give us parallel places, where the redemption of all, and every man, and Christs naked power and desire to be friends with all men, and to make any covenant, of grace, or works, as he pleaseth, is called the taking away the sinnes of the world; and yet the whole world may possibly dye in their sinnes, and not a man be saved; the taking away of the worlds sinnes to us, is the compleat pardoning of them. Remission of sinnes in his bloud, Ephes. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Blotting out of transgressions, Esai 4•.25. as a thicke cloud, Esai 44.23. a not remem∣bring of sinnes, Isai 43.25. Ier. 31.•4. Such a taking away of sinnes, as is promised in the covenant of grace to the house of Iudah, to the Church under the Messiah, that heareth the Gospel, Ier. 31.34, Hebr. 8.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Rom. 11.26, 27. Esai 59.20. This is the taking away of the sinnes of the world, a new world, in whose inner parts the Lord writeth Page 391 his Law, and with whom the Lord maketh an everlasting co∣venant, never to turne away from them, Jer. 31.33, 34, 5, 36, 37. in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit, and in whose mouth, he puteth his Word, and in the mouth of their seed, and their seeds seede, Esai 59.20, 21. The Arminian taking away of sins is of all, and every one of Adams seed, of such as never heard of a Covenant, of a Word, of a Spirit, of a Seed, a holy Seed, of a new heart. Finally the taking away of the sinnes of the world, is the removing of them as farre from us, as the East is from the West, Psal. 103.12. bestowed on these that feare the Lord, vers. 11. and are pitied of the Lord, as the Fa∣ther pitieth the Sonne; and the subduing of our iniquities, and the casting of our sinnes in the depths of the Sea, Mich. 7.19.•0. a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lords inheri∣tance. The Arminian taking away of sins, is a broad pardon of sins to all the world: let them shew Scripture for theirs, as we doe for ours, and cary it with them.

Object. 15. Though Reconciliation bee purchased to all and every one, yet it is not necessary that it bee preached to all,*and every one: but onely it is required that God bee willing, it bee preached to all; now it is free to God before he be willing to make offer of the purchased reconciliation to all; to require afore hand, such acts of obedience▪ and dueties, which being perfor∣med, hee may publish the Gospel to them; or being not perfor∣med, hee may bee unwilling to publish the Gospel to them. Yea, though reconciliation be purchased to all, yet its free to God, to communicate the benefits of his death, upon what termes, hee thinketh good: And Christ died (saith Master Moore) to obtaine a lordship over all, and a power to save beleevers, and destroy such as will not have him to raigne over them, as wee heard before.

Answ. 1. We have in this Doctrin that Argument yeelded. God commanded to preach to all and every one: Ergo, Christ died for all, and every one. For 1. The consequence is true absolutely, by the Arminians doctrine, Christ absolutely died for all, and every one, without prescribing any condition to those for whom he dies; he saith not, my sonne dieth to pur∣chase reconciliation to all, upon condition all beleeve, or perform some other dutie; but beleeve they, or beleeve they not, the 〈◊〉 is payed, and salvation purchased for all, without excepti∣on: Page 392 but the antecedent is not true, but upon condition. God is not willing the Gospel bee preached to all, but to such as perform such conditions.

2. If they perform not the condition, Christ should have said, preach not the Gospel to all nations, nor to every creature; but onely to such as yee finde fit hearers of the Gospel, and have performed such acts of obedience, as I require; for conditionall threatnings are set downe in the Gospel, as well as conditionall promises: he that beleeveth shall be saved, he that beleeveth not shall bee damned. But in Old or New Testament, Arminians never shew us where the preaching of the word of Grace is referred to our free will: Doe this, O Ammonits, O Indians, and the glad tyding shall come to you; if yee doe not this, ye shall never heare the Gospel. Arminians say, God sendeth his Grace and Gospel, both genti minus dignae, & indigniori negat, to the unworthy Nation, and denyeth both to the worthier.

*3. Arminians say, in Script. Synod. Dordr. pag. 6. Lex non lata, aut non intellecta, cum intelligi non possit, non obligat▪ a law not made, or not understood, when it cannot be understood, doth not oblige, then God cannot deny a salvation, and the benefit of a preached Gospel to Indians; though both were purchased in Christ, if they never heard (as hundreths of Nations could by no rumor, heare, or dreame of Christ and the Gospel) of Christ.

4. How can God with the same naturall, and half-will; equally will that all bee saved; when hee absolutly, without merit, or condition, willeth the meanes of salvation to some, and denyeth the meanes of salvation, to the farre largest part of mankinde, for want of a condition unpossible; because it nei∣ther was, nor could be known to them.

5. By the Arminian way, sinne originall, is no sin, it bring∣eth wrath and condemnation on no man. God beginneth upon a new score, and the reckoning of the covenant of Grace, to count with all men: and God is so reconciled to all mortall men, and transacteth with them, in such a way of free grace; that hee will punish no man, for any new breach, except com∣mitted actually by such as are come to age, as have the use of reason; and are obliged to beleeve in Christ. pag. 285, 286, 287. Dordr. scrip. Synod. Yet hath God decreed never to reveale any such gracious transactions, to millions of men, that better Page 393 deserve to heare these secrets of grace, then thousands, to whom they are proclaimed in their ears; ere they can discerne the right hand, by the left: This Arminians say was Gods dispen∣sation, Matth. 11. with Capernaum, and Tyrus, and Sidon. But it will bee found, that Arminians deny the prescience, and foreknowledge of God.

6. Most abominable, and comfortlesse, must the doctrine of the death of our Lord Iesus be; if Christ died onely to bee a Lord, and such a Lord, as hee might have power; without im∣peachment of revenging justice, to save men upon a new trans∣action, either of grace or works; and to destroy his enemies that would not accept of that new transaction, yet so as when Christ hath dyed, and taken away the sinnes of all, and is made Lord and King of dead and quick; all mankinde may freely reject all covenants Christ maketh, or can make, and be eternal∣ly lost, and perish.

For 1. Christs Princedome and Dominion,* that hee hath acquired by death, is not a free-will-power or possibility, by which, he may, upon such and such conditions, kill, or save, though all may eternally perish. But Christ is made Lord of quick and dead, by dying, Rom. 14.9. that he might be judge of all; but so, that we should live and dye to our selves, but that whe∣ther we live or dye we should be Christs; though we change con∣ditions, yet not Masters in both, we should be the Lords, v. 7.8. as Christ lived againe after death, that hee might bee the hus∣band of his owne wife, the Church, that hee dyed of love for.

2. Upon what termes Christ was by death, made a Lord, and acquired a Princedome, upon these termes he was made a Prince over his Church; for Lord, and Prince, and King, are all one. But the Lord maketh David, that is Jesus the Sonne of David, Prince over his people, not with power to save or de∣stroy his redeemed slocke, and so as all the slock may eternal∣ly perish. Ezech. 34.22. Therefore will I save my slocke, and they shall no more be a prey.—Vers. 23. And I will set one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, and my ser∣vant David hee shall feed them, and he shall be their Shep∣herd. Vers. 24. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a Prince among them, I the Lord have spoken it. Vers. 25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace.Page 394 Now was Christ by the bloud of the eternall covenant, brought back from the death, and made a Shepherd of soules, to the end he might have power to destroy all the slock? Ezechiel saith, to feed them, the Apostle, to make the Saints perfect in every good worke, working in them (actually and efficaciously) that which is wel-pleasing in his sight, Heb. 13.20, 21. Its true, Christ obtaineth by his death a mediatory power to crush as a Potters clay vessell, with a rod of yron, all his rebellious ene∣mies. But 1. this is not a power to crush any enemies, but such as have heard of the Gospel, and will not have Christ to raigne over them, in his Gospel-government; but not to crush all his enemies, that never heard of the Gospel, and so are not Evangelically guilty in sinning against the Lord Jesus, as Mediator, for they cannot be guilty of any such sinne. Rom. 10.14. Joh. 15.22. Hee had, and hath power as God, equall with the Father, to judge and punish all such as have sinned without the Law. 2. Its not merit, or acquired by way of merit of Christs death, that a Crown is given to Jesus Christ, for this end, to destroy such enemies as are not capable of sin∣ning against his Mediatorie Crowne, especially, when as God, he had power to destroy them, as his enemies, though hee had never been Mediator.

Yea, Act. 5.31. Its said, him (whom yee slew, and hang∣ed on a tree) hath God exalted, with his right hand, to bee a Prince and Saviour, (not to destroy all his subjects, upon fore∣seene condition of rebellion, to which they were, through corruption of nature, inclinable) but that he might by his Spi∣rit, subdue corruption of nature, and give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes.

3. By what title Christ is made a King and Lord, by the same he is made head of the body the Church. For Ephes. 1.20.21, 22, 23. By raising him from the dead, God conferred a headship upon him. Now he was not made head of the bo∣dy, that he might destroy all the members, or most of them, as Arminians must say; but his headship is for this end, that the whole body, by his spirit fitly joyned together might grow up in love, Ephes. 4.16. and that the members might receive life and Spirit from him.

4. By the same title he is made Lord, by which hee is made King, Governour, and Leader of the people; for power Page 395 of Dominion and Lordship is nothing but Royall power, now he was made King, not on such termes, as hee might destroy all his subjects, (for all mankind are his subjects to Armini∣ans.) But he is made King, Psal. 72.11. That all Nations may serve him; that hee should deliver the poore, needy, and helplesse; and redeeme their soules from violence, and e∣steeme their death precious, and he raigneth and prospereth as a King, that in his dayes Judah may be saved, and Israel dwell safely, Jer. 23.7.8. and God raiseth the horne of David, Luk. 1. And so setteth Christ on the throne to performe his mercy promised to our Fathers, and remember his holy covenant. Ver. 69.7. That wee might serve him in holynesse and righteous∣nesse. Now by the Arminian way, he is set upon the throne of David to execute vengeance on all his Subjects and that he may utterly destroy all, if all rebell, and not to save one of Judah and Israel; for he may be a King without any subject; suppose all his Subjects were cast in hell; yea, hee groweth out of the root of Jesse, a Royall branch of King Davids house; not that these Warres may bee perpetuated betweene God and all the children of men: but that the Wolfe should dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard lye down with the Kid, and the Calfe, and the young Lyon together, and a little Childe should lead them, and the earth should be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea, Isai 11.1, 2. — 6.7, 8, 9. And Christ is given for a guide and leader of the people; Sure, for the good of the slock, and that he may carry the lambes in his bosome. Esai 40.11. That they should not hunger nor thirst, that neither the heat nor the Sunne should smite them: because he that hath mercy on them, doth lead them, and by the springs of water doth he guide them, Esai 49.10. Salvation is ingraven on the Crowne of Christ: by office, Christ must be a destroyer, and a Lord crusher of his people, as a Jesus, and a Saviour, by this conceit.

5. And what more contrary to the intrinsecall end of Christs death, then that he should obtaine no other end, by dying, but a placability, a possible salvation, a softning onely of Gods minde, whereby justice should onely stand by, and a doore bee opened, by which God might be willing, if hee pleased, to conferre salvation, by this or that Law, a covenant of grace, or of works, or a mixt way, or by exacting faith in an An∣gell, Page 396 or an holy man, and this possible salvation, this virtu∣all, or halfe reconciliation doth consist with the eternall dam∣nation of all the world, whereas the genuine con-naturall end of Christs death is, Joh. 10.10. That his sheepe may have life, and have it more aboundantly;* he suffered, the just for the un∣just, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3.18. and in the very act of suffering (to speake so) or in that he was stripped and dyed. The chastisement of our peace was on him, Esai 53.5. This cannot bee such a possible heaven, a fowle sleeing in the aire, a (may be) as farre off as a (never may be) which may consist with an inevitable hell. So as Christ dyed not, but on a poore hopelesse venture, and a forlorne contingencie, that might as soone fill Hell, with the damned soules of all the world, as grace Paradice with redeemed ones.

6. His comming in the world hath no such Arminian end, that we reade of, as a possible saving, or an obtained salvati∣on, that thousands, yea not one in the world may ever enjoy; but he came to seeke, and actually, and intentionaly, to save that which was lost, Luk. 19.10. to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. and Paul the first of sinners; and not for wrath, but that we might obtaine salvation, by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. 5.9.

7. Nor did he so die, that we should not live to our selves, but unto Righteousnesse, but that we might be 1 Pet. 2.24. re∣deemed from this present evill world. Gal. 1.4. from our vaine conversation; 1 Peter 1.18. That hee might redeeme us from all iniquitie, and purifie to himselfe a peculiar peo∣ple, zealous of good workes, Titus 2.14. That wee should glorifie God in our bodies and Spirits, which are Gods, 1 Cor. 6.20. That hee might present to himselfe, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should bee holy and without blemish, Ephes. 5.27. Now Christ may obtaine the native and intrinsecall end of his death; though all the Redeemed ones (say the Armi∣nians) Live to themselves, and never be redeemed from the present evill world, nor from their vaine conversation, and live and die to themselves, and walking in their lusts.

8. And upon what ground Christ is made Lord, hee is made also a husband to the Church; for the husband as an husband is made head of the wife. Now the intrinsecall end, Page 397 and so the specifick acts of this husband, who is joyned to us, by the marriage-covenant of free grace, must bee free love to his Spouse; as Paul expoundeth it, Ephes. 5.25. and the na∣tive fruit, and end of Marriage, is that the Spouse might have interest in the righteousnesse, glory, spirit, wisdome, and san∣ctification, the kingdome and throne of the Husband and Lord, not that hee might condemne and destroy his Spouse.

9. It is a reasonlesse conceit, that after Christ dyed, hee hath a freedome to transact for our actuall saving and glorify∣ing in what termes he will, Law, or Gospel, Grace or Works; because he dyed the surety of the covenant of grace, Hebr. 7.2. and made his Testament, and last will, and confirmed it by his death as our friend, and bequeathed to his poor friends the promise of an eternall inheritance, Heb. 9.15. and so he died as the Mediator of the New Testament, and sealed the Cove∣nant with his blood, which is therefore called the blood of the eternall covenant, Heb. 13.20. Zach. 9.11.* And therefore nei∣ther the first Testament was dedicated without blood, Heb. 9.18, 19, 20, 21. and Christ by his blood entred into heaven, as a Priest to intercede for us, v. 23, 24. And this Arminian way over-turneth the whole Gospel, which is a bargaine of blood, between the Father and the son Christ, and Christ dying and justifying, pardoning the iniquities of his people, making them heires of the same Covenant and Kingdome with him∣selfe, is in this Indenture of free Grace, the chiefe man: Now unpossible it is that this can be an effect of Christs death, that he may set up a covenant of grace, and a Gospel-way to Hea∣ven, or set up another way; when as by the Gospel-covenant only God gave Christ a body, indented with him to doe the worke, to make his soule an offering for sin; and God promi∣sed to him if he would die, a seed; and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand, that his soule should be satis∣fied, that he should justifie many, intercede for many, Isai. 53.10, 11, 12, 13. Now if all might eternally perish, notwith∣standing that Christ died for them, and it were free to Christ to make such a Covenant after his death, in which not one man possibly may be saved. Christ then should doe his work, and yet not have his wages, nor have a seed, nor justifie his people, nor have a willing people to serve him; yea, then should Christ Page 398 offer the sacrifice of his body, as our Priest on earth, in shed∣ing his blood, and yet not enter into Heaven, and the Holy of Holiest to intercede for us, as our High Priest there also.

10. All the offices and relations of Christ and comfortable promises of the Gospel shall be overturned,* for it is in the free will of man, that Christ be King, or no King; Head, or no Head of the Church; a Husband or no Husband: Clear it is, Christ is a Gospel King; now if his death might stand and attain its intrinsecall end and effect, which is a meer possible reconcilia∣tion, and a salvation to his people standing only in (a may be) or a (may never be); then Christ is a Gospel-King, without a Kingdome of Grace, the fruits whereof are righteousnesse, joy of the Holy Ghost, and peace, Rom. 14.17. He is a King, but Iudah shall never be saved in his dayes; there shall be no righteousnesse, no peace, no joy in his Kingdome, he is a Re∣deemer and a Saviour; but his people all are eternally lost, and die in bondage and misery, and in their sins; he is a Saviour, but saves not his people from their sins, he is the chief corner stone, but no other living stones are built on him; he is a head, but hath not a living body quickned by his Spirit; nor a body that is, the fulnesse of Christ; he is a Husband, but the essence of his maritall and husbandly power standeth in that he hath power to destroy his Spouse eternally, That he hateth his own flesh, he is a Shepherd, and a good Shepherd, and layeth downe his life for his Sheepe; but the roaring Lyon devoureth all his Flocke, he carrieth not the Lambes in his bosome, he feedeth them not in the strength of the Lord, he causeth them not lye downe safely, he leadeth them not to the living waters, they hunger and starve eternally; he is the vine-tree, but no man bringeth forth fruit in him. He is an eternall Priest, but the sins of all he offereth for remaine in heaven before the Lord for ever, hee is the promised seed, and by death, triumpheth over Devils and Principalities and powers; but the Serpents head is not brui∣sed, Satan is not cast out, Satan reigneth and ruleth in all man∣kinde: He hath much in Christ, all the world of Elect and Re∣probate; all Adams Sons live and die in sin, and are tormented with the Devill and his Angels eternally, such a thing as life eternall and the Kingdome of heaven is for no use offered or purchased to the redeemed, who stand before the Throne, and sing praises to the Lambe. He is the Lord and builder of his Page 399 house, the Church; but he hath no Church, but that which cannot be called a Church: I know no Article of the Gospel, that this new and wicked Religion of universall attonement doth not contradict.

11. To beleeve in Christ is to beleeve that omnipotency can save Judas, Pharaoh and all, every mortall man, so they be∣leeve in Christ; But Christ hath purchased sufficient grace to no mortall man, because in the obtaining of eternall life to all the world, as Arminians say, neither faith, repentance or grace to beleeve and repent hath any place. God might after Christs death have required nothing for our actuall salvation, but ab∣staine from eating the fruit of such a tree, and yee have life eter∣nall in Christ.

12. How can Christs satisfaction be imputed to any man, seeing it is a meer possible salvation, or a power to save, that may, and doth stand, with the damnation of millions that Christ died for?

13. Christs dying had in his eye the Sanctification, the gi∣ving of the Spirit, the raising to life, the eternall glory of not one man more then another, not of Peter, of Moses, more then of Cain, or Judas; though he said, Joh. 17.19. For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe. And v. 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me, should be where I am, that they may behold the glory that thou hast given me. 9. I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given me.

14. Christ hath died, yet he must by the Arminian way, make no Testament, appoint no certaine heires, but win the dead mans Legacy by free will, and have it who will.

15. Christ obtained by his death that the Gospel should no more be preached then the Law, or faith in an Angel, that men may be saved.

Vse All the doctrine contrary to universall attonement, doth highly advance Christ, for by it the Lord Jesus as Mediator, and our High Priest must be essentially grace, and essentially an Ambassador of Grace. It is kindly to Christ to save, salvation belongeth to Christ as Christ; injoy him as a Saviour, and yee cannot perish; be joyned to him as a Husband, and he cannot but love and save his Spouse; submit to him as a King, and ye must share with him in his Throne, his Kings royall Crown was never ordained for another end, but that the lustre of the precious Page 400 stones in that Crown, should shine on the face and soules of his Redemed ones; Christ came not to destroy but to seek and to save the lost, get in union with Christ by faith and the Spi∣rit of the Lord Jesus, and he will save you (to speak so) whe∣ther you will or no; yee complain of corruption, he is a King over the body of sin, he is a Priest to sacrifice lusts; to preach Christ a dying Redeemer of all and every one of mankind, when millions redeemed doe eternally perish, is to steal away Christ from the people, as thieves in Ieremiahs dayes did steal the word of the Lord; it is to make the Lord Jesus as weak and pow∣erlesse a Priest, as ever any son of Aaron, for his blood no more can take away their sins, then the blood of Bullocks or Goats could doe it, its to enthrone free will, and dethrone the grace of Christ, and to put shame on the Lord Iesus and his blood; and though these enemies of the crosse of Christ, now croud in, in England, under the Name of the Godly party; yet it was a good Observation of that Learned and gracious servant of Christ Doctor Ames who conversed with Arminans, that he could never see a proof of the grace of Christ, in the con∣versation of such men, as in doctrine, were declared enemies of the grace of Christ.

Now for the world, All, and the World, and all Nations, it may be demonstrate from Christs will in the Scriptures,* that if universall attonement and Redemption of all and every one, can be proved from these Grammattications: Then with the like strength I can prove, 1. The conversion of all and eve∣ry mortall man to saving Faith. 2. The eternall salvation of all and every man. 3. The eternall perishing of all and every one, which must be infinitely absurd and blasphemous: And if the good will of God cannot be extended to the end, and the efficacious and onely saving meanes tending to this end, which are salvation and saving faith; with no colour of rea∣son can it be extended to one means of redeeming all and e∣very one, rather then to another.

1.There is an universall conversion, and saving illuminati∣on, which is called in the Text, A drawing of all. And I, when I am lifted up, on the crosse, will draw all men to me. Here is a drawing of all men, and so an effectuall conversion, but not of all and every man,* as Mr Den saith, 1. Because v. 33. This drawing is by the power of Christ, lifted up on Page 401 the Crosse, and by the Holy Spirit given by Christ, Joh. 7.39. and 14.16, 7. and 15.26, •7. and 16.7, 1•, 14. Now it can bee no Gospel-truth that Christ draweth by the lifting of himselfe on the Crosse, and by his death, all and e∣very man to himselfe, even thousands and millions of the sons of Adam, that never heard one letter or the least sound of the Gospel, or of his lifting up on the Crosse; for sure, Christs death-drawing must be by proposing the beauty and loveli∣nesse of Christ crucified, which thousands never heard of. 2. This drawing must be all one with the drawing which ef∣fectually produceth running Cant. 1.4. after Christ. And which is Ioh. 6.44. Now when Christ saith, No man can come, except he be drawn: He clearly sheweth that the drawing of the Father is a peculiar priviledge of some, and not common to all, as the other two expressions beside of being taught of God, and hearing and learning of the Father. 3. Because all the drawn are raised up, by Christ their life and head at the last day, v. 44.4. The Adversary cannot show any drawing of Christ, or to Christ, that is common to all, and every one of mankind.

So, All Israel shall know the Lord, as its Heb. 8.10. for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel (saith the Lord) I will put my lawes into their minde, and write them in their hearts: and I will bee to them a God, and they shall bee to mee a people. vers. 11. And they shall not teach every one his neighbour, and every man his brother, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They shall all know me from the least of them, even to th• grea∣test: When was this covenant made? under the Mesiah, when both the Iews to whom this Apostle wrote, and the Gentiles came in. After those dayes, Arminians cannot deny, but the putting of the law in the minde, and writing it in their hearts; and this knowing of the Lord, not by the ministerie of man; but by the inward teaching of the Spirit, must be saving conversion and there is no more reason to expound Israel, all Israel, both Iews and Gentiles, of all of every kinde, and some few (except they flee to our universalitie of the elect) in the matter of con∣version, then in the matter of redemption by Christ, when it is said, Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all. 1 Tim. 2. B•cause it is their constant doctrine to make all and every one of Adams Sonnes, as many as Christ died for, to be the parties with whom the covenant is made: so in the same covenant, it is said, Ioh. 6. Page 402 45. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They shall bee all taught of God as Ie∣remiah saith Chap. 31.34. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Because they shall all know me, for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sinne no more: except they admit an universalitie of the redeemed of God, then as they contend for an universall re∣demption, and all and every one of mankinde, in Christ to bee taken in, within the covenant of grace (for they expound all those of the visible Church) there is as good reason, that wee prove from the Grammar of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉All. An universall Regeneration, and an universall justification of all, as they can prove an universall redemption: so is the same promise Isai. 54.11. and clearly Rom. 11.26. All Israel shall bee saved. He mea∣neth Iews and Gentiles, when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in, here is universall salvation of all.

So by Iohn Baptists ministry, all and every one of his hearers must bee converted, why? As Arminians expound many that Christ died for, Matth. 20.28. To bee all and every man with∣out exception. 1 Tim. 2 6. Heb.•.9. 1 Ioh. 2.1. so they are debt∣ers to us for the same liberty. Mal. 4. He shall turne the hearts of the fathers to the children, Luke 1.16. Many of the children of Israel shall hee turne to the Lord their God: these wee must expound by the Arminian Grammar of the conversion of all and every one▪ that heard •ohn preach contrary to Luke 7.29.30. for Pharisees and Lawyers were not converted. Yea, it is said Isai. 40.*Every valley shall bee exalted, and every moun∣taine shall bee made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall bee revealed, and all flesh sh•ll see it together. Matth 3. expoun∣deth it of the preaching of repentance, and the coming of the kingdome of God, by the ministrie of Iohn: so doth Mark 2.3. and Iohn 1.2. And the filling of vall•yes, and making straight crooked things; is sure the humbling of the proud, and the exalting of the humble, and the conversion of the disobe∣dient: But who can say that all and every mountaine was made low? and by Iohns ministrie, or Christ either: Was the Gos∣pel preached to all and every man? or the heart of every sonne, converted to the father, or did all flesh see, or injoy the sal∣vation of God? Then they must flee to our exposition: yea, Page 403 the seeing of the salvation of God is no lesse the saving of all, which Arminians cannot say. Mr. Den saith, That the see∣ing of God, is in that when they knew God,*they glorified him not as God, Rom. 1.21. And they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, as that is, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father, and Mat. 13.1•. And seeing, they see not, but (saith he) it is not to bee understood of saving know∣ledge.

Answ. 1. This is contrary to the scope of the Prophet I∣saiah and of the Evangelists, who aime at holding forth the fruits of the Gospel in John Baptist his Ministery, which was the conversion of soules, as Malachy saith, and the bringing down the proud and in tu•ning many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; and in going before C•ri•t in the Spi∣rit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisedome of the just, and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke 1.16, 17. Which is a cleer Exposition of laying every proud Mountain levell to Christ, and of fitting soules for the Messiah. Which no man can say, by teaching such a knowledge of Christ, as I∣dolatrous Heathen had of God as Creator, or blinde and obsti∣nate Pharisees had of Christ and his Father, whom they both saw and hated, Joh. 15. Rom. 21. That seeing of the salvation of God, is neither conversion, nor preparation of a people for Christ. 2. The phrase of seeing God, and the salvation of God, being set downe as a powerfull fruit of the Gospel, hath never in Scripture so low a meaning as is not wanting to naturall men, and Atheists, and Pharisees: But is meant of an eff•ctuall knowledge of God, and the injoying of God, as Job 19.25. I shall see God. Psal. 106.5. That I may see, that is inioy, the good of thy chosen, Isai. 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty. Isai. 52.10. The ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Matth. 5.8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Joh. 3.3. Except a man be born againe, he cannot see the Kingdome of God. Acts 22.14. Then Ananias said to Saul the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that just one Heb. 12.14. Follow holinesse, without which no man shall see the Lord. But if Mr. Den and others will contend that this seeing of the salvation of God, is the revelation of the literall knowledge of Page 404 Christ, that saving thing which is bestowed on the Nations by the Ministery of John and the coming of the Messiah, they must with us confesse a large Synecdoche and figure in this, when it is said, All flesh shall see the salvation of God, because there are thousands that live and die in the region and sha∣dow of death, to whom the least taste of literall knowledge of Christ, or of his Name n•ver came. Psal.•9.9. In his Temple shall every one speak of his glory, not every one, but converts only can utter the glory of God savingly, in the Temple of the Lord, otherwise many speak and doe in his Temple, to his dishonour, Jer. 7.4.10▪ 11. Ezech. 23.38, 39. Acts 2.4. They were all fil∣led with the Holy Ghost. 17. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes (saith GOD) I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh. Now it is clear, This is a prophecying of all flesh within the Church: Your sonnes and your daughters shall pro∣phecie, your young men shall dreame dreames, &c. Now all flesh did never prophecy, nor was the Holy Ghost on Anani∣as and Saphira. Rom. 4. Abraham is called the father of us all. A spirituall father by faith, he is to those that are of the faith of Abraham: Now Arminians will not suffer us to expound us all in the matter of Redemption of us all, the elect of God, and beleevers; but of all and every one within the visible Church, Joh. 1.16. And of his fulnesse have all we received, and grace for grace. There is as good ground for saving grace given to all in Christ, as for Universall Redemp∣tion, except the words be restricted. For Arminians have ground from the words to alledge, All we among whom Christ dwelt have received grace, all we who saw his glory, as the on∣ly begotten Son of God, v. 14. which sight is the sight of sa∣ving faith, not given to all and every Son of Adam. 14. And he dwelt personally in the flesh and nature of all Adams Sons. So is it said, 1 Cor. 12.13. For by one Spirit we are all bap∣tized into one body, whether we be Jewes or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. How can Arminians decourt from a spirituall communion, in both Sacraments; all Jewes and Gen∣tiles in the visible body of Christ, except they restrict all〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as we doe? And 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open face 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as Page 405 by the Spirit of the Lord. Now Paul speaketh of all under the Gospel, and under the glorious ministration of the Spirit, opposite to the condition of the children of Israel, who were under the Law, which was the ministration of death, v. 6, 7, 8. Whose minds are blinded, through the vaile that was, and yet is over the hearts of that stiffenecked people in reading of the Old Testament, whereas this vail is taken away in Christ, and wee all under the Gospel have the Spirit and are free, and see the glory of the Lord, and are changed into the same glory, being in the Suburbs of Heaven; all of us having our faces shining with the rayes and beames of the glory of the Gospel, in the face of God, in a more glorious manner then the face of Moses did shine when he came downe from the Mount, with a glory that was to be done away, whereas this is eternall, v. 9, 10, 11, 12. compared with v. 17, 18. Now let Arminians speak, if they thinke all, and every one that hea∣reth the Gospel are partakers of this vision of God in the Kingdome of Grace? And Ephes 4. Christ ascending on high gifted his Church with a Ministery, v. 13. Till we all come in the unitie of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ. When we to decline the absolute univer∣sality of the redemption of all and every one, doe say, We all, and he tasted death for all men, and Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all. All must be restricted according to the Scope, the antecedent and consequent of the Text, we cannot be heard. Master Moore saith, we make the Holy Ghost to speake un∣truth, because we expound, all men, to be few men, yet must they either use the same restriction, and acknowledge an uni∣versality of converted and saved men, and so expound, All, to be few, as we doe, or they can no more decline the universall salvation of all, and every one, then we can decline the Ca∣tholike redemption of all, and every one. So they must say, that the number of the perfected Saints, that attaine to the fulnesse of grace and glory, and to a perfect man in Christ, is equall to that visible body, the Church, gifted with Apostles, Evange∣lists, Prophets, and Pastors, and Teachers. For all the like places Arminians expound of the body, of the whole body of the visible Church, externally called; now this is most absurd, that all and every one should bee saved, to whom Page 406Apostles, and Pastors were sent to preach the Gospel, then need force All must be restricted to the chosen flocke only. So Luk. 16.16. The kingdome of God is preached, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and every man presseth violently to it. The meaning is not,* as Master Denne saith, that every one is pressed by com∣mand, and Gospell-exhortation to repent. For 1. from John Baptists time, all and every one heareth not the Gospel, Matth. 10.5. (2) Matth. 11. ver. 2. is clearely expounded by an Active verbe, these that take heaven violenly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, take it by force; but doe all, and every Sonne of Adam, take heaven by force? No, then there must be an All, and a Catholicke company of converted and saved persons, by this conceit. And 1 Thess. 5.5. Yea, are all 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darknesse; these All that are called the children of the day, are opposed in the foregoing Verses, to the children of darkenesse, on whom the last day commeth suddenly, as child-birth paines on a woman. 2. All these are the chil∣dren of light, who are exhorted to be sober, not to sleep, Vers. 6, 7, 8. And whom God hath not appointed for wrath, but for salvation, by the meanes of our Lord Jesus. But these bee all the visible Church of Thessalonica; Ergo, there were no children of darkenesse among them, which is absurd; and will be de∣nyed by Arminians. When Christ speaketh to the multitude, he saith, Matth. 25.8. All yee are brethren: they must be bre∣thren, by the new birth. Vers. 8. Call no man your Father on earth, &c. Philip. 1.7 Yee are all partakers of my grace. Now he speaketh of these in whom Christ had begunne the good worke, and would perfect it into the day of Christ, Vers. 6. Such the Arminians doe say, were all the visible Saints at Philippi. Then by this, all and every one of them were con∣verted, 1 Cor. 11.4. The head 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of every man is Christ, of every man without exception? No, these of whom Christ is h•ad, these are his body, the Church, that have life from him, and are knit to him by the Spirit, and a∣mong themselves by spirituall ligatures, Ephes. 1.22.23. and Christs fulnesse, Ephes. 4 •6. Col. 1.18. Gen. 21.6. All that heares shall laugh with me; Sarah meaneth the laughter of faith; then must all that heare of Sarahs bearing o•Isaak in her old age, beleeve in Christ, as Sarah did? Psalm. 65.2. O Page 407 thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come; a fi∣gure there must be in the word fl•sh; and if there be no figure in the particle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 then must all flesh, and all Adams Sonnes put up prayers to God, contrary to experience, and to Scripture, Psalm. 14.4. Psal. 53.4. Jer. 10.25. So Psal. 72.12. All Nations, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shall serve him, its meant of Christ, and in the letter cannot be true, if many refuse him to be their King, Psalm. 2.9.2.3. L•k. 19 14. Psal. 110.1. So is it said, Psal. 22.27. All the ends of the world shall remember, and turne to the Lord: and all the kindreds of •he Nations shall worship before thee. Now that he meaneth of spirituall turning to God, and of Repentance is cleare. Vers. 18. For the Kingdome is the Lords, and he is the Governour among the Nations. Vers. •3. A seed shall serve him, it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation. Except there be a restriction of this (All) how will Arminians eschew this, that all, and every man of the hea∣then, shall repent, and be a holy seed devoted to the Lord, as his Righteous ones? For sure the same expression of all Nati∣ons, Esai 40.16. are taken for all and every one of mankinde. Psalm. 66 9. All Nations, whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorifie thy name.* Esai. 66.23. And it shall come to passe, that from one new Moone to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come •o worship before me, saith the Lord. Let Armini∣ans speake, if all flesh, that commeth before God, from Sab∣bath to Sabbath, under the New Testament to worship,* be as large and comprehensive as the same expression, Esai 40.6. All flesh is grasse. Sure the latter comprehendeth all Adams Sonnes, without exception, even including infants; the former cannot beare so wide a sense. So Gen. 12.3. In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed. Gen. 22.18. If the meaning be that, without any figure or exception, all and every fami∣ly be blessed in Christ, then shall I inferre that, all the families of the earth, without exception, are justified by faith in Christ, Gal. 3.10, 11, 12, 13.14. And that the Nations of the earth, without exception, are heires of the promise, have right to strong consolation, are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope laid before them, and have anchored th•ir hope up within the veilo, whither the fore-runner Christ hath entred; Page 408 for of these Nations the Apostle expoundeth the promise, Hebr. 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. So Esai 27.6. Israel shall blossome and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit; then shall there bee none on earth, but the blossom∣ing I•rael of God? Rom. 11.26. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Sion a deliverer, &c. These that Paul calleth all Israel, Esaiah 69.20, 21. calleth Jaakob and the seed, and the seeds seed. Esaiah 59.19. So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West, and his glo∣ry from the rising of the Sunne.* Mal. 1.11. For from the ri∣sing of the Sunne, even to the going downe of the same, any name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place, incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall bee great among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts; If from the East to the West, and in all places of the Gentiles, men feare the name of the Lord; then sure, the whole inhabitants of the earth, between the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same, must bee converted to Christ, and offer prayers, prayses, spirituall service to Christ, except some restriction be made, the most part from the East to the West are enemies to the Gospel; And how would Ar∣minians triumph, if so much were said for universall Redemp∣tion, as here is said for universall Regeneration and Conversi∣on of all, except we say there must be a figure, a Senechdoche, of All, for many? Or Christs all, and universalitie of conver∣ted ones must bee here meant? Joh. 1.9. That was the true light that inlighteneth every one that commeth into the world. What? Even infants who come into the world? and all, and e∣very one of Adams Sonnes; it cannot bee true, in any sense; except it be meant of the light of the Gospel, that yet never came to the halfe part of the world; For Vers. 10. The world knew him not, and Vers. 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John ver. 7. the same came for a witnesse, to beare w•tnesse of the light, that all men through him might beleeve. Can any divinity teach that God intended, that all and every mortall man should beleeve by him, that is, by the Ministery of John; the morning starre which was to fall, and disappeare, and shine no more at the rising of Christ, the Sunne of righ∣teousnesse? 1 Joh. 2.27. Yee need not that any teach you, but the anointing that yee have received teacheth you all things.Page 409 Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them, then the world for whom Christ is a propitiation, and all the visible Saints that John writeth unto?* 1 Joh. 1, 2. & 2.1.2. & 4.9. God sent his onely begotten Sonne to the world, that we through him might live; nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anone, that Christ dyed for all, that is, all ranks of men. For All, is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as Deut. 1.21. Psal. 71.18. Ier. 15.10. and 19.9. and 20.7. and 23.30. and 49.17. Ezech. 16.27. Exod. 33.10. Col. 1.28. Isai. 61.9. Gen. 41.57. Mark 14.4. Joh. 3.26. Acts 17.31. and 10.38. Mark. 1.37. 2 Cor.•.2. Luke 24.47. and 4.15. Isai 2.2, 3. Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man, be∣cause the Scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked, Jer. 6.28. c. 9.2. Mic. 1.7. 1 Iohn 2.15, 16. and 1 Iohn 5.19.

And surely that election and redemption, move both in the same spheare, and or be of the free love of God, is cleare to me; from that place Ioh. 3.16. on which Arminians confide much, for Gods love to save mankinde, by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory, of such certaine persons, as the Lord therefore gives grace to beleeve; because they are ordai∣ned to life eternall: so that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉as many, and the number of beleevers, and of the chosen to life are equall. Acts 13.48. Ioh. 10.26. Rom. 8.29.30.

1. That love cannot bee a generall, confused, antecedent, conditionall love, offered to all the world, on condition they beleeve; for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sinne of unbeliefe of that love, if Christ come not to them, and speake not, Ioh. 15.22. and Paul saith Rom. 1.14. How shall they beleeve in him, of whom they have not heard? Now the loved world, Ioh. 3.16. is obliged to beleeve.

2. That love that is the cause of Christs death, is Ioh. 15.13. the greatest love that is; it is such a giving love, whereby Christ gives his Sonne,* that with him hee cannot but give his Holy Spirit, faith and salvation, yea, and all things, Rom. 8.32. But the conditionall generall love is not the greatest love, for the Lord beareth not the greatest love to all and every man, nor gives he faith and salvation to all and every man; yea, the known and beleeved love of God in sending his Son to die for us is proper to the beleever, 1 Ioh. 4.16.9, 10. We have known Page 410 and beleeved the love God hath to us, God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, (its a noble Princely pallace to lodge in) dwel∣leth in God, and God in him. This cannot be said of the love that God beareth to the Reprobate, yea, and to the fallen An∣gels; for Arminians say that God loved them with such a love; but that love to Devils, is now dried up long agoe, and so that to Pharaoh, Iudas, Cain, now in hell, but this love is gone; so dream they, that love in God is like summer brooks that go dry in time of drought; but the truth is, Gods generall love to Armini∣ans,* is a faint desire, and a wish that all and every one, men and Angels be saved, and a bestowing on them means, 1. Which the Lord knowes shall plunge them deeper in hell, and make their everlasting chaines heavier and more fiery; better he love them not. 2. Such meanes as can be demonstrated free will with∣out God, or any determination or bowing to one hand, rather then to another, can, and may absolutely master and over-master equally to conversion, or obstinacy, or to finall rebellion, to sal∣vation, or damnation, to make themselves free Princes and Lords of the book of life, and the writing pen of eternall E∣lection, and Artists, causes, and masters of the decrees of E∣lection, or Reprobation. For, 1. Let God doe what he can, or omnipotency, or sweetnesse of free grace, all that is possible, free will hath the free and absolute casting of the ballance to will, receive Christ, open to the King of glory, and be conver∣ted,* or to the contrary. 2. In Election and Reprobation from eternity, (as Arminians in their last Apology goe no higher then time, coepta est in temporo electio, contra quam creditum est, &c.) God doth no more in his generall decree for chusing of Jacob or Peter, then of Pharaoh, Esau or Judas; but chuseth all indefinitely who shall beleeve. But for the Assumption that Peter, Iohn, Pharaoh, Judas, Esau, beleeve, or not beleeve, the eternall decree of God does nothing, his means, Gospel, his in∣ward grace (such grace as they can grant) doe no more, nor can doe any more to determine the will to either side, to be∣leeving, or not beleeving; then he can work contradictions, or make free will, and free ob•dience to be no free will, and no obedience, for its repugnant (say they) to the nature of free-will that it should be determined by God; And 〈…〉, such as is required of us now who are under comm•••ements, threatnings, promises, were no obedience at all, for if the Lord Page 411 should determine the will (say they) and therefore Gods last decree of chusing those to life, whom he foresees shall expire in faith, and persevere to the end, and of rejecting such, as he fore∣sees shall goe on, in finall obstinacy against the Gospel, is not any Scripturall decree of Election or Reprobation, nor hath God any liberty in this, to chuse this man, not this man, but all men chuse God, and are foreseen finally to beleeve, or not beleeve, before, and without any free decree of God; so that the num∣ber of chosen Angels or men is in the power of the creatures free will; not in the liberty of the former of all things; so as we chuse God, but God chuseth not us. But 2. So none are within the compasse of Election or Reprobation, but such as hear the Gospel; and so all the Heathen are saved or dam∣ned by chance, or without any will or decree of God, or they must be neither capable of salvation, nor damnat•on, contrary to Scripture and experience, for terrible judgements temporall, and great externall favours befall Indians, Americans, and such as never heard of Christ, and not without the counsell of Gods will, if there be a provid•nce that rules the world. 2. God doth nothing in the Election of Peter, more then of Iudas; nor can grace and mercy have place in the chusing of the one, rather then the other; but as free will is foreseen to play the game ill, or well, so goe the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation, and there can be no such thing as that grace and the free pleasure of God, who hath mercy on whom he will, or because he will, and hardens whom he will, can have any place here.

4. The Scripture no where speakes of any love of God in Christ to man, but such as is efficacious in saving;* any other love is lip-love, not reall; and so to alledge this one place, without authoritie of the Word, is petitio principii, a begging of the question; for the love Ez•ch. 16.8. Called the time of loves, was such as saved, all that were to b• saved, amongst the peo∣ple of God; and cannot be understood of such a love as God did bear to the Heathen, and the Cannanits, for it separates them from all the world: so Deut. 7.7. Psal. 146.19.20 Isai. 51.1, 2, 3. Isai. 52.3, 4. Psal. 132.1•. Psal. 1•5.4. Zech. 3.2. 1 King. 1.13. 2 Chron. 6.6. Isai. 4•.8, 9. Deut. 14.2. Isai. 43 20. Dan. 1•. 15. 1 Chron. 16.13. Ezech. 20.5. Act. 13.17. Yee shall not finde that the love of God in Christ can consist Page 412 with Reprobation, or Damnation, in all the Scripture; but by the contrary, it is a love that Christ hath to his wife, in giving himselfe for her; sanctifying, washing and presenting her, with∣out spot or wrinkle before〈…〉 a husband-love, Ephes. 5.25, 26. a love saving, b• the washing of Regeneration, and re∣newing of the Holy Ghost•i•us 3.4, 5, 6. a great love, quickning us together with Christ, saving us by grace, raising us up, and making us •it together with Jesus Christ, in heavenly places. Ephes. 2.4.5. a love causing washing of us, and advancing us to bee Kings and Priests to God, Revel. 1.5, 6. a love to Paul in particular, and working life in Paul, Gal. 2.20. I live no more, but Christ liveth in mee, and the life which I now live in the flesh; I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved mee, and gave himselfe for me. It is the love of God our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace. 2 Thes. 2.16. an everlasting love. Jer. 31.3. a love before the foundation of the world, Ephes. 1.3, 4, before we doe good or evill, Rom. 9.11. Not a love that fals to nothing; by a consequent act of hatred, nor a love to which the hatred of reprobation may succeed every hour, and out of which wee may bee decourted; a love that puts the honour of sonnes on us, 1 Ioh. 3.1. It is a saving and a pittying love Isai. 63.9. a love which the Lord rests in, Zeph. 3.17. a love continuing to the end, Ioh. 13.1. a love that makes us more then conquerors. R•m. 8.37. It is a separating love that differenceth the loved of God, from all others, Psal. 87.2. Psal. 1.6.8. otherwise all the world, should in regard of this generall, and antecedent, and conditionall love of God, bee so the beloved of God; as Christ in the song of Solomon, esteemeth the Spouse his love, his welbeloved: Its a love better then life, Psal. 6•.3. and the dowrie Christ bestoweth on his spouse, Hos. 2.19. now the Scripture no where speaketh of that conditionall love, which the Lord beareth to Heathens,* Reprobates, and to all Men and Angels.

5. Such as the Lord so loved, as hee hath redeemed them from perishing, he hath redeemed them from sinne and Gen∣tilisme; to wit, from this present evill world, Gal. 1.4. yea, the blood of the Lambe, unspoted, and undefiled, hath bought them from their vaine conversation, received by tradition, from their fathers, 1 Pet. 1.18. yea, from fornication, that they should Page 413 bee members of Christ, temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.20. yea, Christ bare their sinnes in his owne body on the tree, that they should live to righteousnesse. Now all and every one of mankinde, Heathen and Turks, are not thus bought with a price, and deliv•••d from idolatry, blasphemy, killing of chil∣d••• to th•ir god, from the world of Gentilisme. 1. Th•y liv• in these sinnes, as serving God in them; the Gospel nev•• forbade th•m any such si•n•s, in regard th•y never heard the Gospel. 2 They cannot sinne on a n•w score, or a new reck∣ning; these being to them, no sinnes against the Gospel; but against the law written in their heart. 3. There is a p•ice then given: for all the reprobate vice reproborum, it is 〈…〉 as they had payed the price to redeeme them from sinne, and unbeliefe; yea, from finall impenitencie against the Gospel: If this bee a sinne, as it is the sinne of sinnes, Christ must beare it on the tree, 1 Pet. 1.24. The lambe of God must take it away. Ioh. 1.29. Except it were possible finall unbeliefe were par∣donable without shedding of blood. Heb. 10. Now here the ransome payed, but the captive is never delivered, for the re∣probate die in their sinnes Ioh. 8.21. There bee some say, there is a ransome given for these Gospel-sinnes of the reprobate, con∣ditionally, so they beleeve.

An•w. That is, they are freed from finall impenitencie, so they bee freed from finall impenitencie: is this a wife bar∣gain? 2. Where is there is all the Word, a warrant that Christ layd downe his life for his sheep conditionally; so he foresaw they would be his sheep; so they would beleeve and repent? Now this hee could not doe: for Christ out of deliberation, and his Fathers eternall counsell, absolutely, gratis, freely di•d for these; he died not for those, that he foresaw would never fulfill the condition, nunquam positâ conditione, nunquam ponitur conditionatum.

6. Christ bought by his blood of the eternall Covenant, all the Jewels of the Covenant, all things that belong to life and go•linesse, and all spirituall blessings, 2 Pet. 1.3. Ephes. 1.3. A new heart and a new Spirit,* Ezech. 36.26. Jer. 31.33, 34, 35, 36. Ezek. 11, 19, 20. He bought all that God giveth to us, then he must have purchased faith, Phil. 1.29. Joh. 6.29. and if he was made a Prince to give repentance and remission, then to give faith, for it is a grace above nature, and out of this Page 414 fountain, we have grace for grace, Ioh. 1.14. Now this is not gi∣ven to all men.

7. All these graces are particular, 1. Election to glory is particular, Few are chosen, Mat. 22.14. Joh. 10.26.29. Ephes. 1.4. Rom. 9.11. The promise is particular to the sons of the promise, Rom. 9.8, 9. made to Christ, and his seed only, Gal. 3.16, 17, 18.* Gal. 4.22, 23, &c. the calling particular, Isai. 55.1, 2. Matth. 11.27, 28. Acts 2.39. the Covenant par∣ticular, and takes in only the House of Judah, the elect and such as cannot fall away, Ier. 31.34, 35, &c. and 32.39, 40. Isai. 54.10. and 59.19, 20. The surety of the Covenant, Christ, Heb. 7.22. promised to be King over the House of David, over his people only; the intention of God particu∣lar to a foreknown people only, Rom. 11.1. The circumfe∣rence and extent of Grace then cannot be so wide, as to take in all, nor can Redemption be universall, because conditionall. For 1. Arminians make Election conditionall, but they deny it in words to be universall; further glorification is con∣ditionall, justification conditionall, upon condition of Faith, but because the condition never is, all men have not fa•th; there∣fore glorification and justification is particular, and redempti∣on on the same ground must be particular; none are actually re∣deemed but the beleevers, so as glorification actuall (the de∣cree of glorifying is another thing, and absolute) and Election to glory are commensurable, the one not larger then the other, Rom. 8.29, 30. how can Redemption, which is a mid-linke be∣tween both, be of a wider Sphear to take in all? for 1 Thes. 5.9. Gods counsell set us on Christ as Redeemer, and gives us to Christ.

8. These two (Christ redeemeth all) and (Christ intendeth to redeem all) are most different: Now Gods intention to redeem all if they beleeve, suspendeth either redemption, or the inten∣tion of God to redeem: If the former be said, redemption of all, is no Redemption, except all beleeve, but all doe not be∣leeve: If the latter, God must wave and hang by his intention in millions of soules, and cannot fixe his foot to be perempto∣ry in his intentions except they beleeve, and he seeth they shall never beleeve, for he knoweth what is in man, and beholdeth the thoughts a far off.

Yea, as I said elsewhere, if we speak properly in reference to Page 415 God, the very promises of the Gospel are not conditionall; because both the condition,* and the thing that falls under the condition, depend on his owne absolute will, and free gift; if a father promise to his child an inheritance upon condition the child pay him ten thousand crowns, and the Father only do give, and can give the child these ten thousand crownes; we cannot say, this is a bargain between the father and the son, that leans upon conditions, especially if we suppose, as the case is between God and the creature, that this father can and doth indeclinably determine the will of his son to consent, and to give back againe to his father this sum of money, and to consent to the bargain; there is here no condition relating to the father, but he does all freely. Beleeving is a condition, and life eternall is conditio∣natum, a thing that falleth under promise, but both d•pend upon the absolute, free and irresistible will of the Lord; as there is no condition here properly so called, either laid upon the will, or limiting the externall action of God.

9. Hence the promises of the Gospel are indefinite, not uni∣versall, and in the Lords purpose and intention made with the Elect onely, not with the Reprobate at all, for when God saith, if Iudas, Cain, Pharaoh, beleeve they shall be saved, the Lords purpose being •o deny to them the grace of beleeving, without which it is unpossible they can beleeve, the promise in Gods purpose is not made with them: He that so willeth what he promiseth upon a condition, which he that so willeth, only can doe and work, and yet will not do or work the condition; he doth indeed not will to the party, what is so promised, if John send Pe∣ter to work in his garden upon condition, that if he worke, he shall give him a talent a day, and in the mean while Iohn one∣ly can give to Peter strength of legs, and armes, and body to work, can determine his consent to the work, and yet refuse to give strength, and to win his consent to the work; Sure he never wi•led either to give him a talent for his work, nor intended hee should work at all. Hence I ar•ue, it is against the wise∣dome of God to intend and will that the Reprobate be redee∣med, pardoned, saved, upon a condition, which he himself only can work by his grace, and absolutely and irresistibly will not work.* Now in Scripture such a thing is argued not to bee done, because the Scripture must be fulfill••; and the decree of God and his will ful••lled, as Christs bones upon this ground, Page 416 could not be broken, and such a thing is done that the Scrip∣ture, and so the will and decree of God might be fulfilled, so that which is never done, is simply Gods will it shall never be done; that which is done is simply Gods will it must be; I mean either his permissive or approving will;* and the will of God revealing, what is the duty of Reprobates though it ne∣ver be done, argu•s it was not simply the will of God; hence that voluntas signi, in which God reveales what is our dutie, and what we ought to doe; not what is his decree, or what he either wil, or ought to doe, is not Gods will properly, but by a figure only, for commands, and promises, and threatnings revealed, argue not the will and purpose, decree or intention of God, which are properly his will.

10. It is against the wisedome of God to intend the actu∣all Redemption and salvation of all, and every one, and not to will, nor work such conditions, which onely he himself can work, and are in his power only, and without the which the creature cannot be redeemed and saved, but he neither will, nor doth work faith in all; then he never intended the actuall re∣demption and salvation of all and every one.

Hence what ever wanton and lascivious reason can object against absolute Reprobation, the absolute Redemption of some few, a particular atton•ment of some few, equally fighteth with the opinion of adversaries, as against ours, they say;

1. God intends the eternall destruction of the innocent sin∣lesse and greatest part of mankind.

2. Mercie, bowels of compassion, by your particular, absolute Redemption is extended to few;*and all the rest of the lost world, left to sincke eternally, notwithstanding of the infinite and bound∣lesse love and man-kindnesse of God. Its answered, these fall with equall strength of wanton reason, upon conditionall and universall Redemption, or Gods conditionall and universall will to save all, and every one; for say that a father did fore∣see, if he beget twenty sonnes, that eighteen of them shall be cast in a river of fire, to be burnt quick, where they shall bee tor∣mented ten thousand yeares, ever dying, and not able to finde death, to end their miseries, and that they may be Kings in great riches and honour, upon a condition of such and such a carriage of them in their education, and young yeares, which this father can easily worke with one word; yet hee willingly Page 417 begets these children, hee can worke such a condition in them, as they may all be kings, yet deliberatly this he will not doe, but acts so upon the will of these children, as he knowes inde∣clinably the greatest part of them all sh•ll be tormented for ten thousand yeares in this extreme fire. Who can say, 1. that this father, quantum in se, as farre as he can, hath redeemed all, and every one of his children from ten thousand yeares paine? Who can say, this father intended and willed the life and honour of these eighteene children, when as hee might with no paine to himselfe, most easily have wrought the condition in them, which he wrought in others, and would not? Hence, if there must bee a mystery in the Gospel, and the Lords waies and thoughts must be above ours, as farre as the heaven is above the earth, if the Lord did foresee the greatest part of mankind, and many legions of Angels should be cast in chaines of dark∣nesse, and in a lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever. 1. Vaine reason would say, why did hee create them? if hee fore-saw their misery would bee so deplorable; and how can he earnestly and ardently, with prayers, obtestations, wi∣shes, threatnings, precepts, promises, desire their eternall sal∣vation? 2. If he could have hindred them to sinne (as no question he could) without hurting Adams freewill, and with∣out strangling the nature of free obedience, in reference to threatning of ill, and promising of good, and life, as wee see all Angels, being equally under one law, he kept some from sinne, of free grace, and permitted others to fall in eternall mi∣sery; if he could have hindered them to sinne, how created he them, and gave them a law, which he saw, they would vio∣late, and make themselves eternally miserable? 3. When the same Gospel was preached to some, yea, and to a huge multi∣tude within the visible Church, if the Lord willed all and e∣very one to be saved, and gave his Sonne to redeeme all and e∣very one; was there not an eternall and absolute will most un∣like and disparous to some, beside others, when as he tooke a way of working with the Gospel, preached on some, which hee saw would eternally, indeclinably, and inevitably save them, and a contrary way of working with others, which hee fore∣saw would be fruitlesse, ineffectuall, and null, and tend to their sadder condemnation; now can he will both the redemption and salvation of these that he moveth ineffectually to obey, and Page 418 also efficaciously to obey? Corvinus saith in this, He willeth all, ex aequo, equally to be saved, in regard of his affection, and will to all; but he willeth not all equally to be saved, ex par∣te boni voliti, in regard of the thing willed; for he willeth the Gospel to be preached to some, and of these that heare the Gos∣pel he gives more grace; yea more grace actu secundo, effica∣ciously effectuall, and denies both to other Nations and people, and with this distinction, he willeth, and willeth not; equally, ex aequo, the salvation of all. But this is Petitio principii, the disparitie of favours bestowed on persons and Nations, doe argue in Scripture disparitie of good-wills in the Lord; as because God sent his Law and Testimonies to Israel and Jaa∣kob, and dealt not so with every nation, Psal. 147.19, 20. E∣very Page almost in the old Testament, and the Lords Spirit, and all Divines argue, that the Lord chose Israel, and loved them and saved them, and with a higher and more peculiar love, as his chosen people, then he loved all the Nations, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 132.12.13.14. Psal. 135.3, 4. Because he be∣stowed on them the meanes of salvation; his Law and his Te∣stimonies which he denyed to the Nations, then the Nations were not his beloved and chosen ones.

10. That will of God, called voluntas signi, the revealed will of God, that precepts, promises, and threatnings hold forth, doe not expresse to us the decree, intention and pur∣pose of God, that he willeth the thing commanded to be, but onely that hee approves of the thing commanded, as just and good, whether it be, or be not, what ever the event bee: then Gods revealed will is no more formally, but his approbation of the morall goodnesse and obedience, of elect and reprobate, whether they obey, or not.

11. These that Christ offered his body for, as a Priest, for these as a Priest he intercedes and prayes; for these two can∣not be separated; but he prayes not for all, not for the world, Joh. 17.9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world.

12. These for whom Christ is a Priest to offer his body, for them, he is a King to make them Kings, and to save th•m, and a Prophet to teach them; but he is not King and Prophet to any but to his people, kingdome, conquest, disciples, seed, children, subjects.

13. These that Christ dyed for cannot be condemned, Rom,Page 419 8.33, 34. but are chosen, and cannot be impeached; but the reprobate can be condemned and impeached.

14. Those whom God wills to save, and whom he redeem∣ed, to these hee willed the meanes of salvation; but he wills not the meanes, nor that the Gospel bee preached to the Gen∣tiles, Matth. 10.5. Nor to Asia, nor Bithynia, Acts 16.6, 7.

15. All that Christ dyed for, are justified and reconciled by his death, and shall much more be saved by his life, Rom. 5.9. 1 Joh. 1.7. And God requireth not one debt twice; if Christ sustained the person of all the el•cted, as hee dyed for his friends, Joh. 15.13. for his Sheep, Joh. 10.11. For his Church, Ephes. 5.25. For many, Mat. 20.28. For his enemies, Rom. 5.10. For the ungodly, and unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. For his bre∣thren, Hebr. 2. 1 Joh. 3.16. and not for their good onely, so as they might all and every one have perished eternally, that Christ dyed for; then cannot they dye eternally, for then Christ should first have payed their debt, and they must pay for that debt over againe, eternally in hell; then might Christ be a Re∣deemer, a King, a Priest, a Husband, a Saviour, and head, and have no ransomed ones, no subjects, no Israel that he interceds for, and offers his soule, no Spouse, no saved people, no mem∣hers, no Church.

Artic. 4. Places of Scripture seeming to favour univer∣sall attonement, vindicated.

For the fourth particular, and the clearing of places alledged; We are 1. to consider if the place John 3.16. prove any thing against us. 2. If all men, and all the world that are said to be redeemed, be concludent against us. 3. There be some particular places to be considered.

1. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, World, must bee a figurative speach, the whole for the part, otherwise in its latitude it comprehends the Angels, Acts 17.24. Rom. 3.6. 1 Cor. 6.2. Rom. 1.20. Joh. 17.5. Now its certaine, God hath not so loved Angels, good and bad, that he hath given his onely begotten Sonne for them, Hebr. 2.16. therefore it must sometime signifie, a great part of the world; as John 12.19. The world goes after him. 1 Ioh. 5.19. Yhe whole world lyes in evill; The Adversary yeeldeth, that the (world) here, is not all, and every one of man∣kind, without exception. I deny not but it signifieth so, Rom.Page 420 3.13. That all the world may become guilty before God. But the Arminians take on them a hard taske, duram proviciam; to prove that it is so taken here. For 1. the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God so loved the world, is the highest love that ever was, above Gods love to the Angels,*Heb. 2.16. So God must carry the most superlative love; that is, then which there is none grea∣ter, Iohn 15.13. Such a love as is manifested to us, to the belo∣ved Iohn the Apostle, and all the Saints, 1 Ioh. 49. to Cain, Iudas, and all the heathen; and God love giving his Sonne, dif∣ferenceth men from Angels, but not one man from another; the contrary of which Paul saith, Gal. 2.20 and must Paul say no more? Who loved me, and gave himselfe for me, then Iudas, Pharaoh, all the lost heathen, who never heard of Christ, can, and may say? beleeve it who will, it sounds not like Christs love.

2. They have two sorts of love in Christs dying for men, to make out two Redemptions, one generall, one potentiall, or halfe a Redemption; where life is purchased, never applyed, standing with the eternall destruction of the greatest part of mankind; another speciall, in which men are Redeemed from sinne, preached to few, applyed to farre fewer.

3. Two Reconciliations; two non-imputations of sinne; one 2 Cor 5. another Rom. 4. and so two justifications; one Rom 5. and two blessednesses, and two salvations, or delive∣ries from wrath, and the curse of the Law.

4. This giving love, with which God must give all other things, faith, the Gospel, Rom. 8.32. must bee bestowed on heathen that never heard such a thing.

5. God by this must intend life eternall, as an end to all the heathen; Faith as a meane, which are clearely intended to this loved world; and yet God forbids Paul and his Apostles to preach the word of faith to them, Acts 16.6, 7. Math. 10.5. and contrives businesses so, that the hearing of the word of faith, and of this highest love, and rarest gift, and given Redee∣mer, shall be simply unpossible to them.

*6. Therefore better by the (World) understand the elect of Jewes and Gentiles, opposed every where in the New Te∣stament, to the narrow Church of Judea; the Gospel-world, the Messiahs-world, larger then the little world of Moses; yea, all Nations, Math. 28.19. Every creature, that is most of Page 421 all the Nations, Mark. 16.15. all the world, the hearing world, almost all the Nations Colloss. 1.6. sure not every individuall person; as they would have this loved world to include.

Ob. But 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that every one that beleeves &c. these words, limit, and draw narrow the world, and so divides it in belee∣vers, and not beleevers, and by your exposition, some of the elect world beleeves, and are saved; some beleeves not, and perishes, which is absurd; therefore the (world) must bee com∣prehensive of all, elect, and reprobate.

An•w. 1. I shall deny that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉whosoever, is here a di∣stributive or dividing particle:* If hee had said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Gal. 5.4. 1 Cor. 11.27. There had been some colour for this; but I deny that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all must bee restrictive here, more then. 2 Thess. 2.11.12. God gave them over to the effi∣cacie of error to beleeve a lie, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that all those might bee damned, that beleeve not the truth; but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse. It follows not that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, that all or who ever beleeve not the truth; should bee fewer in number then those that are given over to the efficacie of error: yea, the number of the one and the other is equall, so Ioh. 5.22. Th• Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne. vers. 23. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉that all men should honour the Sonne, as they honour the Father who sent him. I see no ground to say, that some may honour the Father, and bee raised from the dead and quickened, as ver. 21. who doe not honour the Sonne. And therefore it ought not to bee translated, God so loved the world, &c. That whosoever beleeves should not pe∣rish; but farre more agreeably to the originall, God so loved the world, that every one beleeving should not perish: as in multitude of places it is translated, unusquisque, non quicunque; and therefore faith is not set downe here so much ad modum conditionis, as ad modum medi•, as a condition, as a meanes to bring this loved world to glory: as if yee would say, hee so loveth letters, as all learned are dear to him;* so God so loved his chosen world, that he gave his Sonne to die for them, (now this love is eternall) that all these beleeving in their own time, might never bee lost, but have eternall life. Nor can Armini∣ans take the world (world) for all and every one of mankinde, for they exclude all infants dying so, as uncapable of faith; and they say these words containe Gods speciall decree of election, Page 422 and reprobation; to wit, Ioh. 3.16. God decreed to save all that beleeve, and God decreed all that beleeve not should pe∣rish. Now from Election, and Reprobation, they exclude all the Heathen, and all their infants, and all infants whatsoever, and such as never heard the Gospel: so I feare they make as nar∣row a world here; as wee doe, let them see to it: Whereas Arminians say that the word world, never signifieth in Scrip∣ture the elect onely; what then? Let mee answer. 1. Their world of elect and reprobate, excluding the best part of man∣kinde, all infants, all that never heard the Gospel; sure is not in the Scripture, nor speaks it of such a world. 2. This is a begging of the question, for Ioh. 1.29. The world whose sins the Lambe of God takes away; the Reconciled world to whom the Lord imputes no sinne〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* its the same word that is ascribed to Abrahams beleeving, Rom. 4.3. vers. 4.5. And that David speakes of Psal. 32.2. Rom. 4.6. The imputing of righteousnesse, and of Faith to righteousnesse; that in which blessednesse coming through Christ consisteth, Rom. 4.8, 9, 10, 11. This world is the onely beleeving elect world, the loved world Joh. 3.16. the world saved, vers. 17. the world of which Christ is Savi∣our, Ioh. 4.42. the world that Christ giveth his life unto, Ioh. 6.33. and for whose life, he giveth his life, v. 55. the world of which Abraham; but much more, Christ is heire, Rom. 4.13. The reconciled world, occasioned by the Iews falling off Christ, Rom. 11.15. all these are the elect beleeving, and Re∣deemed world, this they can never disprove.

The other ground of our answer to all the places on the con∣trary, is that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Christ died for all: doth never signifie all and every one of mankinde, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: But is as all Divines say, to be expounded according to the subject in hand, secun∣dum materiam substratam.

*Hence our 1. Rule, All; often signifieth, the most part, Marke 1.64. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉they all condemned him to bee guilty of death〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the whole counsell, Matth. 26.59. yet Joseph of Arimathea, consented not to his death, Luke 23.51. and the flood destroyed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 them all Luke 17.27. yet eight persons were saved; so all Judah, Jer. 13.19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉was carried into Page 423 captivity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All is often the same with many, all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered to thee,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is many, and Gen. 41. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉and all the land came to Egypt, when the matter beares a clear exception, and other Scriptures expound it; then sure Christs dying for all, must bee expounded for his giving himselfe a ransome for many. Matth. 20.28. compared with 1. Tim. 2.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here, and there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* So the Law saith all doe that which the most part doe; mens will doth not limit what God speaks, but let the text it selfe be diligently considered, Exod. 9.6. All the castle of Egypt died, that was in the field. Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all, capable of a ransome; Arminians say that the finally ob∣dured, those that sinne against the Holy Ghost, and infants of Heathen, or any dying infants, cannot bee ransomed by Christ, Exod. 32.26. All the sonnes of Levi came to Moses; not all without exception. Many adhered to Aaron in his idolatry, v. 29. Deut. 33.9. so Matt. 3.5. Then went out to him Jerusa∣lem, and all Judea, and all the countrey near to Jordan. Now this signification being applyed to our use, Christ giving him∣selfe a ransome for all men, his dying for all, can bee no larger then the saving of all, the beleeving of all flesh, and the blessing of all nations in Christ; but Gen. 18.18. all in him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉all the nations of the earth shall be blessed Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed, the whole world that John saith Christ is a propitiation for, 1 Joh. 2.1. can∣not be larger then this; now this cannot carry any tollerable sense,* that all and every man of the Nations are actually blessed in Christ, more then all and every one are redeemed, reconciled, received in favour, within the Covenant of Grace: And there∣fore Arminians have as good reason from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all that are said to bee ransomed, are all actually saved; and hell shall bee empty and to no purpose, as to contend for a uni∣versall Redemption. As a wicked pamphlet printed of late faith, all the Creation of God, Men, and Angels are redeemed, and shall at length bee saved in Christ. Now we can undenyably prove, that all and every Nation, and all and every man de∣scended of Abraham, are not blessed in Christ. (1.) Rom.Page 424 9.7. Because they that are the seed of Abraham, they are not all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. v. 8. They which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Now Christ hath a spirituall seed of a more narrow compasse, then all the Nations of the earth. Isaiah 53.10. He shall see his seed. Christ marrieth not with the cursed seed, and many Nations such as for many Generations never heard of Christ, are under the Law and under a curse; but the Nations are blessed, and all Nations (say they) quantum ad Deum, in Gods intention, in the Covenant of Grace that God made with all the Nations, if they would embrace and receive Christ, but that they are not actually blessed, fully redeemed, and saved in Christ is their fault.

Ans. The Scripture expounds Scripture better then Armi∣nians, and the Apostle Hebr. 6. resolveth us that All the Na∣tions of the earth, v. 17. are the heires of promise, those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them, who have anchored their soules by hope within the vail, and hath Jesus for their forerunner, v. 17, 18, 19, 20. 2. He expounds the blessing of Abraham and of his seed, not of any condi∣tionall and far-off intention of God, but of Gods actuall bles∣sing of Abraham and his spirituall seed whom the Lord multi∣plied, v. 14. Nor was it ever fulfilled in all the Nations of the earth, they were never heires of the promise; our Exposition is made good, and by it the promise and oath of God fullfil∣led, and his Covenant accomplished; not by the Arminian glosse. 3. Paul expoundeth Abrahams seed, Gal. 3.16. to be Christ and his seed, Rom. 11.26. So all Israel shall be saved. This was the Israel to whom the Covenant by oath and pro∣mise was made. For the Redeemer shall come out of Zion, and shall turne away ungodlinesse from Iacob. 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Acts 4.33. Great grace was on them all, yet not on Ananias and Saphira who were of that visible number, Isai. 40.5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it, Psal. 86.9. All Nations whom thou hast made, shall come and wor∣ship before thee, and shall glorifie thy Name, O Lord: That is expounded, Isa. 2.1. All Nations shall flow to the mountain of the Lords house. What? All nations without exception? No, v. 2. Page 425Many people shall say, Come yee, and let us goe to the mountain of the Lords House, Hag. 2.7. And the desire of all Nations shall come; did all Nations quantum in se, so farre as lay in them desire Christ? no such thing.

2. All skilled in the Mother languages, and all Divines say that the Particle Ali is taken pro singulis generum, vel pro ge∣neribus singulorum; all and every one of kinds, and for the kinds of all, though not absolutely excluding any kind.

1. The word All is, in materià necessarià, in a necessary matter, taken for all, and every one. God made all Nations of one blood, Acts 17.26. He knowes the hearts of all men, Acts 1.24. Rom. 3.12. All have sinned, Rom. 5.12. 2 Cor. 5.10. 1 Tim. 4.10. Jam. 1.5. Phil. 2.10, 11.

2. All without exclusion of particular men, in a contingent matter is sometime so taken, Matth. 26.33. Though all be of∣fended, Luke 6.26. Rev. 4.26.

3. When all is spoken of Gods works for men, or in men, es∣pecially works of meer grace opposite to mens works: All men, then is not taken in the largest sense, as M. Moor ima∣gines: So our Text; I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me, cannot be meant of all men without ex∣ception. 1. Because its a clear restriction of calling of multi∣tudes, under the Messiahs Kingdome after his death, and can∣not but speak against an universall drawing in the times of the Old Testament. 2. Christ drawes not all to himself by the Gospel, because thousands hear not of him; not virtually, for we read of no calling or drawing of Christ, lifted up on the Crosse, and crucified by the works of Nature: So God bles∣seth all Nations, not all and every one; God saveth all Israel, and turneth away iniquity from Jacob, and forgiveth the sins of Israel; and God only saveth, and only pardoneth beleevers. But will M^r. Moor say, God saveth and pardoneth all, and eve∣ry man in Israel?

Rule 3. There is hence a third Rule, that many is placed for all the elect, as Matth. 10.28. He gave himselfe a ransome for many. Mark. 14.14. This is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many, as Rom. 5.15. Through the offence of one, many were dead, that is, all were dead: So the sheep of Christ, Joh. 10.11. the scattered sons of God, Joh. 11.52. His peo∣ple,Page 426 Matth. 1.21. His brethren, Hebr. 2. That he died, for, must be exclusive of those that are not his sheep, not his bre∣thren, not his people, not the Sons of God. When there is mention of a singular priviledge bestowed on friends, whom Christ is to make friends, Ioh. 15.13. though it be bestow∣ed on them in regard of their present ill deserving, when they are enemies, Rom. 5.10. sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. lost, Luke 19.10. As the necessity of the prerogative of redemption and ransome of free grace cleareth; As, In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. Paul ex∣poundeth it exclusively in thy seed only, Gal. 3.16. So Deut. 10.20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him. Christ expoundeth it, Luke 4.8. exclusively, Thou shalt serve only the Lord, because its the prerogative of God, to be worship∣ped, as its a prerogative of grace, to be the ransomed and redee∣med of God, Deut. 21.8. and 7.8. Exod▪ 15.15. Luke 1.68. Gal. 3.13. 1 Pet, 1.18. Revel. 5.9. and Revel. 14.4. Isai. 1.24. and 44.23. and 35.10. and 51.10. Jer. 31.1•. and the manner of Christs dying in regard of application is ex∣clusive by confession of party, and as is clear, Luke 2.11. and 1.68, 69, 70. Luke 2.30, 31. Heb. 2.17. Rom. 8.34. Re∣vel. 5.9.

Rule 4. In the matter of our Redemption, especially in the New Testament, and prophecies of the Old of the same sub∣ject, Christ died for all pro generibus singulorum, for men of all Nations, some of all kinds. 1. Because God speakes so of our salvation, as Io•l▪ 3.28. which was fulfilled, Acts 2.17. And it shall come to passe in the last daies, (saith God) I will poure out my Spirit on all flesh; that is, people of all Nations, as v. 9. Parthians, and Medes and Elamites▪ and the dwel∣lers in Mesopotamia▪ and Judea, Cappado•ia, &c. And of all Sexes, v. 17. Sons and daughters. Of all ages, •ong and old▪ All conditions, servants and handmaids. Verse 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jewes, devout men, out of every Nation under heaven; nor will this include all and every Na∣tion without exception. Erasmus would aske of those that will not admit an Hyperbole in Scripture, if there were English and Scots there. Ye tithe every herbe, that is, Herbs of all kinds. Luke 11.42. Christ cured every disease, Matth. 4. Page 427 23. Yee shall eat of every tree of the garden, Gen. 2.16. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉all his masters goods are in his hand 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gen. 24.10. Now thus God will have all to be saved, and Christ is the Mediator of all men, 1 Tim. 2. which is not to be understood of all and every man, but of Kings and low men, and all con∣ditions of men; the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; is thrice used in the Text. 1. We are no where, but in this place only commanded to pray for all men, but if for the eternall salvation of all and every one without exception, is the doubt. You shall not finde a warrant in the Word to pray that all mankinde may be saved ab∣solutely, for God hath revealed in his Word, that he hath decrees of Election and Reprobation of men. 2. And hath expresly forbidden to pray for their salvation, that sinne to death, 1 Iohn 5.16. And what Faith have we to pray for such; for the salvation of Magistrates in that notion only we may pray; for the peace of Babylon,* and for peace of Hea∣then Princes, the Church being under them. 3. God will have all men to be saved, no other waies then he will have all to come to the knowledge of the truth, that is, of the Gospel. Now how he will have all men without exception to come to the knowledge of the Gospel, since this natural Antecedent and condi∣tionall will to save all was in God toward the fallen Angels and the Gentiles in the time of the Old Testament, when the Law of God and his will touching salvation, through the Messiah to come was only revealed to the Jewes, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 1 47.19, 20. Let Arminians see, for sure the Gospel is not, and hath never been preached to all and every rationall creature, and to all men, yet he wills all men (by Arminians grounds) to come to the knowledge of the Gospel. Now we know not how God who hath this naturall will eternally in him, as they say, willeth the heathens to come •o the knowledge of the Gospel, except he send Apostles with the miraculous gift of tongues, to them to preach in their language. 4. He instances in a spe∣cie of the all he spoke of v. 1. in Magistrates though Hea∣then. Thanksgiving here for all and every man must also be commanded as well as prayer, even for Julian and the grea∣test scourges and bloody Scorpions, that lay heaviest stripes on the back of the Church; Sure we have no faith to beleeve this in reference to their salvation.

Page 4285. Paul must here speak of the Lords effectuall will, whom he saveth,* and will have to be saved, and to heare the Gospel, they must be saved. So the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3.9. (8.) The Lord is long-suffering,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to us, willing none (of us to whom he is long-suffe∣ring) to perish, but will have all us, to whom hee extendeth this long-suffering, to come to repentance. For he gives a reason why the day of judgement comes not so quickly, but is so de∣layed, that lustfull men scoffes at it; because God waites till all the elect be gathered in; they should perish, and should not come to the knowledge of the truth, if the Lord should hasten that day, as Matth. 24. For the Elects sake, the ill daies are shortned, not for the reprobate. So to this ransome, Paul vers. 7. is appointed a Preacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth; this must be the Gentiles that beleeve and come to the knowledg of the truth; nor did Paul beare this testimony to all, and every one of the Gentiles, yet Arminians say, God will have all and every one of Jewes and Gentiles saved and ransomed; as also he restricts the peaceable and godly life to the Church, taking in himselfe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. that we may lead, &c.

6. His reason; There is one God; so much as of all or∣ders in the Christian Church, there is one God: the King and Magistrate, as touching his office hath not one God, and the poore another God,* the Jewes have not one God, and these I preach to, the Gentiles vers. 7. another; the husband hath not one God, and the wife another: for these three orders. Magi∣strats, and these that are under them, Jewes, Gentiles, Hus∣band, Wives, are in the Text; and if that poore argument of Master Moores had bloud or nerves, because there is one God; and because he names 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Men, therefore God will save all, and the Ransome must be as wide and spacious as the reason, God is God to all, and every one, and all and every man is a man; it may prove that these that blaspheme and sinne to death; these of Bythinia, and Samaria, and all the Gen∣tiles, that the Lord wincked at, and did not invite to repen∣tance, Act. 14.17. they left off to be men; and God was not a God in relation to them, as to the worke of his hands; for sure God is not in covenant with all and every one of mankind, for thousands that are men, are without the covenant. I demand of this universall will of God, to save all and every one, and Page 429 the ransome for all and every one, was it ever heard off, in one letter in the Old Testament, except, by prophecying what was to be under the New? Never. Now was there not one God, and one Mediator, in the Old, as in the New? And na∣turall and universall desires and wils in God, to save men as men, and that God should save men as one God, doe not rise and fall in God; but sure his will called his command, and revealed in the Gospel is larger under the Gospel, nor it was be∣fore the Messiahs time; otherwise God no otherwise willed all men to be saved, amongst the Jewes, as their God, in cove∣nant with them, then hee willed all the Gentiles, and every man of the heathen to be saved, which contradicts Old and New Testament broadly; for in the time of the Old Testament, God willed not, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Philistims, E∣gyptians, to come to the knowledge of the truth, and Gospel, 2 Sam. 7.23. Deut. 4.34. Psalm. 147.19.

7. God no more wills all, and every man to be saved, and come to beleeve; so they will all, and every one beleeve; then he wills all and every one to bee damned; so they beleeve not and refuse the Gospel: the one will is as universall as the o∣ther.

8. It is no justice, that the ransome should be payd for all, and every one,* and the captives remaine in prison eternal∣ly; its against the law, Exod. 21.•0. Exod. 30.12, 15. Yee the Lords Ransomed, Esai. 35.9, 10. Must obtaine everla∣sting joy in Sion. Esai. 51.10, 11. They shall obtaine joy and gladnesse, and sorrow and mourning shall flie away; And Hos. 13.14. 1 Cor. 15.54. They are ransomed from the grave. Let them find in all the Old or New Testament, any ransomed of the Lord, and ransomed from the grave, cast in outer darknes, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; they are redeem∣ed from all iniquity, purified as a peculiar people, Tit. 2.14. 1 Pet. 1.18. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet. 2.24.

9. This ransome is to be testified in due time, or as 1 Pet. 1.20, 21. was manifest in these last last times, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; For you (the elect of God) that beleeve by him.

Rule 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is undeniably expounded of all that are saved only, and is restrictive;* such a Physitian cured all the Citie; that is, no man is cured but by him. Ex. 28.•4 Jethro saith Page 430 to Moses, What is this that thou doest? thou sittest alone. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and all the people stand by thee, from mor∣ning till evening, (for judgement:) the scope of Jethro is to condemne Moses,* in wearing out his Spirit, and taking the burthen of judging all the people himself alone, Num 11.13. and his words beare not, that all the people without exception came for judgement, that had beene unpossible; but because there was then no other Judge, but Moses; the sense is cleare, all that were to be judged, they were to be judged by no other, but by Moses onely. Revel. 13.8. And all that dwell in the earth worshipped the beast, that is, all seduced to Popish Ido∣latry, were seduced by the beastly Vicar of Christ, and his limbes. Joh. 11.48. If we let him alone, all will beleeve in him; that is, none will beleeve in us, nor follow us; and all seduced men, shall be seduced by him. Joh. 3.26. Johns disciples a little emulous, that Christ drew all the water from their Masters Mill; say, Behold he baptizeth, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all men come to him; that is, there be now no comers, nor followers of men, but such as follow this Jesus. That Christ in this sense should be the Sa∣viour of all men, that he should have a negative voice in the salva∣tion of all, that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands, is no other thing then Peter saith, Act. 4.11. That there is no other Name under heaven, by which men may be saved, and none comes to the Father, but by him, Joh. 14.6. then all that come to God, come by him only. Christ is the heire of blessings, and in him all the kindreds of the earth are blessed, Act. 3.25. but it fol∣lows as well all, and every mortal man, are glorified, as redeemed, by this Logick; Out of his fulnesse, we All, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all that re∣ceive, doe receive from him, Joh. 1.16.

*Upon this is grounded the common nature of all that Christ assumed, that no man should be saved, but by a man. Hence (say Arminians) Looke how far the nature of man extendes the ransome extendeth as farre: But (saith Master Moore) the nature is common to Adams Sonnes, all, and every one, as Men contra-distinguished from Angels, Hebr. 29, 16. But there is a wide difference between the fitnesse and aptitude that man should dye for man,* not an Angel for a man, and the intenti∣on and good will of God, that Christ should either take on him the nature of man to die for mankind, rather then for Angel-kind, Heb. 2.16. And why he should dye for this man, Peter, or Page 431John, not that man Pharaoh or Judas; the reason of the for∣mer was the infinite wisdome of God, seeing a cong•uity of ju∣stice in it, that the nature that sinnes should suffer for sinne. Whether Christ having a soule of a spirituall nature as An∣gels, might have fitly beene a suffering Saviour for them, (which may be thought possible) is another question. But the reason of the other is onely the grace of God, who could give a hire, or a price to Christ, to move him to die for you, and effectually, and savingly, by gifting you with faith, and not for another? All the Jesuits, Arminians, Papists, Socinians, for their selves if provoked, shall not answer, except there bee a Foun∣taine-will, that solveth all, touching Men and Angels, Hee hath mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will: and who hath giv•n to him first, and it shall be recompenced? And with as good reason; Because Christ is glorifyed at the right hand of God, in mans nature, common to all Adams sons, may they inferre, that all, and every man, is risen againe from the dead with Christ. As Col. 3.1, 2. and all, and every man, is set with Christ in heavenly places, Ephes. 2.6. and so all and every man must be glorified with Christ. For as Christ dyed, in a nature common to all men; so in a nature common to all, he rose againe, ascended to heaven, is glorified at the right hand of God. But the truth is, Christ assumed that na∣ture that is common to all men, but not as common to all men, but as the seed of Abraham, Hebr. 2.16. as the flesh and bloud of the children, vers. 14. of his brethren, not ac∣cording to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, that are, or were to be borne againe.

And it is true, Jesus. Hebr. 2.9. is made a little lower then the Angels.* I hope the comparison is not with all and every one of the Angels: he was never made a little lower then all An∣gels, even evill Angels. Nor (•.) hath hee tasted of death for every man; that is, for all and every sonne of Adam. 1. We know no grace as common to all and every one of Adams sons, as nature. 2. Because the Scripture makes nature, wrath, sin, death, common to all. Rom. 5.14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Rom. 3.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Job 14.4. Psal. 51.5. E∣phes. 2.1, 2, 3. Hebr. 9.27. But for grace, the word of the covenant, a covenant of grace, Reconciliation into grace and favour with God; justification, we know no such things com∣mon Page 432 to all, and every one of Adams sonnes; for then all must be borne, the covenanted, justified, reconciled, beloved with the greatest love that is, Joh. 15.13. ransomed, redeemed, in Christs bloud, a people, neere in the beloved, chosen as peculi∣ar to God, as well as heires of wrath. (2) That some sinnes against the first covenant are taken away in Christ, and not all, as 1 Joh. 1.8. or some halfe-redeemed in Christs bloud, not wholly, we know not. (3) That Christ should taste death for all, it being as good, as if all in person had not onely sipped, but drunken death out to the bottome, and yet that the grea∣test part must drinke death to the bottome againe, is no Gos∣pel-truth. (4) Nor is the Apostles argument of weight, to ex∣alt Christ, as he entendeth, Hebr. 2. to say, Christ so tasted death for all; as all and every one, notwithstanding many ne∣ver have, either saving faith, or fruit of his death, but eter∣nally perish: whereas cleare it is, that these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all that he dyed for are the many sonnes he actually brings to glory, vers. 10. these who are one with him, as the Sanctifyer Christ, and the Sanctified, vers. 11. His brethren, whom he is not ashamed to owne, vers. 11. the Church, vers. 12. the children that God hath given him, vers. 13. the children partakers of flesh and bloud. vers. 14. these for whom he through death, which he tasted for all, and for whom he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devill; if the devill reigne in the sonnes of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. If they be borne of the de∣vill, Joh. 8.44. Taken captives at his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. Let Arminians see how Christ by tasting death for them, as they phancie, Hebr. 2.9. hath for them by death, Destroyed the Devill. vers. 14. Loosed his works, 1 Ioh. 3.8. Trium∣phed over devils, Col. 2.15. Iudged and cast out the devil, Ioh. 12.31. Ioh. 14.30. Yea, these all, these are delivered from bondage of death, Heb. 2.15. The seed of Abraham, vers. 16. His brethren that he is made like to in all things, except sinne. Hebr. 2.17. His people, vers. 17. The tempted that Christ succoureth, vers. 18. I defie any Divine to make sense of that Chapter, as Arminians expound, tasting of death for all men.

And the second Adam must come short of the first Adam, Rom. 5. by the Arminian exposition;* and the comparison must bee as the leggs of a cripple, both here, and 1 Cor. 15. for by Page 433 the first Adam many bee dead. What bee these many? All and every one of mankinde, that are the naturall heires coming forth of the loynes of the first Adam: Then who be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, many to whom the grace of God hath abounded? vers. 15. sure the second Adam is no drie tree, no Eunuch; the Scripture saith, He hath a seed, Isai. 53.10. many sonnes, Heb. 2.10. children that God hath given him, that are for signes and wonders, Isai. 8.18. Heb. 2.13. a seed in covenant with God, Davids spiri∣tuall seed, who shall never fall away, Psal. 89.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Then as all the first Adams sonnes, and heires were through his offence dead; so all Christs spirituall seed, and heires, have grace communicated to them, ver. 15. this is farre from grace,* abounding to all and every one of the heires of the first Adam; then as the first Adam killed none but heires naturally descended of him: so the second Adam derives grace, and the gift of life to none, but to his spirituall heirs; make an union by birth, between the first Adam and all his, and be∣tween the second Adam and all his; and stretch the comparison no farther then Paul, and let Arminians injoy their gaine by this Argument.

2. Vers. 16. Sinne and judgement to condemnation not intended onely; but reall and efficacious came on all by the first Adam, for all that live, incurre sinne, and actuall condem∣nation by the first Adam; but the free gift is of many unto justi∣fication: then justification not intended onely, which may never fall out, but reall, not virtuall, or potentiall, or conditio∣nall, if their forefathers have not rejected the covenant; but efficacious and actuall, came upon all the heires, and seed,* of the second Adam.

3. Paul compareth ver. 15. the offence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of one, the first sinne of Adam that came on all, with the justification 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from many offences. The justification spoken of here, which wee have in the second Adam, is not a pardon of sinne originall, and of a breach of the first covenant; so as we begin to sinne, and God reckons with us on a new score, but the justification here is from many offences, and the blood of Jesus, purges us from all sinnes. 1 Joh. 1.8. This justification runnes not up from the wombe, as the offence of Adam doth. For, 1. Where are there two justifications in Christs blood? 2. Where is there in Scripture a righteousnesse of all and every Page 434 one, a justification in Christs blood, by nature or from the bel∣ly, and that of Turks, Indians, Americans, and their seed, and of all infants, in all the Scripture?

4. Vers. 17. By one mans offence there was a cruell King, Death the King of terrors, who hath a black scepter, set over all and every man without exception. Here we grant an uni∣versall King the first and second death; As when a Conqueror subdues a Land, he setteth over them a little King, a Lieute∣nant in his place: now the other part of the similitude, and the antitype is so much more, they that receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousnesse shall raigne, shall bee Kings in life (eternall) through one Jesus Christ. ver. 17. See the heirs and sonnes of the second Adam, are not all and every one of the mortall stocke of Adam, redeemed, reconci∣led, saved; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these that receive abundance of Grace, and of the gift of righteous∣nesse; onely I appeale to the conscience of Arminians, if Turks, Jews, Tartarians, Americans, Indians, all Heathen, and all infants come in as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and as these that for the present, are under the fat drops of the second Adam, and receive abun∣dance of grace and righteousnesse. For their universall righte∣ousnesse is poore and thin, and may bee augmented. 2. If they receive it conditionally, so they beleeve, then its not uni∣versall. 3. Then they are not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all are not belee∣vers by nature, all are not by this, within the new covenant actually: They have but a farre off venture, and a cast off abun∣dance of grace. Farther, Paul by this makes glory as well as grace universall, and all and every one must bee borne heires of Heaven; for Paul saith of the heires of the second Adam〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Here bee Kings for a King; there was one Catholique Tyrant Death, set over all men; But there bee here heires of the second Adam, made Kings of life and glory through Jesus Christ. ver. 18. If it bee said, its life conditio∣nally, if they beleeve; consider then, if the second Adam bee not weaker then the first; the first indeclinably, really, without a misse transmitted death to all his; the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousand part of his; but as he misseth in the farre greatest part of his heires (if all mortall men be his heires) he may misse in all,* if free will so thinke good. Arminius saith, constare potuit integer fructus mortis, &c. The fruit of the Page 435 second Adams death might stand intire, through all and every one of mankinde were damned; If this bee a potentiall justi∣fication: its good, its not Pauls justification, Rom. 8. Whom he justified, them hee also glorified, nor speaketh the Scripture of any such justification, but of such as makes the party justi∣fied, blessed, Rom. 4.6, 7. as hath faith joyned with it, Rom. 3.26. Rom. 5.1. as cleanseth us from all our sinnes. 1 Iohn 1.8. (5.) The Reconciled shall much more be saved, Rom. 5.10. they are friends, not enemies, (enemies and reconciled are opposed in the text) and then they cannot bee strangers, nor farre off; but built upon the foundation of the Prophets, and Apostles, who of enemies are reconciled, Ephes. 2. Col. 1.19.20. And so shall farre more bee saved, by the life of Christ; but all and every one of mankinde, shall not much more bee saved by the life of Christ, 6. There is an (all men) under condemnation, and an (all men) justified: Let any of common sense judge, if yee ought not in equity, to compare the Heires, Sonnes, Seed, of the first and second Adam together, and then let the two Alls runne on equall wheeles, and see what Ar∣minians gaine by this; for if yee compare all in the loynes of the first Adam on the one side, with all in the loynes of the second, and yet never in the second Adam; but as great strangers to Christ, as those that are out of Christ, enemies, sonnes of the bondwoman, strangers to Christ, without God and Christ in the world; on the other side, the sides are un∣equall, and beside the holy Ghosts minde; except yee shew us a second birth, a communion supernaturall of justificati∣on, of free grace, of sonne-ship, of redemption of mercy, be∣tween Jesus Christ, and all and every one of mankinde, Hea∣thens, Iews, Gentiles; This I feare must send all the Ar∣minians in Europe to their Booke, to seeke what cannot bee found.*

And its as easie to answer, 1 Cor. 15. for as many in num∣ber as die in Adam, are not by that Text, made alive in the se∣cond Adam; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉all noteth not equality of number. But as the heires of the first Adam have death in heritage by him, so the heires of the second Adam have life by him, and all in each, noteth all of each quality, not of each number, for the all quickned by Christ, 1. Are the fallen asleep in Christ, that are not perished, verse 18. 2. The all, whose faith is not Page 436 in vaine, and are not in their sins, v. 17. 3. The all that have not hope in this life only, but in the life to come, verse 19. 4. Such as are the first fruits, of the same kind of dead with Christ; for Christ and all his, are as one corn-field of wheat gathered into one barne, v. 23. 5. They are quickned with the same Spirit, that Christ was quickned withall, but in their own order, life cometh to the head first; and if Pauls mind be that Christ as Head and Redeemer raiseth all the Elect and Reprobate by this Text, then sure the Reprobate must be a part of the field whereof Christ is the first sheafe, else the Text shall not run; but for Pauls purpose it was enough to prove the resurrection of beleevers principally.

*The place 1 Iohn 2.1. the world and the whole world, is the world that hath an Advocate established in heaven, for if we sin, we have an advocate, who is a propitiation not for us Iewes only to whom I write, but for the sins of the whole world both of Iewes and Gentiles, for the propitiation and the Advocation are of the same circumference, and sphear; else the Argument should be null; but the Advo•ation of our High Priest in the holy of holiest at the right hand of God is for the people of God, only Hebr. 9.24. for us, as the High Priest carried only the iniquity of the people of Israel, and their names engraven on his breast, for those for whom he hath purchased an eternall Redemption, with the sprinkling of blood to purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, v. 12, 13, 14. For those to whom he left peace in his Testament, and the promise of eternall inheritance, v. 15, 16, 17. And for those that look for Christs second appearing to salvation, and for those for whose faith he prayes, Luke 22.31, 32, 33. and for whom he prayeth the Father, that he may send the holy Spirit, Joh. 14.16, 17. and 16.7. For all these Christ doth as our High Priest Hebr. 9.10. intercede.

2. It is clear the persons cannot be so changed, if we sinne we have a propitiation; if we confesse, the blood of Iesus shall cleanse us from all sinnes: And by the sinnes of the whole world, he understands all that did, or should beleeve, of Iew or Gentile, Rom. 11.15. 2 Cor. 5.19. Joh. 1.29. and •.16. the whole world, loved, pardoned, reconciled, to whom sins are not impu•ed, and so blessed and justified, Psal. 32.1, 2, 3, 4. and wh•••as the Apostle ascendeth, and not for our sins only,Page 437 &c. it is not to extend propitiation, further then advocation, confession, knowing that we know him; that is, petitio principii, for John doth not conclude a comfort of Christs advocation, which is undeniably peculiar and proper only to those that have fellowship with the Father and Son, and have beleeved in the Word of life, are purged from all their sins, from a generall propitiation common to those that are eternally damned, and which may have its full and intire fruit, though all the world were eternally damned: It were a poor comfort to weak ones, who sin daily, and are liars, if they should say they have no sin, that there is no better salve in heaven for their sin, then such a one, as they may no lesse perish eternally having it, then Pha∣raoh, Cain, Iudas, it were better for them to want it, as have it.

2 Pet. 2.1. Some false Teachers deny the Lord that bought them, which is not so to be taken,* as if Christ had redeemed those from their vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. and from the present evill world, Gal, 1.4. for then he should have redee∣med them from Apostacy, and the power of damnable heresies, which he did not, but in their profession they were bought, and so the Apostle more sharply convinceth them, for they were teachers in profession, but really wolves that devoured the flocke, but professed themselves to be Shepherds sent to seek the lost. 2. They were Hereticall Teachers, and brought in damnable Heresies, and therefore Christians and professed Christ to be their Lord; for if they had been without and open ene∣mies, they could not bring in Heresies. 3. They did it covert∣ly and privily, teaching and doing one thing, and professing a∣nother; they professed the Lord to be their Redeemer who bought them, but that they were Hypocrites is clear, verse 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they shall bring in heresies in the by, at a side, privily. 2. By reason of them the way of truth shall bee blasphemed; enemies shall speak ill of the Gospel, because these men professe the Redeemer who bought them, but yet they are covetous men, v. 3. (3.) They buy and sell you 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉with decked up and well kammed fair words. O our Redeemer that bought us, our Saviour! O free grace! O free Redemp∣tion! as Libertines now doe, and yet they that deny sancti∣fication, deny Christ who in their profession bought them; and its ordinary for Scripture to affirme things of men as they speak and professe; as the Scripture calleth wolves, Prophets, Jer. 23. Page 438 because they so professe themselves; Christ called Judas friend, but he was but a face friend, and a reall enemie, so Pharises are stiled by the Holy Ghost, Matth. 9.12, 13. whole and righteous, just persons that need no repentance, Luke 15.7. such as need not the Physician, Marke 2.17. because they are such only in their own conceit and vain opinion, not really; if any man say Christ bought these, in regard that by his death, he purchaseth a dominion over Elect and Reprobate, that all knees should bow to him, Men and Angels, Rom. 14.8, 9, &c. Isai. 45.2•. Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. Joh. 5.27. Acts 17.31. So that there is a difference between buying as conquerours, and buying from our vain conversation; I thinke it hath truth in it, Christ by his death hath acquired a dominion; but I much doubt, if in that sense Scripture say, Christ hath bought the Reprobate by his blood; for so by his blood he hath bought Angels, Devils, all things, and all knees in heaven and earth, and under the earth, for by his death and resurrection he hath acquired this dominion,*Rom. 14. God is the Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. Its not spoken of Christ as Mediator, but of the living God the Saviour of all men, Psal. 106.8.10. Matth. 8.25. Nehem. 9, 27. Psal. 36.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here, and the living God is given indefinitely to God as one with all the three, but God in Christ is specially the Saviour of be∣leevers. Other places for Universall grace, and the Apostacy of the Saints, I passe here.

Article 5.

The fifth Particular is touching the Faith required of the Elect, and of the Reprobate, within the visible Church: which ere I enter in, let this one necessary doctrine clearing that point much, be observed; That if Christ draw all men to him.

Doct. He must have a singular and speciall good will and li∣king to save sinners, in that strongly and seriously, he draweth all sorts of men to himselfe.

1. The promises and goodwill of Christ are not concluded or locked up,* as touching the revealed damnation of any sort of per∣sons; Christ is no ingrosser, and never loved to make a Monopoly of Grace; he sets down his will in positive comfortable positi∣ons, Ioh. 6.39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me, Page 439 that of all which he hath given me, I should loose nothing, but raise it up at the last day. Joh. 5.24. Verily, verily, I say un∣to you, he hath heareth my word and beleeveth in him that hath sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall never come to condem∣nation.

2. Christ had so good mind to save, That 1. He did not send only, but the King came in person, 1 Tim. 1.15.*Luke 19.10. The Son of man came to seeke and to save, &c. 2. He cryed not afar off, but came near hand to draw, he came so neer as within the reach of his arme to save us. 3. When a rope is cast downe to prisoners in a pit, if it come not with∣in the compasse of their reach, and if it bee too farre for a short arme, it can doe no good for the helpe of the prisoner; therefore he came below us, and under all our infirmities, to put his shoulders under the lost sheep, Luke 15.5. Love must sweet, and stoop low to save.

3. Christs good will is held forth in as large termes, saving the Lords liberty of Election and Reprobation, as can be; and that in sixe wide expressions, that no man should complaine, Oh, I am a drie tree, because we are inclined to forge forced quarrels against the Lambe of God, as if he loved not us; and its an answer to those that naturally complain of absolute E∣lection; As 1. The weakest are readiest to move doubts.

Object. 1. I am sinfull, and sinfully sicke, and I have jealou∣sies of the Physitian.*

Ans. The Physitian came to force himselfe on the sick, Mat. 9.12, 13. sick of body, are often sick of mind, and passions of the soule rise with humours of the body; the sick are soon an∣gry and jealous. Christ saith, he hath a tender soule for a sick sinner.

Object. 2. But I have little grace or goodnesse?

Ans. I, can ye have lesse (saith Christ) then a reed? its far below a Tree and a Cedar; and I will not break a reed, but a bro∣ken reed is out of hope, it cannot doe any more good, a reed is weak, but a broken reed, sure, can never grow: yea, but he can∣not breake the bruised reed, but powres in oyle at the root of the broken reed, and makes it green and causeth it to blossome. So the fire or light in flaxe must be lesse then the fire in timber or wood; but he will not throw water on flaxe that hath fire, yea, nor on smoaking flaxe that seems to have fire, and hath but smoak.

Page 440Object. 3. A broken bone in a living man may be splinted and cured; but the heart is, ultimum moriens, the last thing of life; if it be broken, the man is gone; he dyes, when the last seat of life the heart is broken. Yea but saith Christ, I can bind u• the broken in heart, Esai. 61.1. Psal. 147.3.

Object. 4. If the man be dead and buried, then farewell he, there is an end, no more of him. Yea, but Christ 2 Cor. 1.9. Ioh. 5.25. raiseth the dead, and giveth life to drie bones, Ezech.•7.

2. Some feare they have nothing but an empty professi∣on.*

Answ. Then the Scripture holdeth forth the promises to visible Saints, 2 Cor. 7.1. Can ye come in among the crowd of visible Saints? this is preached to all within the wide Gos∣pel-Nett, and Christs visible court; Whosoever beleeveth, shall be saved, Joh. •.16. Rom. 10.9. Ioh. 5.24.

3. Say thou canst not come so neere as visible Professors, but thou art nothing but a Publican and a sinner, and that may be thought to be without Christs line of mercy. Yet 1. Tim. 1.15. This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners. Bee what thou wilt, as unbeliefe estrangeth a sinner farre enough from Christ, thou maist claime bloud and kinne to a sinner; then Christ came to call sinners,* and to save sinners, canst thou deny thy selfe to be a sinner.

4. Canst thou crowd in amongst the (We) that are the godly party; there is h•re roome for thee, not to cast off Christ, but that thou maist let out a warme looke, and halfe an hope thou maist bee one of his; the Gospel-grammar, is faire and sweet; art not thou amongst an (Vs) that there may be hope. 1 Ioh. 4.9. In this was the love of God toward us, because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world, that wee might live through him.

5. The Scripture casts out a longer rope yet, that thou mayest reach to Christ; art thou not a Man; if thou be not a sinner, nor a visible Saint, nor a bruised Reed; thou art one of mankinde; see the Gospel will not have thee to dispaire, or to foment and harbour strange, and far-off thoughts of Christ, Tit. 3.4. But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Sa∣viour, to man appeared—he saved us. 1 Tim. 2.3. God Page 441 our Saviour will have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all men to be saved.

6. The farthest from Christ, must be creatures that are no∣thing, but bits of the world; now the name World, is a [ 6] frameder and a farther-off word, then the name of Man, or Sinners, its the farest off-word; for fallen Angels are mem∣bers and citizens of the World, therefore the Gospel is prea∣ched to the World, Christ is brought in in the Gospel, as a World-lover; as if he were a whole World-Saviour, he takes away the sinnes of the world, Ioh. 1.29. He so loves the world, Joh. 3.16. He giveth his flesh for the life of the world, Joh. 6.51.

In this Grammar of the Holy Ghost, observe wee, by the way, for resoluton, the wisdome of God, in framing the words of the Gospel. It cannot be said that God loved all the world in Christ, his beloved, and all, and every sinner, and all the race of mankinde. Yet laying downe this ground, that God keepeth up in his minde, the secrets of Election and Repro∣bation, till he, in his owne time, be pleased to reveale them, the Lord hath framed the Gospel-offer of Christ in such inde∣finite words, and so generall (yet without all double dealing, lying, or equivocating, for his owne good pleasure is a rule both of his doings and speaches,*) As 1. seldome doth the Lord open Election and Reprobation to men, till they, by grace, or in the order of his justice, open both the one and the other, in their owne waies; and therefore he holdeth out the offer of Christ, so as none may cavell at the Gospel, or begin a plea with Christ. 2. Seldome doth the Gospel speake, who they be that are Elect, who Reprobate; yet doth the Gospel offer no ground of presuming on the one hand, or of despai∣ring on the other. For if thou bee not a beleever, nor a weake reed, nor a Saint, yet thou ar• a sinner, if not that,* thou art a man, if not that, thou art one of the world; and though the Affirmative conclude not; I am a sinner, I am a man, I am one of the world, but it followeth not, therefore I am ele∣cted to glory, or, Ergo, I am ransomed of the Lord. Yet the Negative, touching Reprobation, holdeth. I am a Sinner, I am of the World, I am a man; hence it followeth not, therefore I am a reprobate, and therefore I have warrant to refuse the promise, and Christ offered in the Gospel. It followeth well Page 442 therefore, I must be humbled for sinne, and beleeve in Christ, there is roome left for all the Elect, that they have no ground of standing aloofe from Christ, (and the rest never come, and most willingly refuse to come) nor have the Reprobate ground to quarrell at the decrees of God, though they bee not chosen, yet they are called, as if they were chosen, and they have no cause to quarrell at conjectures, they have as faire a revealed warrant to beleeve, as the Elect have; they are men, sinners of the world, to whom Christ is offered, why refuse they him upon an unrevealed warrant?

4. The fourth ground of Christs good will to draw all men, is that Christ goeth as farre in the dispensation of free grace,* as sinners, as the chiefe of sinners; Grace journies all along, and can goe no further then Hell and Damnation, Luk. 19.10. The Sonne of man came to seeke, and to save that which is lost; as if Christ would say, is any man a sinner; (and who are not) and a lost sin∣ner; see and behold, I am a Saviour for that man. Christ went as low downe to Hell, in the freedome of grace, to save, as Za∣cheus, in evill doing, to destroy: Mary Magdalen, went as farre on toward Hell, as seven Devils. Grace in Christ went as farre on, as to redeeme from seven Devils. Manasseh, as if he had intended to make sure worke of Hell, runnes on to em∣pawnd soule and salvation, and gives himselfe to witchcraft; observing of times; to cause the streets of Hierusalem, runne with bloud, to all abominable idolatry: mercy in the Lord went as neere hell to save him. Paul goeth so farre on the mouth of the furnace, as to waste the Church of God, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Act. 8.3. to make heapes of dead men in the Church; and there came nothing out of his nostrils for breathing and respiration, Act. 9.1. but threatnings, that is ripe purposes of bloud; yea, murthering of the Saints came out of his mouth; with every word hee spoke, but Christs free-grace pursues him hard, and out-runnes him. Christs grace came as it were a step below Paul and saved him. 1 Tim. 1.14. And the grace of our Lord (saith he) was more,*or over-abundant in me through faith and love. Jer. 3.1. And thou hast played the harlot with many companions, or lovers, yet returne to m••• saith the Lord. Its here, as if Christs rich grace; and our extreme wickednesse should strive, who should descend to the lowest roome in Hell, the latter to destroy, the former to save; and here Christ defies Page 443 the sinner, to be more wicked, then he can be gracious.

5. Christ in the Gospel, as a great Conquerour, sends out Writs signed under his Excellencies hand,* come and meet me, who will, and be saved, as farre as graced will can goe, as farre goeth the good will of the conquering Prince, R•vel. 22.17. Its much worthy of observation, how that sweet E∣vangelicke invitation is conceived, Esai. 55.1. Ho, every one that thirsts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is alas, or ah, every one that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no silver, come buy, and eat: as if the Lord were grieved, and said, woe is me, alas that thirsty soules should die in their thirst, and will not come to the wa∣ter of life, Christ, and drink gratis, freely, and live. For the Interjection, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Ho, is a marke of sorrowing; as Ah, or wo; every one that thirsts, Esai. 1.4. Ah sinnefull nation, or wo,*〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to the sinnefull nation. Vers. 24. Ah, I will ease me, or alas, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I will ease me of my adversaries, Jer. 22.18. They shall not say of Jehojachim, ho, or alas, or woe to my brother, ah, Sister; It expresseth two things, 1. A vehemencie, and a serious and unfamed ardencie of desire, that we doe what is our duty, and the concatenation of these two, extreamely desired of God, our comming to Christ, and our salvation: this morall connexion betweene faith and salvation, is desired of God with his will of approbation, complacency, and morall liking, with∣out all dissimulation, most unfainedly; and whereas Armini∣ans say, we make counterfeit, fained, and hypocriticall desires in God, they calumniate and cavill egregiously,* as their cu∣stome is. 2. The other thing expressed in these invitations, is a sort of dislike, griefe, or sorrow; (its a speach borrowed from man, for there is no disapointing of the Lords will, nor sorrow in him for the not fulfilling of it) or an earn•st nilling and hating dislike, that these two should not goe along, as ap∣proved efficatiously by us, to wit, the creatures obedience of Faith, and life eternall. God loveth, approveth the beleeving of Hierusalem, and of her children, as a morall duty, as the Page 444 henne doth love to warme and nourish her chickens; and he ha∣teth, with an exceeding and unfained dislike of improbation and hatred, their rebellious disobedience, and refusing to bee ga∣thered: but there is no purpose, intention, or decree of God holden forth in these invitations called his revealed will, by which he saith, he intendeth and willeth that all he maketh the offer unto, shall obey and be saved. But its to bee observed, that the revealed will of God,* holden forth to all, called vo∣luntas signi, doth not hold forth formally, that God inten∣deth, decreeth, or purposeth in his eternall counsell, that any man shall actually obey, either elect or reprobate; it formally is the expression onely of the good liking of that morall and duty-conjunction betweene the obedience of the creature, and the reward, but holdeth forth not any intention or decree of God, that any shall obey, or that all shall obey, or that none at all shall obey; and what Arminians say of Christs inten∣tion to die for all, and every one; and of the Lords intention and Catholike good will, to save all and every one; to wit, that these desires may be in God, though not any be saved at all, but all eternally perish, which maketh the Lords desires irratio∣nall, unwise, and frustraneous, that we say with good reason of Gods good will, called voluntas signi, it might have its com∣pleat and intire end and effect, though not any one of men or Angell obey, if there were not going along with this will of God, another will, and eternall decree and purpose in God, of working by free grace in some chosen ones, what the Lord willeth in his approving will; and another decree in the which the Lord purposeth to deny his saving grace, upon his absolute liberty to others, that being left to the hardnesse of their own hearts, they may freely disobey, and bee the sole Authors of their owne damnation. Now because Arminians deny any such two decrees in God, but assert onely such as depend wholly in their fulfilling,* on the free will of Men and Angels, and all the decrees of God may be frustrated and disappointed by Men and Angels; as if the poore short-sighted creature, not the Soveraigne Creator were carver, and Lord of the de∣crees, and Master of worke in fulfilling of these counsels. Wee reject their Catholike intentions and decrees, to save and re∣deeme Page 445 all and every one, which they vainely fancy to bee in God, as repugnant to his will, which is irrisistible, and can∣not misse its end. 2. To his immutability, which cannot be compelled to take a second port, whereas hee cannot saile the first. 3. To his Omnipotencie, who cannot be resisted, 4. To his happinesse, who cannot come short of what his soule desires. 5. To his wisdome, who cannot ayme at an end, and desire it with his soule, and goe about it, by such meanes, as hee seeth shall bee utterly uneffectuall, and never produce his end, and not use these meanes, which hee knoweth may, and infallibly doth, produce the same end in others. Now this desire of approbation is an abundantly sufficient closing of the mouth, of such as stumble at the Gospel, being appointed thereunto, and an expression of Christs good liking to save sinners. Expressed in his borrowed wishes, Deut. 5.29. O that there were such a heart in them,*that they would feare me, and keepe my commandements. Psal. 81.13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel walked in my waies. Which wish, as relating to disobeying Israel, is a Figure, or Metaphore borrowed from men, but otherwise sheweth how acceptable the duty is to God, how obligatory to the creature. 2. By the Lords expostulations, Ezek. 18.31 Why will yee dye, O house of Israel. Verse 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyes. 3. In the Lords crying to sinners. Prov. 1.20. Wisdome cries, shee uttereth her voice in the streets. The Word is to cry with strong shouting, either for ioy,*Psalm. 81.2. or sorrow, Lament. 2.19. which expresseth Christs desire to save sinners.

6. For the ground and warrant of Christs willingnesse to [ 6] save and draw sinners, doe but consider. 1. The words of the text, I will draw all men to mee; It is as if he would say, I will baulk no Nation, nor any man, upon a nationall respect; the first covenant to the Jews, suffered a mighty exception. What is God, the God of the Jews onely?* Have all the Nations of the earth done with their part of Heaven, and salvation; but onely the narrow trinket, and bit of the earth, in po•rel•••le Iudea? This made the Gospel despised, and liable, to sad and Page 446 heavie calumnies. Christ must have narrow bowels, and must bee ebbe, short, and thin, in free grace; if the matter bee so. Nay but, Christ hath mercy for all men; I will draw all men, that is, multitudes of Iews and Gentiles: for that Christ draw∣eth all and every one without exception, and that by his death, is against Scripture, and experience; but hee hath an all that he drawes, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God hath appeared to all men〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 what grace? the teaching grace of God, that teacheth us to waite for the blessed hope, and the appea∣rance of the glory, and of our Saviour Iesus Christ: sure, this must bee the preached Gospel; now the Gospel by Scripture experience, consent of Arminians never appeared, in the least sound, to all and every sonne of Adam; then Christ must have another all, a faire and numerous multitude, whom he saves and drawes, and this saith hee, had a good will to save all, and that his elect ones beleeve, Revel. 5.11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne, and the beasts,*and the Elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, v. 12. Saying worthy is the Lambe. Revel. 7.9. After this, I beheld, and loc, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lambe, cloathed in white robes, and palmes in their hands. It is true in civill assemblies, and judicatures, Christ hath a few number; yet hee hath a faire and numerous off-spring of children, and when they are gathered together, they are a faire beloved world: In the Hebrew many and great, are often one and the same. As one Rubie is worth ten hundreth, one Saphir worth thousands of common stones; so one Saint, is more then ten thousand wicked men; then all together they must be an All, a world, a whole world of ransomed ones, hid∣den ones,* Psal. 83.4. of the Lords Jewels, Mal. 3.17. and of Christs precious ones, Isai. 43.4. they are the floure, and the choise of mankinde.

2. Christ is willing to take away all heart-exceptions of unbeliefe from men. As. 1. Can God bee borne of a woman to save men, not Angels? Beleeve it, saith the Lords Spirit,Page 447 with a sort of oath, Heb. 2.16. Verily hee tooke on him the seede of Abraham, not the nature of Angels. Halt not at Christs man-kindnesse, and not Angel-love, to the excellenter childe by nature, the Angel when he fell: and its to remove our doubts, that God is brought in promising, and swearing the covenant; Christ is a sworne covenanter, Heb. 6.12. When God made promise to Abraham; because hee could sweare by no greater, he sware by himselfe. Ezech. 33. The people slan∣dred the Lord, he delighted so to have the people pine away in their iniquities, that hee would punish them for no fault; but the childrens teeth should be set on edge, for the sinnes of the father, and the grapes that they eate not themselves.* The Lord answers that calumnie, Ezech. 18. And here, as I live, I delight not so (so as you slanderously, and blasphe∣mously say) in the death of a sinner, by my life, I desire you may repent and live, nor have I pleasure to punish innocent men, for no sinne at all.

And the second Exception is, But Christs heart is not inga∣ged with a heart-burning purpose, or desire to save man;*the purpose of saving came upon him but yesterday; yea, but (saith Christ) it was not a yesterdayes businesse, but was contrived from eternity, Proverb. 8. before the Lord made Sea, or Land. vers. 30. I was by him as one brought up (as a sonne nourished with him) I was daily (when there was neither night nor day) his delights rejoycing in the habitable earth, and my deligh•s were with the sonnes of men. Two words expresse Christ old, and eternall love to men, his delights was with the sonnes of men, as Christ was his Fathers delight, from eternitie; so was Christ feasting himselfe on the thoughts of love, delight,* and free grace to men; sure not to Pharoah, Judas, and all the race of the wicked, and with such a love as (if free will please) should never injoy one sonne of Adam. 2. I was (saith Christ) playing, and sporting, in the habitable earth, the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to play in a dance, it is, 2 Sam. 6.21. spoken of Davids dancing before the Ark, and 1 Sam. 18.7. The women in Is∣rael playing, answered one another in their songs. It holds Page 448 forth this, that it resolves the question, that Augustine loosed to a curious head, asking what the Lord was doing before the world was, he was delighting in his sonne Christ, and the thoughts of the Lord Iesus, in that long and endlesse age, were solacing him; and they were skipping, and passing time, in loving and longing for the fellowship of lost men, and since God was God (O boundlesse duration) the Lord Iesus, in a manner, was loving, and longing, for the dawning of the day of Creation, and his second coming againe to judgement; the marriage day of union with sinners. Christ was (as it were) from eternity with childe of infinite love to man, and in time in the fulnesse of time, it blossomed forth, and the birth came out, in a high expression of love; the man-childe, the love of Christ was borne, and saw the light, Gal. 4.4. Tit. 3.4. when Christ was ripe of love, to bring forth free salvation; glory, glory to the Wombe and the Birth.

*And a third Exception is, But sinners dis-obliged Christ, and provoked him as his enemies, can it be that in time, seeing how undeserving we were, he could heartily and seriously die for man, offer himselfe to all? God may have mercy on the work of his hand, but he cannot have mercy on sinners?

Answ. 1. Its true the Gospel is contrary to nature, and not one Article more thwarteth and crosseth carnall wisedome,* then that of imputed righteousnesse; That crosseth Morall Phy∣losophy so much, as we can more easily beleeve the rising of the dead, or any the greatest miracle, the drying up of the red Sea, then beleeve the Gospel; for we beleeve the Gospel for miracles as motives,* not as causes of Faith, not Miracles for the Gospel, and if at the first we beleeve the Gospel for Miracles; then we naturally rather beleeve Miracles, and the di∣viding of the Red Sea, and the raising of the dead, then we can beleeve that Christ came to die for sinners.

[ 2]

*2. Consider with what a strong good will Christ died, Luke 9.51. And it came to passe when his time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to goe to Jerusa∣lem.Page 449 He hardned his face, he emboldned himself to goe to Jerusalem to suffer, he mended his pace, and went more swiftly with a strong fire of love to expend his blood. Luke 12.50. I have a baptisme to be baptized with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 how am I fettered or besieged (as the word is used Luke 19.43.) till it be perfected?

3. What could move Christ to lie and fancie? were his wee∣ping and tears counterfeit? were his dying, bleeding, sweat∣ing, [ 3] pain, sorrow, shame, but all shewes for the market, and to take the people, Isai. 53.44. Surely, really,*he bare our sor∣rowes.

4. His offer must be reall, Joh. 7.37. for with vehemency he speaks 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉He stood and shouted in the Temple, [ 4] if any man thirst, let him come to me and drinke. Here is a dear fountain to all thirsty soules and most free: Christ thir∣steth and longeth to have thirsty sinners come gratis and drink.

But I doubt he beares not me in particular at good will,*are the promises made for me? Did he love me before the world was? Did Christ dying intend salvation for me?

This doubt draweth us to the fift particular, (that so I may hasten to the uses) which is what sort of Faith it is that God requireth of all within the visible Church, for the want where∣of Reprobates are condemned.

Assertion 1. Saving Faith required of all within the visible Church, is not as Antinomians conceive,* the apprehension of Gods everlasting love of Election to glory of all and every one that are charged to beleeve. Saltmarsh in an ignorant, and con∣fused Treatise tells us, To beleeve now is the only worke of the Gospel,—that is, that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins, and for your sins, —so as salvation is not a businesse of our working and doing, it was done by Christ with the Father,— all our work is no work of salvation, but in sal∣vation we receive all, not doing any thing, that we may receive more; but doing because we receive so much, and because we are saved, and yet we are to work as much, as if we were to be saved by what we doe, because we should doe as much by what is done already for us, and to our hands, as if we were to re∣ceive Page 450 it, for what we did our selves: So here is short worke (saith the man) Beleeve and be saved — there are yet these grounds why salvation is so soon done.* 1. Because it was done be∣fore by Christ, but not beleeved on before, by thee till now. 2. Because it is the Gospel-way of dispensation, to assure an• passe over salvation in Christ, to any that will beleeve it. 3. There needs no more on our sides to worke or warrant sal∣vation to us, but to be perswaded that Iesus Christ died for us, because Christ hath suffered, and God is satisfied, now suffering and satisfaction is that great worke of salvation. And the man taking on him to determine controversies of Arminians touch∣ing the extent of free Grace,* whether Christ died for all, (in which questions I dare make Apology for his innocency, that he is not guilty of wading too deep in them) he would father on the Reformed Churches of Protestant Divines, that we make this a rationall way of justice, That God will meerly and arbitrarily damne men, because he will, so as God hath put e∣very one under a state of Redemption and power of salvation; and they are damned not from their own will, but from Gods. The opinion by Arminians is fathered upon that Apostolick light of the Church of Christ, Eminent and divine Calvine, and Saltmarsh will but second them, that he may appear a star in the Firmament, with others of some great magnitude.

But (saith he) the other way is, Christ died only for his, but is offered to all,*that his who are amongst this all might beleeve, and though he died not for all, yet none are excepted (that is as he saith, all and every one to whom Christ is preached, elect or reprobate, are to be perswaded that Christ died for them in particular) and yet none are accepted but they that beleeve, and none beleeve, but they to whom it is given: And having shown some dreames of his owne touching these controversies, hee concludeth with a Truth I beleeve easily. Thus have I ope∣ned, though weakly the mystery: Weakly, but wilfully and daringly.

But Faith is formally no such perswasion, as to be perswa∣ded, Every man is loved with an everlasting love, chosen and redeemed in Christ; for it changeth the whole Gospel in a lie, Page 451 Christ obligeth no man to beleeve an untruth: Now all are char∣ged to beleeve in the Son of God,* and Elect and Reprobate (as there be of both sorts within the net of the Kingdome) are not loved with an everlasting love, nor did Christ die for them all.

2. Its meer presumption, not Faith, that all Hypocrites, flesh∣ly men, slaves to their lusts, idolaters, covetous men, remain∣ing such, never broken with any Law-work; should imme∣diately beleeve Christ is their Saviour, died for them, and the Father loved them to salvation, before the world was. True it is, before a sinner beleeve, he is an unpardoned, an ungod∣ly and guilty sinner; but that he is unbroken, yea, or uncon∣verted before he beleeve; (I speak of order of Nature) its as unpossible, as that a thristle can bring forth figs, for then he should beleeve having no new heart in him, which is the on∣ly principle of Faith.

3. Its a more ingenuous opinion that Christ died for all and every one, though it have no truth in it selfe, then to hold that he died for the Elect only, and yet oblige men (as Antino∣mians doe) against their conscience to beleeve he died for all and every one that are ingaged in the practise of beleeving.

4. He that beleeveth not, maketh God a liar, then that which is to be beleeved must be an Evangelike truth.

5. Faith layeth bands on all within the visible Church, to be knit together in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to th• acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, Col. 2.1, 2. to be perswa∣ded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, Rom. 8.37, 38, 39. To full assurance, Heb. 10. without wa∣vering or declining, or bowing like a tottering wall. Now sure all and every one within the visible Church, to whom the com∣mand of beleeving comes, Reprobate or Elect; are not holden to have a full assurance that they are chosen in Christ to salvation, and redeemed in his blood.*

Assertion 2. The object of saving Faith, required of all Page 452 within the visible Church is,* 1. Christs faithfulnesse to save beleevers, Heb. 10.23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; and the Apostle backs it with an Argument, that saving faith must lean upon, (for he is faith∣full that hath promised) And Paul 1 Cor. 1.9. presseth the same, God is faithfull, by whom yee were called, unto the fel∣lowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

2. We doe not read in the Old or New Testament, that the decree, purpose, or intention of God to save, and redeem per∣sons in particular is the object of that saving Faith required in the Gospel. For the second object of this Faith is the truth and goodnesse of that Mother promise of the Gospel,*Ioh. 3.16. and 5.25. that Gospel-record 1 Iohn 5.10, 11, 12. He that be∣leeveth hath life eternall, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. To seek and to save the lost, Luke 19.1•. that he came to save me in particular is appre∣hended by sense, not by faith; for the Election of me by name to glory, and the Lords intention to die for me, is neither pro∣mise, nor precept, nor threatning; if it be a History that I must beleeve, its good, shew me Histories of particular men; now to be beleeved, except of the Antichrist, the second comming of Jesus Christ to judge the world. Election to glory is not held forth as a promise; If yee doe this, yee shall be elected to glo∣ry,* nor is the contrary holden forth as a threatning; If ye be∣leeve not, ye shall be reprobated, nor does the Lord command me to be chosen in Christ to salvation, before the foundation of the world, nor doth he command all men within the visible Church to beleeve they are chosen to salvation, or that any one Elect person, should beleeve a thing as revealed, which is not revealed; when he is pleased to give to any Elect person the white stone, and the new name, and to give him Faith, by which he chuseth Christ for his portion, he is then, and never till then to beleeve; or rather by spirituall sense to apprehend that he is chosen to salvation from eternity, so Election is neither pre∣cept, nor promise, but a truth of Gods gracious good will and pleasure hid in Gods mind, till he be pleased to reveal it, by the fruits thereof.

Page 417There can bee no such imaginable double dealing in the world, as Arminians lay upon God:* For they make the Lord to say thus, as imagine a King should speak to twenty thousand captives, I have a good will, purpose, hearty intention, and ear∣nest desire to make you all and every one free Princes; and pray, wish, obtest, and beseech you subscribe such a Writ of grace for that end, but I only can lead your hand at the Pen, and give you eyes to see, and a willing heart to consent to your own happinesse, and if you refuse to signe the Bill of grace, you shall be tormen∣ted for ever and ever in a river of fire and brimstone: Again, I have a like good will to my own justice, and purpose so to carry on the designe as that sixteen thousand of you shall not have the bene∣fit of my hand, or of one finger to lead your hand at the pen, nor any efficacious motion to act upon your will, to obtain your consent to subscribe the Writ, yea by the contrary though I of exceeding great free love, will, intend, decree, and purpose you bee all Princes of glory; yet I purpose that these sixt•e• thousand whose salvation and happinesse I extreamly desire shall for their former rebellion, which I with the like desire of spirit could, and I only might have removed, never be mo•od to consent to this Bill of grace. Now were not this the outside of a good will, a•d should not this Prince bee said rather to will and desire the destruction of these sixteen thousand, and not their honour and happinesse?

Asser. 3. This is the mystery of the Gospel, in which I must professe ignorance, and that the Lords thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor his wayes as ourwayes: he hath by the preaching of the gospel ingaged thousand thousands within the visible Church, to the duty of their fidutiall adherence and heart rest∣ing on Christ, as they would be saved; and yet hath the Lord never purpos•d to work their hearts (and he only can do it) to this heart-resting on Christ by faith, nor hath he purchased ei∣ther remission of sinnes, or pardon for them. If any object,* how can Christ in equitie judge and condemne them for not beleeving pardon and salvation in his blood, when as neither pardon nor salvation are purchased in this blood to them, nor purposeth he to give them faith? Yet we may plead for the Lord: we conceive of the decree of God as of a deep policie and a stratagem and snare laid for us: whereas the Lord lies not in wait for our ruine, nor carries he on a secret designe in Page 418 the gospel to destroy men: If Christ should say in the Gospel-precepts, promises, or threatnings, I decree purpose and intend to redeeme all and every man, but I purpose to carry on the de∣signs so, as the far greatest part of mankinde inevitably shall be lost, it should be a stratagem; but the gospel as the gospel revealeth not any decree or intention of God,* touching the sal∣vation or damnation of men intended from eternitie: Indeed the gospel as obeyed or dis•beyed, reveals Gods intentions and decrees, the gospel revealeth nothing but the Lords complacen∣cie, approbation, and good-liking of the sweet connexion be∣tween faith and salvation; the just concatenation between un∣beliefe, disobedience, and eternall damnation: so the gospel re∣veals duties, but not the persons saved, or damned; the Lords working with the gospel or the efficacie of the gospel (which is a far other thing) reveals the persons.

Now the difficulty is, how the Lord can command the re∣probate to beleeve life and salvation in Christ, when there is no life and salvation either intended to them, or purchased for them.

To which I answer, 1. God gave a law to all the angels created in the truth,*If ye abide in the truth, ye shall be eternally happy: ye cannot say that the devils in that instant were to be∣leeve that God intended and dec•eed them for eternall happi∣nes, and to give them •fficacious grace, by which they should abide in the truth, as their fellow-Angels did: Gods command and promise did reveal no such intention of God. So the Lord said to Adam and to all his seed, If ye keep the law perfectly, ye shall have life eternall; according to that Do this and live: yet was not Adam then, far lesse these that are now under the Law, to beleeve that God ordained them from eternitie, to eter∣nall life, legally purchased; or that any flesh should be justi∣fied by the works of the Law.

Arminians tell us that there be numbers judicially blinded and hardned within the visible Church, who cannot beleeve, and whom the Lord hath destined for destruction, yet the word is preached to them, they hear and read the promises of the gospel, and the precepts; Whither are they to beleeve that God intended from eternitie to them salvation and grace to be∣leeve? I think not, For they teach that Christ neither prayeth for, nor intendeth to die for the unbeleeving and obstinate Page 419 world as such, nor decreed their salvation, and except men may fancie sences on the words of Gods Spirit: where learned they to expound the word World, (when it makes for them) for all and every one of mankinde;* and when it makes against them, for the least part of mankinde, and that e•ther within the visible Church only, or yet without the visible Church? for in both, Satans world of disobedient ones is the far greatest part, s•eing the whole world lyes in sinne, as John saith. Let it be al∣so remembred when Arminians say, the Lamb of God taketh a∣way the sinnes of the world, that is of all and every mortall man, they mean Christ takes not away, nor sheddeth he his blood for the sinnes of the rebellious world; so the worlds rebellion,* contu••acie and infidelitie against Christ must be pardoned without shedding of blood, and if Christ did bear all the sinnes of the world on the crosse conditionally, and none of them ab∣solutely: •hen our act of beleeving must be the onely neerest cause of satisfaction for sinnes: but why then, if Christ satisfied on the crosse for the finall impenitencie and unbe∣li•fe of the rebellious world conditionally, so they beleeve and be not rebellious; but Arminians should say right downe Christ died for the rebellious and contumatious world, and he prayes for the contumacious world as such, but conditionally; for he prays and dieth for the not rebellious world of all mor∣tall men, not absolutelie, but conditionally, so they beleeve in Christ; if they beleeve not, neither the prayers of Christ nor his death, are more effectuall for them, then for Devils.

To all these wee may adde, that the Lord in commanding reprobates to rest on Christ for salvation, though no salvation be purchased for them, deals sincerely & candidly with them: for first he commands them to beleeve no intention in God to save them by the death of his Son,* nor saith he any such thing to them, but only commandeth them to rely on Christ as an alsufficient Saviour. Secondly, God commands all the repro∣bate, even by their way, to beleeve that Christ in his death intended their salvation, justification, conversion, and yet whereas God taketh wayes effectuall, and such as he foreseeth shall be effectuall for the efficacious working of justification and conversion, and actuall glorification of some few, yet he taketh wayes which he knoweth shall be utterly ineffectuall for the salvation, justification, and conversion of all these re∣probates, Page 420 and yet commandeth th•m to beleeve that he decree: and intendeth their salvation and conversion with no lesse ar∣dency and vehemency of serious affection then he doth intend the salvation and conversion of all that shall bee glorified. Sure this we would call double dealing in men, and the Scrip∣ture saith he is a God of truth, Deut. 32. and the Lord who can∣not lie.

Object. If a rich Inne-keeper should dig a Fountain in his Field for all passengers, thirsty and diseased, which were able to cure them, and quench their thirst; and invite them all to come and drink and be cured, upon condition they come and beleeve the vertue of the water to be such; and ye• should intend and decree absolutely and irresistibly the tenth man invited, should never be cured;*this Innekeeper should not deal sincerely with them. So you make God to deal with sinners in the Gospel. He doth all, in inviting s•ck sinners to come and drin• life and salvation at Christ the Fountain of life, which expresseth with men who speak as they think, their sincere intention, but he intendeth no such thing.

Answ. Make the comparison runne as it should doe, and it maketh more against Arminians; say that this Inne-keeper had dominion over the heart and will, as the Lord hath, Prov. 21.1. Psal. 119.36, 37. Hebr. 13.20, 21. Matth. 6.13. and that he could and doth without straining of the heart, work in all the passengers, a sense of their disease, grace actually to come and drink, and yet hee taketh a dealing with the soules of some few, and causeth them come to the waters and drink, and healeth them, and he useth such meanes and so acts upon the will of the farre most part that they shall never come, ne∣ver be sensible of their disease, and yet he invites them to come to the waters and drink; its clear this Inne-keeper never in∣tended the health of all and every one of the passengers, but only of these few that come and drink; nor doth invitations with men upon condition, which the party invited is obliged to perform, but doth never perform, and which the inviter on∣ly of grace can work in the invited, but doth not work them, as being not obliged thereunto,* speak any such intention.

Again, let it be considered, that here 1 God lies in wait for no mans destruction. 2 God is not obliged to reveal his eter∣nall purpose and intentions touching mens salvation and dam∣nation, but in the way and manner seemes best to him. 3 GodPage 421 never saith in all the Gospel, that from eternity he hath passed a resolve to save all mankinde, if they will, and to yeeld them the bridle on their own necks, that they may bee indiffe∣rent and absolute Lords of Heaven and Hell. 4 Nor should the Gospel be framed in such wisdom•, if the Lord had set down particularly the names of all the Elect and Reprobate in the world, and have proponed salvation upon condition of obedi∣ence and faith to some few, it should evidently have raysed a hard opinion in the mindes of thousands touching Christ.

Asser. 4. The third object of Faith is the sufficiency and power of Christ to save.* 1 The Scripture maketh the object of comming which is beleeving, Ioh. 5.40. Ioh. 6.35. Matth. 11.27. to be Christs ability and power, Hebr. 7.25. to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever li∣veth to make intercession for them. What the Scripture presseth us to beleeve savingly, that we must be inclined to misbeleeve, and for the misbeleeving thereof, the reprobates are condem∣ned, and not because they beleeve not the Lords intention to save all, or his decrees of election and reprobation. But the Scripture presseth faith in the power of mercy, Rom. 4.21. A∣braham staggered not, but was strong in the faith, giving glory to God, being fully perswaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now Abraham is commended for that he savingly and for his justification, beleeved the power of God in the Gospell promise that God was able of his mercy to give him the sonne of promise in his old age; otherwise to be∣leeve simply the power of God to give a child to a mother who is passed the naturall date of bearing children, is but the faith of miracles, which of it selfe is not s•ving, and may bee in workers of iniquity, Matth. 7.21, 22. so this power then is the power of saving conjoyned with the mercy and good will of Christ. 2 The Scripture holds forth to our faith the power of God to graffe in the Jewes again in Christ, Rom. 11.23. to make a weak beleever stand, Rom. 14.4. to keep the Saints from falling, and to present them faultlesse b•fore the presence of his glo∣ry with exceeding joy, Iude v. 24. 3 The good Land was a type of the heavenly rest, Heb 4.1. and Heb. 3.19. some entred not in through unbeleefe: why, what unbeleefe? the Story sheweth us, Psal· 93.7. Num. 14.9. Num. 13.28. they doubted of the power of God, and beleeved the report of the unbeleeving Page 422 Spies, who said, The people be strong that dwell in the Land, the Cities are walled, and very great, and moreover we saw the child•en of Anak there. Joshua and Caleb chap. 14.9. said they should not be bread for them, and their strength was gone; then the question was, whether God was able to give them that good Land. So then men enter not into the heavenly rest be∣cause they beleeve not that Iesus is able to save to the uttermost those that come through him to God, Heb. 7.23. 4 The Scrip∣ture is as much in proving the alsufficiency, power, and perfe∣ction of Christ our Saviour, to save, as in demonstrating his tendernesse of mercy and goodwill to save; as in the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Apostle laboureth much for to prove the Godhead of Christ, his excellency above Angels, and that the Angels were to adore him, his dignity and greatnesse above Moses and all the mortall and dying Priests, the vertue of his blood above all the bloods of Buls and Goats, to purge the con∣science from dead works, to expiate sinne, to sanctifie his people, to open a way, a new and living way to the holy of holiest, by his blood, that we with full assurance may draw near to God, that he with one Sacrif•ce, never to bee repeated, did that which all the thousands of reit•rated Sacrifices were never able to doe; that he is no dying Priest, but lives for ever to intercede for us at the right hand of God. And for what is all this, but that we should beleeve the a•sufficiency of Christ to save? and because wee have too low thoughts of Christ, as conceiving him to bee but a man, or lesse then an Angel, or a common Priest that can do no more by his blood as touch•ng remission of sinnes, then dying Priests could do wi•h the blood of beasts, and that he is dead, and now when we sinne, he cannot ad∣vocate for us at the right hand of God, that his redemption he brings in is not eternall, yea all this saith that saving faith rests upon Christ as God, as able and compleatly perfect and sufficient to save, though sinners doe not in the formall act of faith beleeve his good will, decree, and intention to redeem and save them by name. 5 I should think that these who have high and precious thoughts of the grace, tend•r mercy, perfection and sufficiency of Christ to save all that beleeve, and fiducially rely on Christ as a Saviour sealed for the w•rk of Redemption, though they know not Gods minde touching their own salvation in particular, have such a faith as the Gos∣pell Page 423 speaks of, and doe savingly beleeve that Christ came to seek, and to s•ve that which is lost, to save sinners,* that Christ is the Son of the living God, the Saviour of mankind; and this no Divell, no temporary believer, no hypocrite can attaine unto.

Obj. 1. But I believe not then that I am in particular redeemed, and without that I am a stranger to Christ; for Devils and Re∣probates may believe all the generall promises of the Gospel.

Answ. 1. Its true, in that act formally you believe not you are redeemed in particular; yet virtually and by good con∣s•quence you believe your own redemption in particular, and so you are not a stranger to Christ. 2. Its true, Devils and Reprobates may yeeld an assent of mind to the generall promises, as true, but its denyed that they can rest on them as good, as worthy by all meanes to be embraced; or th•t in heart and affections they can intrust the waight and burthen of their soule on these generall promises, or that there is any taste of the honey and sweetnesse of Christ in these promises to their soule, as it is with the soules that fiducially rest upon Christ in these promises.

Object. 2. Suppose I know of a ship offering to carry all to a land of life, where people are never sick, never die, have Summer and day light, and peace and plenty for ever, upon condition, I should believe the good will of the Ship-master to carry me to that land; if I know nothing of his good will to me in particular, I have no ground to believe I shall ever enjoy that good land; so here if I know no∣thing of Chr•sts good will to me, how can I believe he shall carry me to the heavenly Canaan?

Answ. Yea suppose, what is in question, that to be perswaded of the good will of Christ the owner of the ship to carry you in particular is the condition upon which he must carry you, but that is to be proved; there is no other condition, but that you rest on his good will to carry all who so rest on him, and that is all.

Object. 3. But I cannot believe.

Answ. You are to believe you cannot believe of your self, and of your own strength; but you are not farther from Christ, tha• you are farre from your self.

Object 4. Its comfortable that Christ the Physitian came to heal the sick; but what is that to me, who am not sick, nor of the Page 424 number of these sick, that Christ came to heal for any thing I know?

*Ans. Its true, its nothing to you that Christ came to heal the sick, cure the distemper of sin is on you; you want nothing but that the Spirit working with the Law, let you see your lost condition, and the Gospel-offer be considered, and com∣pared with your estate. But whether you be of the number of these sick that Christ came to heal, is no lawfull doubt and comes not from God; for what that number is, or whether you be one of that number or no, is a secret of the hid coun∣sell of election to glory, a negative certainty, that for any thing yee know you are not of the contrary number, nor are ye ex∣cluded out of that number, is enough for you to father kind∣nesse upon Christ, though he should say, from heaven, thou art not a Son.

*Object. 5. I shall never have ground of assurance to believe Christs good will, nor either hope or comfort in the Gospel, cove∣nant or promises, if Christ dyed for a few elected and chosen ab∣solutely to glory, for all must be resolved on doubtsome, hopelesse, sad and comfortlesse grounds by your way thus.

These for whom Christ laid down his life, and have ground of assurance of hope, and comfort in Christs death and in the Gospel promises, are not all men and all sinners, but only some few handfull of chosen ones, by name, such as Abraham, David, Peter, Mary, Hannah, &c. and not one more, not any other.

But I am one of these few handfull of chosen ours by name, I am, Abraham, David, Peter, Mary, Hanna, &c. and of no other number; therefore I have ground of assurance of hope, and comfort in Christs death and in the Gospel-promises.

Now the Proposition is poore, comfortlesse, and a very hopelesse field to all within the visible Church; and the assumption to the greatest part of mankind evidently false, because many are called but few are chosen, and so the syllogism shall suggest a field of comfortlesse, and hopelesse unbelief and doubting, yea, of dispairing to the farre largest part of mankind, whereas the doctrine of the Lords good will to save all and every one of mankinde, and of re∣deeming all, and covenanting in Christ with all, removes all ground of unbeliefe and doubting, from any; offereth grounds of faith, hope, and comfort in the Gospel, of peace to all.

Answ. 1. We shall consider what certaintie and assurance Page 425 of faith Arminian• furnish to all and every on from the Gospel.*

2. What the Scripture speaks of the assurance, hope and comfort of al and every one; and

3. The argument shortly shall be answered: as for the first, that Arminians m•y make their syllog•sm of assurance, hope, and comfort in Christs death as large as Christs death, they must ex•end the Gospel-comfort and hope to the heathen, who never •eard of these comforts; now how this can be, let us judge; a very learned and eminent Divine, (a) sheweth from the matter it self, and confession of Amayrald an Arminian, that twelve Apostles could not in so short a time have gone through the whole world, yea, they must have passed many part•cular Nations who never by an• sound heard of the Gospel; and Arminians yeeld to us that this was done arcan• Dei dis∣pensatione, by the secret and unsearchable providence of God; they would say, if they would speak truth, by the Lords absolute, highe•t, independent and unsea•chable good pleasure in his dec•ees of absolute election and reprobation. 2. Again, they are made unexcusable and freed from all guiltinesse of unbe•ief, and hoplesnesse of comfort or ground of comfort in the Gospel promises, who never heard of the Gospel: y•a, even these who heard the Gospel as the Athenians, Act. 17. who •udged Paul to be a babler, and Festus who thought him mad, and the Grecians who esteemed the preaching of the Gospel foolishnesse, 1 Cor. 1. And so must have heard the Gospel, yet •re not condemned so much for doub•••ng of the ••fficiency of Christs death, seei•g •hey be∣lieved Christ to be a •a•se Prophet, as for the•r not hearing men sent of God, Christ and the Apostles, speaking with the power of God, and en•ued with the power of working Miracles.* 3. •ut what assurance, bo•e and comfort of salvation doe A•minians give? One •homas Moore has written book inti••∣led, The Vniversality of Gods free grac• in •hrist to mankinde; that all might be comforted, encouraged, every one confirmed and assured of the p•o•itation and d•ath of Christ for the whole race of mankind, and so for himself in particular: Hear then what Armini•s, and Mr Moore saith, Comfort ye, comfort ye my peo∣ple saith •he Lord comfort and encourage with the joy of t•e holy Ghost, with the lively hope f•ternall life, with the comforts of the Scripture, Scipio, Aristotle, Cato, Regulus, Seneca, all the Page 426 Turks, Americans, Indians, Virginians, such as worship the Devils, the Sunne and Moone; such as have no hope, and are without God, and without Christ in the world; bid them be assu∣red Christ dyed for them, prayes and intercedes for them, intends and will their salvation upon good condition, no lesse then the sal∣vation of his chosen people.

But 1. The object of this faith, hope, and comfort, may stand and consist, though all and every one of the race of mankinde should belive it, with no lesse certainty of eternall damnation then Indians, all the reprobate and condemned Devils are un∣der; now saving faith removeth all hazard of damnation, Joh. 3.16. Joh. 5.25. Joh. 11.26. 1 Tim. 1.15.16. Gal. 2.10. but thousands believe, yea, the damned Devils who assent to the letter of the Gospel, and gave testimony that Iesus is the Sonne of the living God, by the judgement of the Arminians believe that Christ dyed for all and every one of the race of mankinde. Ergo, all the Reprobates may have this faith, assu∣rance,*comfort and hope, 2. Saving faith bringing peace, justi∣fication, rejoycing in tribulation, purifieth the heart: But I am not a whit nearer peace that I believe that Christ inten∣deth to redeemn, save, justifie all and every one of mankinde, upon condition they believe; for this remaineth ever a hole in the heart; God either efficaciously intendeth to save all, or inefficaciously committing the event to the good guiding of free-will which once lost all mankinde; now the former neither can be known to any living;* its a doubt to Armi∣nians, if it be known to God himselfe: Arminians saith, Deum posse excide•e fine suo, quia non semper intendit finem secundum praescientiam; God may saile and come short of his end, because he doth not, especially in events that fall out freely, and may not fall out, intend the end according to fore-knowledge; See then here the Arminian courage, hope and comfort; God intendeth to redeem and save me in Christ; but ah it is as the blind man casteth his club, or shoots his arrow, he winks and drawes the string, it may come up to the white, but it runs a hazard to fall short and wide;* Againe, its false that God intendeth efficaciously to save all; therefore Bellarmine and Arminius say, the Lord doth here as Polititians, who have two strings in their bow; for God (say they) lyeth at the wait between two ends, and intendeth either the obedience, conversion and Page 427 salvation of all, or if he misse, he has another string in his bow, and intends the declaration of the glory of his justice; if free-will shall thwart and crosse the former intention of God, and this is the latter intention, all and every man is to believe that God intends his conversion and salvation in∣effectually: but ah this is cold comfort and dubious, hazard-some and farre off hope; the poore man is here between hope to be saved,* (if the fortune or loose contingency of free-will be lucky) and feare to be eternally thrice more miserable then if God had never born him any good will (if free-will miscarry as it doth in the far greatest part of mankinde) for Arminians doe not say, one man is more saved by their pendulous and venturous good wishes and doubtsome intentions to save all and every one, then we doe by the Lords most wise, s•aid, poy∣sed, fixed, and absolute decrees; so it is but a toome and an empty spoon, they thrust in the mouths of the whole race of mankinde, when they will them thus to hope for salvation.

2. By this meanes God intending two ends, either the salvation or damnation of all and every one, he puts all man∣kinde upon large as great fear and dispair, as upon comfort and hope, and hee intends and wils the destruction of all mankinde more efficaciously and with farre greater successe, then he wills their salvation; only here is a comfort men may take to Hell with them, and an East-winde hope they may feed on; God primarily, antec•dently, and first wils my salvation, but secundarily and with better certainty of the black event, he wils in justice, my damnation and the eternall destruction of the farre greatest part of mankinde; and this is the Arminian comfort, and white hopes that the Tenent of Arminian universall grace, liberally bestowes on all, much good doe it them.

3. They stand not to make God to fluctuate between two ends; either this or this, justice or mercy;* mercy is the port God desires to sail to, and to carry all to heaven; but be∣cause he cannot be master of tyde and winde, and free-will bloweth out of the East, when God expecteth a faire West wind, the Lord is compelled to arrive with a second wind as a crossed Sea-man must do•, and to land his Vessell in the sad port of revenging justice, and make such a Sea-voyage, as against the heart of God (what will ye say of the destiny of Page 428 free-wils ill luck?) must cast the far greatest part of mankind, as ship broken men into eternall damnation, and except God would have strangled free-will and destroyed the nature of that obedience which is obnoxious to threatnings and re∣wards, he could not for his soule mend the matter; and here good Reader, you have the Arminian hope and consolations, if you list to harken to the Arminians of England now risen to comfort all mankinde in these sad times.* 3. Saving faith layeth hold on salvation, righteousnesse and everlasting re∣demption as proper heritage, faith being a supernaturall in∣stinct, that layeth a peculiar claime to Christ, as the naturall instinct in the lamb claimeth the mother; its property that faith pe•sueth; let e•perience speak, if there be not a peculiar warmnesse of heart in a believer at the sight of Christ; now to believe a common salvation hanging in the aire, the hea∣ven of Turks and Armenians, and the righteousnesse and re∣demption of Indians, of Seneca, and Catiline, Clodius, and Camillus, I confesse must be farre from such a property.

4 Saving faith is the first dawning, the morning sky and the first day light of the appearance of election to glory. Act. 13.48.* The man never hath a fair venture of heaven, nor commeth in handy-gripes with eternall love revealed till he believe, because the poore mans believing is his act of chusing God for his portion, and so cannot be an assent to a com∣mon good, generall to all men, Heathens, Pagans, Iewes, Turks▪ and believers; faith makes him say, I have now found a ransome, I have found a pearl of great price, I make no other choyse, my lot is well fallen upon Christ; whether Christ cast his love or his lot on me from e•erni•y, I cannot dispute; but sure,* I have chosen him in time. Now for the second, The Scripture shewes us of an ho•e of •ighteous•esse by faith, this we wait for through the •pirit Gal. 5.5. and of the hope laid up for the Saints in heav•n,•ol. 1.15. and Christ in the Saints the hope of glory, v. 27. and of the hope of the appearing of our life Christ, Ti•. 2.13. Which hope makes a man •o purg• himself & to be holy, 1 Ioh. 3.3. and of a rejoycing in hope in the glory of God, Rom. 5.2 Rom. 12.12. the hope to come, for the which the Twelve Tribes of Israel serve God instantly, Act. •6.7. and that lively hope unto which we are regenerated by the resurrection of Jesus •hrist from the dead, 1 Pet. 1, 5. and the hope that we have through patience & Page 429 comfort of the Scripture, Rom. 15.4. and the hope which is not confined within the narrow sphear and Region of time and this corruptible life, 1 Cor. 15.19. the hope which experi∣ence bringeth forth, Heb. 5.4. Now whe•her we take hope for the object of hope, the thing hoped for, or the supernaturall or gratious faculty of hoping, in neither respects have Seneca, Scipio, Regulus, Jewes, Turks, Americans, and such as never by any rumour heard of Chri•t any hope from Scripture; Paul saith of them, and of the Ephesians in their condition, Ephes. 2.12. At that time ye were without Christ, being Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; and for the grace of hope the Scripture saith, its an Anchor cast in heaven by these who upon life and death make Jesus t•eir City of refuge, Heb. 6.19.20. it is a fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.5. where ever it is, it makes a man purifie himselfe, 1 Ioh. 3.2. its a live∣ly hope and a fruit of predestination and of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, 1 Pet. 1.3, 4, 5. Now such a hope as Arminians allow to Heathen and Indians, to Reprobates, who believe that Christ dyed for all and every one, and such as perish eternal∣ly, we gladly leave to themselves; and if our doctrine of par∣ticular redemption furnish ground of dispaire as opposite to thi• hope, we professe it: But let Arminians answer this of their own way; So God must speak to the most part of the Chri∣stian world. Be of good courage, hope for salvation in Christ, be comforted in this that Christ dyed for you all without excep∣tion, and be fully assured and believe there is a perfect ransome given for you, and salvation and righteousnesse purchased to you in Christs blood; but I have decreed so to act upon the wils of the farre greatest part of you, that you shall have no mo•e shaire in that redemption and purchased salvation then the damned Devils, whereas if I had so drawn you as I have done others, as sinfull by nature as you are, you should certainly have been eternally saved in Christs blood; and the like, and fa•re more I could say, of the dreame of the middle science and know∣ledge of God; for Arminians spoyle the Almighty of all grace, compassion, mercy, or power to save; for this is the Gospel and no other, that God must utter by their doctrine:*I hav• chosen out of grace and mercy all to salvation, who shall be∣lieve, and have given my Son, to give his life and blood a ran∣some Page 430 for all and every one; and I will desire and wish, that all m•nkinde were with me in eternall glory, and that my revenging justice had never been experimentally known to Men or Angel, and that death, hell, sin, had never had being in the world; but the farre greatest part of mankinde were to sin, and finally and obstinately to resist, both my generall universall grace given to all, and my speciall and Evangelick calling, and that they were to doe before any act of my knowledge, free decree, strong grace, or tender mercy; and I cannot bow their wills indeclinably to finall obedience, nor could I so powerfully by morall swasion, draw them to constant faith and perseverance, except I would act against that which is decent and convenient for a Law-Giver to doe, and destroy the nature of that free obedience that lyeth under the sweet droppings of free reward, which must be earned by sweat∣ing, and under the lash and hazard of eternall punishments to be inflicted, (which I will not doe) yea, though in all things even done by free agents, as translations of Kingdoms from one Prince to another, and bringing enemies against a land, which are done by free agents, I doe what ever I will, and my decree stands and cannot be recalled Dan. 4.35. Esa. 14.24, 25, 26, 27. chap. 46.10.11. Psal. 115.3. Psal. 135.6. Yet in maters of salvation or damnation, or of turning the hearts and free actions of men and Angels that most highly concerne my glory above all; I cannot but bring all the arrows of my Decrees, to the bow of that slippery contingent ind•fferency of the up and down free-will of Men and Angels; and here am fast fettered, that I can but dance as free-will pipeth and say amen to created will in all things good or bad. I cannot cut of the abundance of my rich grace and free mercy (though earnestly and vehemently I desire it) save one person more then are saved, or damn one more then are damned, or write one man more in the book of life, and bestow on them the fruits of my dear Sons death, then such as in order of nature, were finally to believe before any act of my middle science, or my conditio∣nall free Decree, or drawing grace; therefore am I com∣pelled as a Merchant who against his will casts his goods in the Sea, to save his own life, because the winds and stormes •ver-master his desire, to take a second course, contrary to my na∣turall d•sire, and g•acious and mild inclination to m•rcy, to decree and ordain that all who before the acts also of my middle science, free decree, and just will were finally to resist my calling shall eter∣nally Page 431 perish, and to will that Pharoah should not at the first or se∣cond command obey my will, and let my people goe: and therefore with a consequent or constrained will to suffer sinne to be,*to appoint death and hell, and the eternall destruction of the greatest part of mankinde, to be in the world, for the declaration of my revenging justice, because I could not hinder the entrance of sin into the world, not Master free will as free, if my dispensation of the first cove∣nant made with Adam in Paradise should stand: Whereupon I was compelled to take a second herbrie, and a second winde, like a Sea-man, who is with a stronger crosse winde, driven from his first wished port; and to send my Sonne Iesus Christ into the world, to die for sinners, for that I could not better doe, and out of love to save all, offer him to all, one way or other, though I did foresee my desire and naturall kindnesse to save all, should be far more thwar∣ted and crossed by this way; because force my consequent will must needs prepare a far hotter furnance in hell, for the greatest part of mankinde, since thousands of them, must reject Christ, in resisting the light of nature, and the universall sufficient grace, given to all; which if free will should use well, would have pro∣cured to them more grace, and the benefit of the preached Gospel. But a heavier plague of hardnes of heart, and farre greater tor∣ments of fire, then these, I foresee must be the doome of such, within the visible Church as resist my calling, or having once obeyed, may according to the liberty of independent free-will persevere if they will; & notwithstanding of the power of God, by which they are kept to salvation, the promises of the eternall covenant, the efficacie of Christs perpetuall intercession, of the in-dwelling of the holy Ghost, that everlasting fountain of life, &c. may fully and finally fall a∣way, and turne Apostats; and therefore all their hope of eternall life, their assurance of glory, their joy, their consolation and com∣forts in any claim to life eternall, and the state of adoption is not bottomed on my power to keep them, my eternall covenant, my Sons intercession. I can do no more then I can, but upon their own free will, if they please (and its too pleasant to many) they may all fall away, and perish eternally, and leave my Son a widdow, with∣out a wife, a head without members, a king without subjects.

And if Arminians will be so liberall or lavish of the com∣forts of God proper to the lords people, Esa. 40.1. c. 49.13. the proper work of the holy Ghost the comforter. Ioh. 14.16. c. 15.26. c. 16.7. the consolations of Christ, Phil. 2.1. the e∣verlasting, Page 432 the strong consolations 2. Thess. 2.16. Heb. 6.18▪ the heart comforts, Col. 2.2. wherewith the Apostles and Saint• are comforted, 2. Cor. 1.4.6.7 coming from the God of all com∣fort, the Lord that comforteth Zion, Esai. 51.3. 2. Cor. 1.3. Esai. 51.12. bl•ssing promised to the mourners, Matth. 5.4. We desire Mr. Moore,* and other Arminians to injoy them; but for us, we a lo••v nei•her assurance, courage hope, nor comforts in Christ or h•s death, but on the regenerate and beleevers; and this makes the doctrine of universall redemption more su∣spitious to us as not coming from God, that they allow to all, (even dogs and swine) the holy Ghost and the precious pri∣viledge of the Saints. Therefore thirdly, we answer, that the assumption is not ours, but theirs, let the assump••on be; But I beleeve, and he proposition be corrected thus. These for whom Christ laid down his life, are some few cho•en beleevers. B•t I am chosen and a beleeve•: Ergo &c. and we grant all, so the assumption be made sure.*

But I have no assurance, hope, nor comfort to rest on a ge∣nerall good will that God beareth to all, to Iudas, Pharaoh, Cain, and to all mankinde, no lesse then to me. For I am of the same very mettall, and by nature am heir of wrath, as well as they.

2. That far-off Good will, that all be saved, and that all o∣bey: the Lord from eternity did bear it to the fallen devils, as well as to me. O cold comfort! and it works nothing in or∣der to my actu•ll salvation, more then to the a••u•ll salvation of Iudas the Traitor: it 〈◊〉 on moving no wheels, no c•uses, no effectuall means to p•ocure the powerfull ap•lica•ion o• the purchased Redemption to m•, more then to all t•a• are now spit∣ting out blasphemie against eternall just•ce, and are in fi••e chains of wrath, cursing this Lord, and his generall good will to save them.

*But the fountain good will of God, to save the elect, runneth in another channel of free grace, that separates person fr•m per∣son, Iacob from Esau, and sets the heart of God from eternitie, and the tender bowels of Christ, both from eve•lasti•g: and as touching the execution of this good will, and in time, upon this man, not this man, without hire mon•y or price. 1. because Angels or Men, can never answer that of Rom. 9.13.14.15. as it is written, I have loved Iacob, and have hated Esau, and Page 433 that before the one, or the other had done good or evil. Then the naturall Arminian objecteth, what our Arminian does this day, that must be unrighteousnesse to hate men absolutely, and cast them off when they are not born, and have neither done good nor evill. Paul answereth, it followeth in no sort that there is un∣righteousnesse with God, because verse 15. all is resolved on the will of God, because it is his will; for hee saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassi•n:* and upon this h•e infe•ies then the businesse of sep••ating Iaakob from E∣sau,•unnes not upon such wheeles as •unning and willing, sw•ating and hunting by good endeavours; Iaakob d•d here lesse, and E•au more; but all goes on this, on Gods free good∣nesse and mercy; all the difference between person and per∣son, is, God has mercy, because he will, not because men will. Now because Arminians say, th•s is not mean• of election and reprobation, but of temporary savours bestowed on Iaakob, nor on Esau, he a•eadgeth the example of Pharaoh a cruell Athe•st and a Tyrant, who never sought justification by the works of the Law; the reason why Pharaoh obtained not the mercy that others obtained: I, saith the Lord, verse 17. told Pharaoh to his face, for this purpose I raised thee up, that I might make an example of the glory of my power, and name, that is, the glory of justice in thee, to all the world who heares of thee: and then verse 18. hee returnes to the Lords free will, and unhired and absolute liberty, in differencing per∣son from person. Why has h•e mercy upon this man, and not on this man, if there had been such a conceit as a ge∣nerall catholick good will in God, to Pharoah, to Esau, the Apostle should now h•ve denyed any absolute will in God, to separate one person from another. Arminians can instruct the spirit of the Lord, and the Apostle to say, he has an equall generall goodwill and desire to save all and every one; Esau as well as Iaakob; Ishmael as •saac, the son of promise, Pharoah as Moses, or any other man; but then two great doubts should remain: How then hated he Esau, when he was not yet born, and had not done good or evill? All the Arminians on earth, answer that. 2. But the doubt is not removed: How is it, that God loves Iaacob, blesseth, and hath mercy on him, and hateth Esau, and yet Esau has neither done good nor ill? Ar∣miniansPage 434 answer, in an antecedent generall good will, God in∣deed loved Esau, as well as Jaakob, Pharoah as well as ano∣ther man:* but here is the thing that makes the separation, Ia∣cob runneth, and willeth, Esau is a wicked man; Pharoah and others like him, bloody tyrants; and God sheweth mercy with another posterior, and consequent will on Iacobs, because he runs, and wils, and has mercy on him, because hee pays well for mercy; and has not mercy on Esau, because he neither •uns, nor wills. Now this is to contradict God; therefore we must bear with it, that men of corrupt mindes, destitute of the truth, rising up to plead for universall atonement, contradict us. But Paul resolves all the mercy bestowed on this man, not on this man, v. 18. on this saying 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he will, Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and hardeneth whom he will. (2) unpossible it is that conversion should be grace and matter of the praise of the glory of the Lords grace,* to Peter rather then to Iudas, except the grace of God separate Peter from Iudas, by moving effectually the one to beleeve, and not mo∣ving the other. All the wit of men cannot say, but I may glo∣ry in my own free will, that I am efficaciously redeemed and saved, rather then another; except grace efficaciously move me in a way of separating me from another, if hee had alike good will to save me,* and Judas and all the world; but he com∣mitted the casting of the ballance in differencing the one from the other, to free-will, so as the creatures free-will made the cons•quent will of God different toward the one, and toward the other.

3. The God who is willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, in •nduring with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore pre∣pared to glory, Rom. 9.2•, 23, is also willing because hee is willing to declare these two ends equally; in some because he will; the glory of power justice and long suffering; in others the glory of grace and mercy, because he will; nor did I ever see a reason wherefore God should carry on the two great state designs of justice and mercy,* in such an order as he should incline more to declare and bring to passe the design of mercy then the design of justice; for out of the freedom of high and deep soveraignty he most freely intended both Page 435 these glorious ends. Now as the attaining of his freely inten∣ded end of manifested mercy in some, both Angels and Men, makes visible in an eminent manner the glory of justice in other some, so the attaining of his freely intended end of pure grace in the Elect, doth highly indeare Iesus Christ that we should prize the blood of the Covenant, the riches of free-grace to us whom he hath freely chosen, leaving others as good as we to perish everlastingly. And as Arminians cannot deny, but that the Lord might so have contrived the businesse, as all that are saved, and to prayse the Lord that sits one the Thron in hea∣ven, might have been damned and should blaspheme eternally in hell the holy just Iudge of the world: as he can make a re∣volution of all things in heaven and in earth, to a providence contrary to that which is now; so they cannot deny an emi∣nent soveraignty, deliberate and fix•d free-will in God before any of the Elect and Reprobate were placed in s•ch a con∣dition of providence in which hee foresaw all that are saved or damned, should bee saved or damned, and that this will was the prime fountaine cause of election and repro∣bation.

4. Paul shewing, Rom. 11. That God concludes all in un∣beliefe that he might have mercy on all, and shewing a reason why the Lord was pleased to cast off his ancient people for a time, and to engraffe the Gentiles, the wilde Olive, in their place, saith O the depth; and another reason he cannot find, but bottomlesse and unsearchable freedome of grace and free dis∣pensation to some people and persons, and not to others.* I confesse it had been no such depth, if the Lord from eternity had equally loved all to salvation, but through the run∣ning & willing, or not running & not willing of the creature had been put upon later, wiser and riper thoughts and a conse∣quent will to save or not save, as Men and Angels in the high and indifferent court of their free-will shall think good; there had been no other depth then is in earthly Iudge•, who re∣ward well doers, and punish ill doers, or in a Lord of a V•ne-yard, who gives wages to him that labours, and no wages to him that stands idle and doth nothing; this is the Law of nature, of Nations, and no depth, its but God reward∣ing men •ccording to their works, and God shewing mercy in such as co-operate with, and improve well the benefit of Gods Page 436 antecedent will, and not shewing mercy on such as doe not co-operate therewith, but out of the absolutenesse of indiffe∣rent free-will are wanting thereunto. But the great and un∣searchable depth, is, how God should so carry on the great designes of the declaration of the glory of pardoning mercy and punishing justice, as their should be some persons and Nations, the Jewes first and not the Gentiles, as of old, and now the Gentiles taken into Christ, and the Jewes cast off; and again, the Jewes with the riches of the world of Elect both Jewes and Gentiles who are chosen and must obey the Gos∣pel, and be called without any respect to works, but of grace, Rom. 11.5.6 7. and when the children had neither done good nor evill and were not born, Rom. 9.11. and these who were nearest to Christ, and did wo•k more for the attaining righte∣ousnesse and life, then other strangers to Christ and Gentiles, Rom. 9.30, 31, 32, 33. Rom. 10.1.2, 3, 4. Rom. 11.1.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c. rejected, and there should be others as good as these by nature, that the Lord should have mercy on; now in both these; first, God is free in his grace; secondly, just in his judgements, though he neither call, nor chuse acco•ding to works; thirdly, the damned creature most guilty; and fourthly, the Lord both j•stly s•vere, and graciously me•cifull; fifthly, none have cause to complaine or quarrell with God; and yet God might have carried the matter a farre other way; sixthly, the head cause of this various administration, with Nations and persons, is the deep, high, soveraign, innocent, holy, independent will of the great Potter and Former of all things who has mercy on whom he will, & hardneth whom he wil, and this is the depth without a bottom; no creature Angel or Men can so behave them selves to their fellow-creatures, & yet be free, just, holy, wise, &c. but sure one creature can deal with his fellow creature according to the rules and road-way of an antecedent & consequent will; so may the King deal with his people, the Governour with those he governes, the Father with his children, the Commander with his souldiers, the Lord of a Vine-yard with his hired servants, all these may order their goodnesse, mercy, rewards, punishments in a way levill with the use, industry improvement of free-will, or the rebe•lion, un∣justice, wickednesse and slothfulnesse of their underlings; but no Master nor Lord can call Labourers to his Vine-yard, and Page 437 exhort, ob•est, beseech them all to labour and promise them hire, and yet keep from the greatest part of them the power of •••rring armes or legs, of free consenting to labour, and suspend his so acting on the greatest part of them, as they shall willingly be ca••ied on to wilfull disobedience, and to be the passive objects of his revenging justice according to the deter∣minate counsell of the Lord of this Vine-yard, because so he willed out of his absolute soveraignty to deal with some, and deale a just contrary way with the least part of the labourers, because hee p••posed to declare the glory of his grace on them; either there is here an unsearchable depth, or Paul knew nothing, and this calmes my minde and answereth all that reason can say for universall atonement: and the

1. Vse. I aym at, is, that no Doctrine so endeareth Christ to a soule, as this of particular redemption and free-grace sepa∣rating one from another, Psal. 147.1•. Prayse the Lord,*O Ierusalem; and amongst man• ground• here is one, vers. 19. he sheweth his word unto Iacob, his Statutes and his judge∣ments to Israel, ver. 20. he hath not dealt so with any Nation; and he speaketh not of the measure, as if God had revealed the same grace in nature, but in an inferiour degree to other Nations; for hee saith, as for his judgements they have not known them; and th•n being full of God, for this separating mercy, he adde•h, prayse yee the Lord; Christ esteems this the floure of grace, the grace, of grace and blesseth his Father for it; Matth. 11.25. I blesse thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes; now because Ar∣minians say, the pride of the self-wise, and the humility of babes, are the causes separating the one from the other, and so free-will is to share with the Father in the praise of the re∣veiled glory of the Gospel, and the discovered excellency of Christ to babes, rather then to wise men; a literall revelation no doubt was common to all babes and prudent, the swelled Pharisees, and humbled sinners; Christ prai•eth the eminency, the blossom of grace, the bloom of free-love in that the free-wil of the humble and the proud made not the separation,* but the good pleasure of God, ver. 27. No man knowes the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Son will reveale him.

2. That which is common to all, shall never leave an im∣pression Page 438 of wonder and thankfull admiration. (I) and (we) are swelled,* lofty and proud things, and the Spirit of God commends grace highly in that it falls upon pronowns and persons, and not on others, 1 Cor. 15.9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉I am the least of of the Apostl•s—vers. 10. By the grace of God, I am that I am, and his grace 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 toward me was not in vaine; but I laboured more abundantly then they all 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but not I, but the grace of God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in me, Tit. 3.3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉for we our selves also were sometime out of our wits, disobedient, &c. ver. 4. but when the kindnesse and man-love of God our Saviour appea∣red, ver. 5. —〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉he saved us, 1 Tim. 1.15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉I am the chief of sinners, ver. 16. but for this cause I obtained mercy, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering, Gal. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ, but I live, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 yet not I, but Christ lives in me 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who has lov•d me, and given himself for me; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Ephes. 2.1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉and you who were dead in sins and trespasses, hath he quickned, ver. 4. for his great love wherewith he loved us〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, v. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses he hath quickened us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 together with Christ, ver. 13. But now in Christ Iesus, yee who somtimes were farre off, are made neare by the blood of Christ; the passing by my Father and mother, and brother and sister, neighbour and friend; and taking me, is a most indearing favour.

3. Of all in Scotland and England, all in Europe, all Adams seed, that ever were masters of a living soule in the womb or out of it;* the Lord passed by so many thousands and millions, and the lot of free-grace fell upon me precisely by name, and upon us, and not upon thousands, besides no lesse eligible then I was; what thoughts will you have of the f••e lot of love that fell upon you ever since God was God, when Christ shall lay such a load of love, such a high weight and masse of love on you; ye shall then think, O how came I hither to sit in heavenly places with Christ! that body that is trimmed, cloathed, and doubly embroydered with pure and unmixed glory, is just made of the same lump of earth, with the body of Judas or Cain, that are now flaming and sinking to the bottom of the black and sad river of brimstone; the Lord saith, Ezek. 18.4. behold all souls are mine; and when your soule shall be Page 439 loaden with glory and thousands of souls blowing and spitting out blasphemies on the Majesty of God, out of the sense of the torment of the gnawing worm that never dies; and yee consider the soule of Iudas might have been in my soules stead, and my soule in the same place of torment that his is now in, what wonder then Iohn cry out, behold what love!

4. How much love for extention, and intention: for one man, and every one in covenant,* Psal, 106.45. multitudes of mercies, and Ps. 130.7. plentious redemption; one David must have multitude of tender mercies Psal. 51.1. Psal. 69.13.16. Its not one love, but loves, many loves, Ezech. 16.8. Cant. 1.2. He gives many salvations to one, as if one heaven, and one crown of glory, were not enough; Ephes. 2.4. he is rich in mercy: and he quickned us when we were dead in sinnes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For his multiplyed love: every man has a particular act of love, a particular act of atonement bestowed on him: can ye multiply figures with a pen, and write from the east to the west, and then begin again, and make the heaven of heavens, all circular lines, of figures; it should wearie the arm of Angels to write the multiplyed loves of Christ. Christs love desires to engage many; how many millions be there of elect Angels and men? every one of them, for his own part, must have a heaven of love; and Christ thinks it little enough that the first-bornes love, be on them all, and that they all be first-borne: Col. 1.20. It pleased the Father by Christ to reconcile all things in heaven, and in earth, to himself: All the Angels are Christs vassals, and he is their head; Col. 2.10. then Christ must have two eyes; you seven eyes, to see for every one, and two legs for every Angel to walk withall; Christ must have a huge hoast, and numerous troups in his familie. (2) Who then can number the sums of all the debts of free grace, that Angels and me now Christ, and when they shall be paid? though sinnes shall be acquitted, yet debts of undeserved love shall stand for ever and ever. O how unsearchable is the riches of Christs grace! Know y•, O Angels, O gloryfied Spirits, where is the Brim, or where is the bottom of free grace? Yet not one sinner can have lesse grace then hee has, hee has need of all, he has no oyl to spare, to lend to his neighbour• Matth. 25. Our deep diseases, and festered wounds could have no lesse to cure them, then infinite love, and free grace, passing Page 440 all knowledge. It was a broad wound, that required a plaister as long and broad, as infinite •esus Christ.

Paul bows his knee to the Master of the families of heaven and earth, for this act of grace, to weigh the love of Christ▪ Ephes. 3.18. I pray (saith he) that ye may comprehend,*or over∣take the love of God.

2. How many are set on work to compasse that love? as if one man could not be able to do it: Yet I pray, that ye with all the Saints may comprehend what is the bredth; its broader then the Sea,* or the earth: and what is the length of it? its longer then between East and West; though ye could mea∣sure between the extremity of the higest ci•cle of the heaven of heavens, and then it hath depth and heigth more then from the center of the earth to the circle of the Moon and up through all the orbes of the s•ven Planets, and to the orbe of S•atrre•, and highest heavens: who can comprehend either the diameter or circum••rence of so great a love? Love is an Element that all the Elect, Men and Angels, swim in; the the banks of the river swell above the circle of the Sunne, to the highest of the highest heavens.

Christs love in the Gospel takes all alive, as a mighty Conqueror;* his seed for multitude is like the drops of dew that come out of the womb of the morning, Psal. 110. and they are the dew of the youth of Christ; for Christ as a strong and vi∣gorous young man full of strength, who never fails through old age, brings in the forces of the Gentiles like the flocks of Kedar, Esai. •0.5, 6.

5 Christs love outworks Hell and Devils. Can yee seale up the Sunne that it cannot rise? or can ye hinder the flowing of the Sea? or lay a Law upon the Windes that they blow not? farre lesse can ye hinder Christs wildernesse to blossom as a Rose, or his grace to blow, to flow over banks, o••o flee with Eagles wings.* O how strong an agent i• Christs love, that beares the sinnes of the world! •oh. 1.29. It wo•ks as fire doth by nature, rather then by will, and none can bind up Christs heart or restraine his bowels, but he must work all to heaven that he has loved.

Vse 2. We are hence taught to acknowledge no love to be in God, which is not effectuall in doing good to the crea•ure; there is no lip-love, no raw wel-wishing to the creature which Page 441 God doth not make good: we know but three sorts of love, that God has to the creature, all the three are like the fruitfull womb; there is no miscarrying, no barrennesse in the womb of divine love; he loves all that he has made; so farre as to give them a being, to conserve them in being as long as he pleaseth: hee had a desire to have Sunne, Moone, Starres, Earth, Heaven, Sea, Clouds, Ayr; hee created them out of the womb of love and out of goodnesse, and keeps them in being; hee can hate nothing that hee made, now according to Arminians, he wish•d a being to many things in then seed and causes, as he wished the earth to be more fruit∣full before the fall then now it is, so that against Gods will,* and his good will to the creatures, he comes short of that natu∣rall antecedent love, that he beareth to creatures; he could have wished death never to be, no• sicknesse, nor old age, (say Ar∣minians) nor barrennesse of the earth, nor corruption. Nay, but though these have causes by rule of justice, in the sins of men, yet we have no cause to say God falls short of his love, and wished and desired such and such a good to the creature; but things mscarried in his hand; his love was like a mother that conceiveth with many children, but they die in the womb; so God willed and loved the being of many things; but they could not be, the love of God was like the miscarrying womb that parts with the dead child, we cannot acknowledge any such love in God.

2. There is a second love and mercy in God, by which he loves all Men and Angels; yea, even his enemies, makes the Sun to shine on the unjust man, as well as the just, and cau•eth dew and raine to fall on the orchard and fields of the bloody and deceitfull man, whom the Lord abhors; as Christ teach∣eth us, Matth. 5.43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48. nor doth God miscarry in this love, he desires the eternall being of damned An∣gels and Men; he sends the Gospel to many Reprobates, and invites them to repentance and with longanimity and fore∣bearance, suffereth pieces of froward dust to fill the measure of their iniquity, yet does not the Lords generall love fall short of what he willeth ro them.

3. There is a love of speciall election to glory; far lesse can God come short in the end of this love:* For 1. the work of redemption prospereth in the hands of Christ, even to the Page 442 satisfaction of his soule; saving of sinne•s, (all glory to the Lamb) is a thriving work and successefull in Christs hands, Esa. 53.10, 11. He shall see of the travell •f his soule and be satisfied. 2. Christ cannot shoot at the rovers and misse his marke: I should desire no more, but to be once in Christs chariot paved with love, Cant. 3. Were I once assured I am within the circle and compasse of that love of Election; I should not be affrayd that the chariot can be broken or •urned off its Wheels; Christs char•ot can goe through the red Sea, though not dryed up: hee shoots arrows of love and cannot misse, he r•d•s through hell and the grave, and makes the dead his living captives and prisoners. 3. This love is na∣tively of it self active; Ezechiah saith in his s•ng, Esai. 38.17. Behold for peace I had bitternesse,*but thou hast in love to my soule (delivered) me from the pit of corruption, but in hebrew it is, thou hast loved my •oule out off the pit of corruption, be∣cause thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back: he speaketh of Gods love, as if it were a living man with flesh and bones, armes,* hands, and feet, went down to the pit, and lifted up Ezechiahs soul out of the pit; so has the love of Christ lo∣ved us out of hell, or loved hell away to hell, and loved death down to the grave, and loved sinne away, and loved us out of the armes of the Devill; Christs love is a persuing and a conq•ering thing; I shall never believe that this love of redemption stands so many hundreth miles aloof on the shoare; and the bank of the river, a•d lake of fire and brim∣stone, and ••yes afar off and wisheth all mankinde may come to land & shoa•, and cas•eth to them, being so many hundreth miles from them, word• of milk, wine and honey, out of the Gospel, and cryeth that Christ loveth all and every one to salva∣tion; and if wishes could make men happy, Christ earnestly w•shes and desires, if all men were alike well minded to their own salvation, that all and every one might be saved, that there were not a Hell; but he will not put the top of his little finger in their •ear• to •ow and incline their will, and Christ cryeth to the whole world perishing in sin, I have shed my blood for you all, and wish you much happinesse; but if ye will not come to me to believe: I purpose not to passe over the line of Arminian decency or Iesuiticall congruity, nor can I come to you to draw your hearts, by way of efficacious Page 443 determination, if yee will do for your selves and your own salvation, the greatest part of the work, which is to apply re∣demption, by your own free-will (though I know you can∣not be masters of your selves, of one good thought, and are dead in sinnes as I have done the other lesser part, purchased sal∣vation for you, or made you all reconciliable and savabl•, its well; o•herwise I love the salvations of you and every one; but I will not procure it, but leave that to your free-will; chose fire or water, heaven or hell as the counsels of your own heart shall lead you; and I have done with you; Oh such a love as this could n•ver save me! If the young heire had wise∣dom, he should pray that the wise Tutor lay not the falling or the standing of the house on his green head and raw glassie and weather-cock free will; we shall cast down our crowns at the feet of him that sitteth on the Throne, because he has redeemed us out of all nations, tongues and languages and l•ft these na∣tions to pe•ish in their own wicked way: sure in heaven I shal have no Arminian•houghts as now I have, through corrup∣tion of nature. I shall not then divide the song of free Re∣demption between the Lamb and free-will: and give the larg•st share to free-will; my soule enter not into their counsels or secrets, who thus black Christ, an• shame that faire spotlesse and excellent grace of God.

Vse 3. Here is excellent ground of encouragements to the Elect to the believe; for the feare of reprobation from eternity is no ground that thou shouldst not believe.

Object. 1. I fear that I am a reprobate.

Answ. If thou wilt know the neede that a Reprobate man has of that saving Saviour Iesus Christ, thou wouldst upon any termes, cast thy soule upon Christ; which if thou doe, now thou hast answered the question and removed the fear that thou art a reprobate; for a reprobate cannot believe.

Object. 2. But sinne and unworthinesse inclines more to re∣probation, then to be loved eternally of God.*

Answ. Not a whit, except the Lord had revealed reprobati∣on to thee; sinfull clay, nothing but the great Potter may wash the clay, and frame thee a vessell of honour.*

Objct. 3. But sinne continued in, such as my sinne is, is the first morning dawning of reprobation, as faith and sorrow for sin is the first opening of election to glory.

Page 444Answ. Sinne finally and obstinately continued in is a sign of repro•ation; but say you had obstinately gone on in sinne (as I love not to cu•e spirituall wounds by smoothing and lessening them) yet your duty lies on you in a sence of your need of Christ, to come to Christ; the event is Christs, you may say; Its fitting, Lord, I be a r•prob•te, but many thousands of bad deserving as I am, are singing the praises of free-grace before the Throne.

Objct. 4. But if my sinne evidence to me reprobation, its a cold comfort to goe to Christ and believe; for sure I have ob∣stinately gone on against Christ, and re•sted his call.

Answ. Though we are not to lessen the sins of any, yet a Physitian may say,* its not so desperate a disease as yee say it is; so may we say, its a strong disease that overcomes the art of Christ; though it falls seldom out never to my observing, that any finally obstinate can attaine to wide, broad and auxious wishes to enjoy Christ, with some seene and acknow∣ledged need of Christ.

Object. 5. But what encouraging comfort have I to believe, since I have gone farther on in obstinacy then any?

Answ. There cannot be such an encouraging comfort in a non-convert as is satisfactory; no work can be in a non-convert of that straine with s•ch as are in converts;* ye are not to look for so much in your selfe as in others; but he is farre behind, who may not follow.

Object. 6. Nay, I finde nothing in me that may qualifie me• for Christ.

Answ. Fit and sufficient qualifications for Christ is the hire of merit, that we naturally seek in our selves. Antino∣mians doe not a li•tle injure us, because we teach that obsti∣nate sinners as obstinate and proud are not immediately to believe;* not that it is not their duty to believe, but because be∣lieving is physically incompatible with these persons that are to believe; since believing is the going of the sinner out off him∣s•lf to Christ; and a proud obstinate and rebellious sinner never broken, nor in no sort humbled under that reduplica∣tion, stayes in himself. But we are farre from exhorting any to stand aloof and afarre off from Christ, because they can∣not be prepared sufficiently for him, or because they have not a present to bring the King. Yea come, as yee are bidden, kisse Page 445 the sonne, but tremble and stoop, faith is a lowly thing; mer∣rit or hire sufficient, in halfe or in whole, penny, or penny worth, to give to Chri••, before a sinner come to Christ, or af∣ter, we utterly disclaim.

Ob. 7. But I have low thoughts of Christ, and am affraid he will cast mee away; how then can J have low thoughts of my self, and be humbled, ere I beleeve?

Answ. There be not any of us who teach that saving humi∣lity goeth before faith. It is one thing to be broken,* and plow∣ed, another to be humble and harrowed: the law must break the r•ckie ground, ere ye beleeve. But Christ must break the clods, and harrow, and soften the soule; true humiliation followeth fa•th.

Ob. 8. But base thoughts of Christ, which I finde in my selfe are most contrarie to faith: I think Christ not so meek a lamb, as to put a Wolfe, a Tyger, or a Leopard in his bosome.

Answ. Not any, but they have too low thoughts of Christ, ere they can come to him; for the Gospel in whole and in part,* is medicine. Christ has a healing tongue; medicine is rela∣tive to sicknesse: Christ would never have said to unbeleevers, Iohn. 6.39. him that commeth, J will in no wise cast away: If m•n had not naturally had such thoughts of Christ, as hee is rough, and strange, and Lordly, and so far from meeknesse that he casteth thousands of poore sinners out that come to him: so Christs tongue in speaking these words, is good phi∣sick: all of us have j•alous and strange thoughts of Christ; Ye may know the dis•ase by the phy••ck: contraria contrarijs curantur. The wear•e and loaden sinners take Christ to bee rough, and not meek▪ therefore saith Christ, come unto me, all ye that are wearie, and loaden; and I will ease you: If hee bee a shepherd, we natura•ly think▪ if wee cannot goe on our owne feet, he has a club to beat u•; Therefore Esai 40.11. The Lord saith, Not so, he will not beat •hose that want l•gs of their own to follow him: but he shall carry the Lambs in his bosome, and gently lead those that are with young: yea, if converts and weak ones had not jealousies, Ah, Christ is above us, and so lord∣ly, so just, that if wee bee not as strong as others, he will break us, it had not been prophecied of him▪ Esai. 43. a bruis• dreed shall he not break, a smoaking flax shall he not quench: Now pre∣cious thoughts of Christ ye cannot have till ye come to Christ, Page 445 and buy from him a new minde, and new thoughts, without money.

Ob. 9. But beleeving is fruitlesse, and unpossible, if I be ex∣cluded from the number of those that Christ died for; for then I am to beleeve remission of sinnes without shedding of blood; and Christ shed no blood for me.

Answ. You are neither to lay such a supposition down, th•• either you are excluded from the number of those that Christ died for, or included in that number: neither of the two are revea•ed to you, and secret things belong to the Lord. It is e∣nough to you,* that (1.) you are not excluded, for any thing that is revealed to you. 2. That thou hast need of Christ, and art a guilty sinner. 3. That thou art com∣manded to beleeve: As for Christs not shedding of his blood for thee; say it were so: its no more absurd that you are ob∣liged to beleeve on Christ, as an al sufficient Redeemer for remission of sinnes, (though remission be not purchased to you in Christs blood) then that you are obliged to beleeve that God will infallibly save you, when as God has peremptorily reprobated you, upon foreseen finall impenitencie; and has decreed not to work in you to beleeve, and has not purchased by his blood, the grace of beleeving; without the which, hee seeth beleeving is unpossible. Let Arminians answer the one doubt, and we can answer the other; onely, their way maketh God to say, he willeth the salvation of reprobats; which in very truth, hee willeth not; for its protestatio facto con∣traria: a will contrary to his dispensation toward them▪ and so no will; whereas wee acknowledge God in his promises, commands, charges to be most sincere, and that the promises belong onely to the children of the promise, not to the rebrobate.

Ob 10. But its unpossible I can be fitted with sorrow for sinne or repentance, before I beleeve in Christ. Answ. We teach not that you must first repent,* then beleeve; or first beleeve, then repent; but that some legal acts of sorrow, and bruisings of Spirit, and self dispair go before faith, then acts of beleeving, and then evangelick repentance, in seeing by faith, him whom ye have pie•ced with your sinnes, and the mourning for piercing of him. Zach. 12.10. But your neede, beggarlinesse, sinful∣nesse may well be a spur to chase you to Christ: seeing Christ Page 447 heighteneth his fair grace by occasion of your black sins, Rom. 3.5.20.2. Rom. 3.24.25.

If Christ have such a good will to draw all men; ah! shall he draw all men▪ and such a fair number of all ranks, and not draw me? Lord Iesu•, what a•ls thee at me?* when offices of estate are distributed, and livings and pensions given to men, there be some male-contents; this man is preferred, no• I: It were good there were spirituall male-contentednesse, with se•f-discontent, at our own rebellion▪ and no envying of others: O that Christ who drawes all men, would draw me, and hee that has love for so many, would out of his love cause me say, Whether is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whi∣ther is thy bel•ved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? say there were a free gold myne in India, that loadeth with gold all ships, and enriches multitudes that goe thither, and it has never drawn thee to make a journey thither, blame thy self, if thou be poor, when many are enriched. 1. Hath not Christ knocked at the doore of thy soule, with a rainie head, and frozen lo•ks, and thou hadst rather he should fall into a swoone, in the streets, as open to him, and lodge him; and hast had open back doores for harlot lovers: O bee ashamed of sleighting free love. 2 Dispised love turneth into a flame of Go•pel-vengeance: a Gospel-hell is a hotter furnance, then a law-hell.

No man spinn hell to himself, out of the wool of unbeleeving dispair;* If Christ be so willing to redeeme and draw his own all, and can goe as neer hell as seven devils: Have noble and broad thoughts of the sufficiency of Iesus to save. 1. Consider and say with feeling and warmnesse of bowels to Christ, all the redeemed familie that are standing up before the throne, now in white, and are fair and clean and without spot, were once as Black mores on earth, as I am now: some of them were sta∣bles of uncleannesse to Sathan; now they a•e cha•t virgins, who defiled n•t themselves with women, before the Lamb; the mou•hs •hat sometimes blasphemed, are now singing the new song of the Lamb, of Moses the servant of the Lord. 2 What love is that, that there is a hole in the rock, for ravens of hell to fly into as doves of heaven; and a chalmer of love in the heart of Christ, for pieces of sinfull clay? 3. Fair Iesus Christ can love the black daughter of Pharoah; he has found in his Page 448 heart to melt in love and tender compassion, toward a forlorne Amorite, a poluted Hittite; it breaks his heart to see the naked foundling cast out into the open fields, dying in goared blood: Christ can love, where all do loath; Its much hee can love a sinner, thou art but a sinner; hee has not blotted thy name out of the New Testament; imagine thou heard him say, sinner come to me: Lost man, suffer me to love thee, and to cast my skirt of love over thee: Do• but give him an hearty (•ay Lord) con∣s•nt, and take him at his word; Never rest, till thou be at such a nick of the way to heaven,* as no backslider can attaine to: We are too soon satisfied with our own Godlinesse, and goe not one steppe beyond these that has cast out of thems•lves, one Devil, and the next day take in seven new f•esh devils, and the end of these men is worse then their beginning; they are re∣demned, and bought and washen in profession, and righteous in themselves; those that have no more, must fall away: a Sheep in the eyes of men, and a Sow at the heart, must to the mire again, sit not down, till ye come (1.) to bee willing to sell all,* and buy the pearle: 2. Till ye attain to some reall and personall mortification; that is a subduing of lusts, a bringing under the body of sinne, a heart-deadnesse to the world, (from this) because your Lord died for you, and has crucified the old man; I mean not a morall mortification of Antinomians, to beleeve Christ has crucified your lusts for you, as if you were obliged by command of the letter of Law and Gospel, to no personall mortification, that ye may be saved: never think ye are redeemed, till yee bee redeemed from the walking in the wayes of the present evil world▪ from all iniquitie, from your vain conversation: draw not breath, rest not, till ye come to this, as ye would not turne back sliders in heart.

Redemption beleeved, maketh men crown Christ as their King;* and such to whom Christ is made redemption, must as∣sert and confesse Christ a perfect Red•emer, the King of his Church: Those that are unpatient of his yoak of Government, would set another king over Christ, a Magistrate who by of∣fice ruleth, not by the wo•d, but by civil Laws, testifie they are unwilling to have Chri•t their Lord, in their life, who will not have him thei• Lord in the Church, and his ordinances: the great controversie that God has with England, is sleighting of Religion, the not building the Temple, the increase of blas∣phemies Page 449 and heresies; fear that Christ reigne over them, 33. If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.

The fourth considerable article in the drawing▪ is the termi∣nus ad qu•m, the person to whom all m•n are drawn. It is (saith Christ) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to me: This is not a word which might have been spared, as there is no redundancie,* nothing more then enough in the Gospel, so Christ is no person who may bee spared; but who ever bee one, Christ must be the first pe•son; take away Christ out of the Gospel, and there remaineth no∣thing but words, and remove him from the work of redempti∣on, •t is but an empty shadow; Yea, remove Christ out of heaven, I should not seek to be there; this is a noble and di∣vine (to me) I will draw all men to mee.* 1. It concern•th us much what we• leave. If wee leave the earth, it is but a clay foot-stool, and a mortall p•rishing stage, and the house of sor∣row▪ and my dying fellow-creature: if we leave sinne we leave hell, the worm that never dieth; v•ngeance and eternall ven∣geance is in the womb o• s•nne; to leave father and mother, and all the idols of a fancied happinesse is nothing; But to whom we go; to Christ, or not, to such an one as God, the substanti∣all and eternall delight of God, O that is of h•gh concern∣ment.

2. This (to me) coming out of the mouth of Iesus Christ, is all and all its heaven, its glory, its salvation, its new paradise,* its the new city, i•s the new life, its the new precious elect stone laid on Zion, the new glory, the new kingdome: There is a greater emphasis, an edge and marrow of words and things, in this (to me) then in all the sc•ipture, in all earth and heaven and all possible and imaginable heavens. 1. Why is Israel loosed? hear the cause, Psal. 81.11. Israel would none of mee. Why drink they •otten waters, and Ci•terns of hell? Oh here is the cause, Ier, 2• 1•. Be astonished O heavens, why? for my people have committed two evils: (Ah, these two are hundreds, and million•) they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters. Is not Christ crying in all the Gospel, who will have me? who will receive me? is not this the Gospel-quarrell, Iohn 5.40? Ye will not come to me, that yee might have life; its no sport to die in sinne▪ its a sad fall to fall into hell, Ioh. 8.21. Then said Iesus again unto them I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sinnes▪ whither I goe ye cannot come.

Page 4503. If ye look to any other, it cannot save you, but one look on him would make you eternally happy, and you have i•, Esa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the Earth, for I am God, and there is none else; come and have heaven for one look, for one turning of your eye; and when destru∣ction commeth, that the Church shall be like two or three olive berries lef•, and all the rest destroyed; what shall save the remnant? Esa. 17.7. At that day shall a man look to his maker, and when Ierusalem is saved, and the Spirit of grace and sup∣plication is poured on the house of David, Zach. 12.10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only Son.

4. You are poore and naked; then saith Christ, leane and hungry, and ye that want bread, and ye that sweat, and give out money, Esa. 55.3. Hear••n diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soule delight it self in fatnesse, ver. 3. Incline your care to me, and hear, and your soule shall live, and I will make an everlasting Cov•nant with you even the sure mer∣ries of David; Then a soule dies a soules death, he is leane, hee eateth dirt, hee has no bread, while he comes to Christ, Revel. 3.18. I counsell thee to buy of me. O this noble me! this brave, celebrious, this glorious me; I counsell thee to buy of me (and not of others who are but cousening hucksters) gold tryed in the fire; gold buyeth all things, and is not bought; but this is not a common Merchant; and buy of me white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed. But thou may•t have a burthen on thee heavier then •hy back or bones canst stand under; then hear him, Ma•th. 11.28. Come unto me, all yee that labour and are laden, and I will give you rest: and because all are thirsty for some happinesse, the desires are gaping for some heaven, Christ crye•h at Ie•usalem with a loud voyce, with a good will •o save, Ioh. 7.37. If any man thirst let him come to me, and drink, Ioh. 11.26. He that liveth and b•lieveth in me, shall never die.

5. What greater reason then to heare this, Cant. 5.2. O•en to me, my sister, my dove, my love, my undefiled; and wis∣domes voyce is swee•, Prov. 7.14. Hearken unto me therefore, O yee children, and attend to the words of my mouth, Esa. 49.1. Listen O Isle• to me, so he speaketh to his redeemed, Esa. 48.16. Come yee neare to me: and

6. There is nothing more fitting then that his oath stand, Page 451 that the knee that will not bow to him shall break. Esa. 45.23 I h•ve sworn by my self, Rom. 14.11. For it is written, as I live (saith the Lord) every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confesse to God.

7. What greater honour can be then such alliance? then that Christ speak so to his bride, Hos. 3.3. And I said unto her, thou shalt abide for me many dayes, thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man, so will I be for thee: and Hos 2.19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea I will betr•th thee unto me, ver. 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse.

8. To him is that which may be ground of faith and con∣fidence, Luk. 10.22. All things are delivered to me of my Fa∣ther, Math. 28.19. All power is given to me in Heaven and in earth; there is a great trust put upon •hrist, Ioh. 17.•. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, Heb.•.13. Behold I and the child•en that God hath given me. Luk. 22.29. The father has appointed a Kingdome to me.

This, to me▪ hath yet a greater edge and fulnesse of Christs soul-taking and drawing expressions: 1. To Christ, we are drawn as to a friend; approaching to Christ is expressed by comming to him; 1. We come to him as to our home,* the man that commeth to Christ is in a friends house; Christ will not cast him out, Ioh. 6.39. The man may throw down his loads and burthens, and cast him selfe and his burthen on him, and finde rest for his soule; he doth not stand, nor runne any mo•e, but sit down under the shadow of the tree of life, Cant. 2.3. I sate down under his shaddow with great delight; Heb. I lusted or desired him, and sate down and his fruit was sweet in my mouth. And how did Christ take with the soul? O most kindly! v. 4. He led me into a house of wine. What do you think of a house of joy? every stone, every rafter, every piece of covering, wall, and floore is the cheering consolation of the holy Ghost, and what futher? his banner over me is love, the collours and ensigne of this Chieftaine, is the love of Christ. 6. And what love-rest is here? his left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. What a bed of love must that be, to lye in a corner, in a circle in∣folded in the two everlasting armes? the left arme is neare the heart, such a soule must lie with heart and head upon the Page 452 breast and heart of Iesus Christ; and above, and underneath for pillow, for covering, for curtaines, arms of everlasting love: an house all made, within and without, of eternall joy and consolations, is incomparable: such a chamber of a King, such cullou•s and hangings as love, such a bed as the embracings of Christ, you never heard of.

2. Life is the sweete•• floure of any being, its a taking thing now,* 1 Joh. 5.12. He that hath the Son hath life; all out of Christ are dead men; so we come to Christ as our life, 1 •er. •.4. To whom comming as to a living stone, disallowed in∣deed of men; but thats no ma•ter; chosen of God, and pretious: who cr••d we, but here, o• a stone with life, and so noble a life as an intellectuall life, and then the life of God? O death come to thy life, that is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3.3. Here a breathing living stone, and then a chosen one, of great p•ice; should all the crowned Kings, since Adam to the dissolving of this world sell themselves, their Globe of the earth, and all their pretious stones, they should not buy a dayes glory in heaven; but say that they should sell the earth and the heavens, and oppignorate or lay in pledge Sun and Moone and Starres, if they were their moveable inheritance, and sell them all mil∣lions of times, they should be farre from any comparable buying of the elect pretious stone that is digged out of Mount Sion, Iob 28.13. Man knoweth not the price of wisedome, of this wisdome, v. 18. no mention shall be made of coralls, or of pearls: for the price of wisdome is above Rubies, ver. 19. The To•az of Ethiopia shall not equall it, neither shall it be valued with pure Gold; ther's no talking, no bidding in this market so pretious is the s•one, but its the stone living, and breathing out heaven, and God, infinitely more ex•ell•nt then heaven.

3. To me (saith Christ) because no excellency can be com∣parable to him,* who only can give God to the sinner, Joh. 14.6. No man commeth to the Father but by me; it must be an incomparable priviledge to come by Iesus Christ, to God; God, God is a•l in all. I can•o• savi•gly be drawn to any but to him, who can reveale God to me. Christ is the bosome, the heart, the only new and living way and door to God▪ all creatures, Angels, Men, Saints are strangers to God. The sub∣stantiall, the essentiall, the l•ving intellectuall Image, and being God must reveale God; Christ saith to Philip, Ioh. 14.9. He Page 453 that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: open Christ and you open God; enjoy Christ, and you enjoy God; come in∣to Christ and you come to a new world, to a new all, to an new infinite Ocean, and you fall in the bosome of a God∣head.

4. To me] as to all perfection and compleatnesse of fulnesse; they are but all streames and shaddows, and emptinesse while you come to Christ,* poore nothing is an empty bottome to a sinner, Ioh 1.16. Out of his fulnesse have all we received even grace for grace; this is fountain fulnesse, Gods fulnesse, Col. 2.9. For in Christ is fulnesse it selfe: 2. Not fulnesse going and comming; there a fulnesse in the Sea, but it is ebbing and flowing; a fulnesse in the Moon, but decreasing and growing; an fulnesse in the creature, but going and comming up and and down; but in Christ there dwelleth a fulnesse; it is with Christ new Moon and full Moon, and dawning and noon-day all at once: 3. All fulnesse dwelleth in Christ,* there is ful∣nesse of beauty in Absolom, but not of truth and sincerity; fulnesse of wisdome in Salomon, but not fulnesse of constan∣cy; he gave his heart to pleasure and folly; fulnesse of policy in Achitophel, but not fulnesse of holinesse and faithfulnesse to his Prince; yea, it was fulnesse of folly to hang himself; ful∣nesse of strength in Sampson, but not fulnesse of faith & sound∣nesse & courage of minde, he was strong in body, but soft and impotent in minde and was overcome by an woman; there is an hiatus, a hole, and some emptinesse in every creature: an Angels fulnesse sitteth neighbour to pure nothing, the Angel may be turned •nto nothing, and is by nature capable of folly: But in Christ there is all fulnesse; 4 But as every fulnesse is not all fulnesse, so every fulnesse is not the fulnesse of the God-head; the•, to me its as much as the Elect are drawn to Chri•• as the choycest, the rarest amongst all.

2. So amongst all choise things and all relat•ons,* he is the first and most eminent and glo•ious among Kings, Revel. 1.5. The Prince of the kings of the earth, Revel. 10.16. The King of kings, the Lord of lords; Among Prophets, the P•ophet, raised out of the inw•rd part of the Breth•en, Deut. 18.18. among Priests, the highest and great, the eternall Priest, after the order of Mel∣chizedech: Heb. •.1. Heb. 7.17. among gods, he stands, he's alone the onely wise God; 1 Tim. 1.17. Among Angels, the An∣gel Page 454 of the Lords substanciall presence, the Arch-angel, the head of Angels: Esai. 63.9. 1. Thes. 4.16. Col. 2.10. Among beautifull things, the flowre of Jesse, the rose of Sharon, the lil•y of the valleys, fai•er then the children of men; Isai. 11.1•. Cant. 2.1. Psal. 45.2. there is such grace created in no lips, yea uncreated grace is in no face, but in his only: among shepherds, the chief shepherd, 1 Pet. 5.4. among Armies the standard-bearer, and Chief amongst ten thousand, Cant. 5.10. amongst Creatures, the first-borne of every creature, Col. 1.15. among H•irs, the Heir of all things, Heb. 1.2. among those that were dead, and is alive againe, and the fruit that groweth out of death; Christ is the fi•st-born from the dead, Col. 1.18. and the first fruits of them that sleep, 1 Cor. 15.20. among sonnes he is Gods first begotten sonne, Heb. 1.6. his only begotten sonne, 1 •ohn 4.9. among Saviours none to bee named a Savio•• under heaven but he only, Acts 4, 12. neither is there salvati∣on in any other: the first among brethren, Rom. 8.29. the first born among many brethren. In a word, hee i• the choise and the first of the flock, the flower, the first glory, the standerd-bearer of heaven, the heart, the rose, the prime delight of heaven, the choisest of heaven and earth, the none-such, the chiefe of all b•loveds. Some have one single excellency, some another; Abraham was excellent in faith, Moses in his cho•se of Christ above all the treasures of Egypt; David in his since∣rity, having a heart like Gods heart. But Christ hath all emi∣nency of grace in one. Some are Gods that shal die as men. Christ the Prince of life was dead, but can die no more. Some are wise, but he is w•sdome it selfe; some are faire, but Christ is the beauty and brightnesse of the Fathers glory. Wee are apt to have low and creeping thoughts of Iesus Christ, and to undervalue Christ.

3. There's need of an Angel-engine framed in heaven, of a tongue immediate•y created by God,* and by the infinite Art of omnipotency, above other tongues to speak of the praises of •hrist; and that Pen must be moulded of God, and the Ink made of the river of the water of life,* and the Paper fairer then the body of the Sunne, and the heart as pure, as innocent and sinlesse Angels, who should write a Book of the vertue and supereminent excellency of Iesus Christ: All words even uttered by Prophets and Apostles, come short of Christ. Page 455 Imagine that Angels and Men, and millions of created hea∣vens of more then now are should build a Temple and a high Seat or Throne of Glory, raysed from the earth to the highest circumference of the heaven of heavens, and millions of miles above that highest of heavens, and let the timber not be Ce∣dar or Almugge trees, nor the inside Gold of Ophir seven times refined, but such trees as should grow out of the banks of the pure River of water of Life, that runneth through the street of the New Ierusalem, and overlayd with a new sort of Gold that was found above the Sunne and Starres, many degrees above the Gold of Ophir; and let the stones not bee Marble, nor Saphires, nor Rubies, nor digged out of the ex∣cellentest earth imaginable, but more re••ined then elementa∣ry nature can furnish; let every stone be a starre, or a peece of the body of the Sunne, and let the whole fabrick of the House exceed the glory of Solomons Temple as farre as all pre∣cious stones exceed the mire in the streets, and let Iesus Christ sit above in the highest Seat of Glory in this Temple, as hee dwelt in Solomons Temple, the chair should bee but a created shadow, too low and to base for him. This is not yet like the Lords expression by the Apostle, shewing how eminent and high Christ is, Phil. 2.9. Wherefore God also hath more then exalted him; hee saith not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. God hath highted or exalted Christ; but God hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 over-highted and super-exalted him, and hath gifted to him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a name above all names that is reall honour, above all expression, above all thoughts; if such a tem∣ple and seat of Majesty m•ght be named, it should not be a∣bove every name, nor a glory above every glory that can be named either in this world, or in the world to come.

To me] Conversion is the drawing of a sinner to Christ, its a supernaturall journey, its not a common way; to come to this eternall wisdome of God, as saith Iob 28.7. A path which no fowle knoweth and the vultures eye hath not seen; where is the place of understanding, ver. 21. seeing it is hid from all living, and kept close from the fowls of the aire, v. 22. destruction and death say we•▪ have heard the fame thereof with our •ares, ver. 23. where is it then? Natures dark candle can∣not show it, ver. 23. God und•rstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof, Prov. 15.24. The way of life is on Page 456 high; the way of the life of all excellent lives is an high and an exalted way, every man knows it not.

2. Christ saith, by way of exclusion, that hee getteth not one soule to him, but by strong hand and violence; never man comes to Christ on his owne clay-leggs,* and with the strength of his owne good-will, Ioh. 6.44. No man can come to me, ex∣cept the Father, which hath sent me, draw him.

3. There be other acts of God, of an high reach, in these that come to Christ, as there must be resigning over, a making over of the Father to the Sonne, v. 39. All that the Fathe• gi∣veth me,*shall come; The Fathers making over of any soule, or his giving one to Christ, is not by way of alienation, as if the man belonged no more to the Father, or were no more under the tutorie, and guidance of the Father, but under the sonne. Familists teach us (a)That there be distinct seasons of the work∣ing of the severall persons of the Trinitie, so as the soule may bee said to be so long under the fathers, and not the Sonnes, and so long under the Sonnes work, and not the Spirits.

Wee know no such destinct posts to heaven, nor such shift∣ing from hand to hand; the Saints have many bouts, in their way to glory, but all the three joyntly at the same season help at the lifting of the dead out of the graves, Ioh. 6.39.44.45. Ioh. 5 24.25. All the three in one dead list, openeth blinde eyes, and converteth lost sinners, Matth. 11.25.26.27. Eph. 1.17.18. Mat. 16.17. Ioh. 12.32. 2 Cor. 3.14.15.16.17. Ioh. 14.23. Ioh. 16.7, 8.9.10. Ioh. 14.16. Eph. 2.1.2.3.4. 1 I••. 2.27. 1 Ioh. 5.6.7. Grace mercy and peace, cometh that the same season, to the seven Chu•ches▪ from all the three: From him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven Spirits that is before the throne, and from Ie•us Christ, who is the faithfull witnesse, &c. 2 Cor. 13.14. Revel. 1.45. Then the Father so giveth the e∣lect to the sonne, as I should not desi•e to be out from under the care and tutory of the Father; the Father maketh them over, and keepeth them in his own bowels, and in the truth, Ioh. 17.2.10.11. So there is the Fathers teaching, and the hearing and learning from the Father, Ioh. 6.15. It is written in the Prophets, and they shall all be taugh• of God, Every man there∣fore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh to mee.

In the uses of the doctrine, I have three things to speak of; Page 457 1. What a sinne they bee under, who resist the right arm of the Father. 2. What free-will and morall honestie can do, or how nothing they are to work a communion with God. 3. These are to be refuted, who think we are nei•her to p•ay, nor to doe, nor to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, but when the Lord by saving Grace acteth in us, and draweth irresistibly. Now to the end that this common Gospel-sinne may be the better seene in all its spots, consider, 1. What is in Christ the drawer. 2. What is in Grace, by which sinners are drawn.

1. In Christ the drawer:* There bee many drawers suiting us: the world is the taile of the great red Dragon, and his taile drew the third part of the starres of heaven and did cast them downe to the earth, Revel. 12.4. Glorious professours like gli∣stering starres up in heaven, are drawn away, after the dirty world: should there bee more power in Sathans taile to draw down stars from heaven,* then there is beauty and sweetnesse in Christs face to ravish hearts? and Deut. 30.17. Some turn away their hearts, and are drawn away▪ and worship other gods, and serve them; yet they are but bastard gods: Christ has a true, reall God-head in himselfe. Why will you not be drawne after the smell of his precious ointments? and Act. 5.37. Iudas of Ga∣lilee arose, and drew away much people after him, and they were destroyed, and Iam. 1.14. every tempted man (and who is not tempted?) is drawn away of his own lust; and this is a mo∣ther with child of death and hell: supposed goodnesse is an an∣gle, a vast net, that drawes millions of souls to eternall perdi∣tion; every man has a soule-drawer about him, divels, and false teachers are pulling at, and hailing soules. O bee drawn by Christ; he is the rose without a thorne, the Sunne without a cloud, the beauty of the Godh•ad without a spot; hee drawes his Fathers heart to love him, and delight in him: Christs love and the art of free grace, are good at drawing of soules; there is not a soule-drawer comparable to him: Ah our hearts are as heavy as hell; suppose that hell were of the bignesse of ten worlds, all of Sand, yron, or the heaviest stones in the world, nay, all fancies that pretend lovelinesse are but lyes, and Christ true: every peece of fair clay is hell, and Christ heaven; every beauty blacknesse, and he all loves, Cant. 5.16.

2. For alluring souls in a morall way, nothing like Page 458 Christ in the Gospel; David is called by the holy Ghost, the sweet singer of Israel;* when Christ speaketh to hearts, he sings like heaven, and like the glory of a new unseen world, Deut. 3•.16. Ioseph was blessed of the Lord, for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; Its most alluring in Christ that he is the bird in the bush, the bird of Paradise, the Turtle in our Land, Can. 2.12. that singeth the sweet Gospel-hymnes,* and Psalms of good tidings from Sion, peace, peace from heaven to the broken-hearted mourners in Sion; all the Gospel is a love-song of Christ dying for love to enjoy sinners of clay, and to have them with him in heaven; are not these love-songs of the bird whose nest was in the bush? If any man thirst (saith Christ) let him come to me and drink; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely; if this cannot draw to Christ: the law, curses, rewards, cannot draw; Christ pi∣peth a spring of joyfull newes, but few dance, Matth. 11.16.

3. The lower that high love discendeth, the sweeter and the more drawing, and the greatest guiltinesse not to be drawn. Christ came down from a Godhead,* and emptied himself for us to be a worme, and no man, Psal. 22.6. The last of men, Esa. 53.3. a doubt it was, if he were in the number of men, so the word importeth; and he dwelt in the bush; he made not his nest amongst Cedars, but in the bush 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a bush, whence commeth Sinah, or a desert and wildernesse, such as was in Arabia; Christ taketh it hard, and weepeth for it, Matth. 23.37. Luk 19.42. that he came down as a hen in the bush; (O but Christ has broad wings, farre above the Eagle) and would have made sinners in Ierusalem his young ones, to nou∣rish them with heat, from his own bosome and heart; but they would not be drawn: And when he appeareth in a time of captivity, Zach. 1. to save his people out of captivity, many would not be saved; he is seene, ver. 8. amongst the myrtle trees in the bottome. It is true, the myrtle tree is far•e above the bry•r and the thorn, Esai. 55.13. yet its as much, a• Christ dwels amongst the bushes, and came down to the lowest plants, for the Myrtle is a bush rather then a tree, and growes in Vallies, Deserts, in the Sea-shoar: Christ is a young low Pla••, and a root out of a dry ground; its a matter of challenge that none believed his report, and few were drawn Page 459 by the Lord Iesus, who is Gods arm, all the strength of God and the drawing power of grace being in Christ, and in Christ who came down so low in his love to us; low-stooping love refused is a great deal of guiltinesse; salvation it selfe can∣not save, when love submitting it selfe to hell, to death, to shame, to the grave, cannot save: you think little to let a love song of the Gospel foure times a week passe by you; but you know not what a guiltinesse it is.

4. The greater the happinesse you are drawn to, the higher is the sinne, should Christ d•aw you to the Mount burning with fire, to the Law-curses, to the terrible sight of the fiery indignation of God, men would say it were lesse sinne to refuse him; but he drawes you, Heb. 12.22. To Mount Sion, to the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven, and to God the Iugde of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect; And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling; and he addeth, dispise not this; he is a Speaker from heaven: Its but ene house, one family, which is in earth and heaven;* they differ but as elder and younger brethren. Paul, Rom. 16.7. putteth a note of respect on Andro∣nicus and Junia, Who saith he) also were in Christ before me. There is mor• honour put on them that are in glory before us, then on us, as the first born of na•ure and grace;* so the first born of glory are honoured before us (we should not weep for our friends crown and honour, when they die) yet they be all one house; then to be drawn to Christ is to be drawn to heaven; he should deservedly weep for ever, and gnash his te••h in hell, who in right down termes refuseth to be drawn to heaven.

There is another ground of shewing what a high provoca∣tion it is, to resist the Gosp•l-drawings of Christs arme, and it is the way of resisting the operation of grace Interpreters▪ say on the Text that Christ's drawing, when he is lifted upon the crosse,* is a clear allusion to the manner of Christs crucify∣ing, for he with his two armes stretched out, holdeth out his breast, openeth his bosome and heart, & cryeth who will come and lodge in Ch••st's heart; And againe, favours profered by a great friend in his death, ought not to be refused; and the Page 460 sour• tree of the Crosse was Christs dead bed; here he made his last will, and which no dying friend doth, Christ dying left his heart, and bowels of tender love to his dear friends, he dyed drawing and pulling in sinners to his heart; What a sinne must it be to meet his love with hatred and disdaine? 2. Grace moveth in a circle of life, the spring and fountaine is the heart of Christ, and it reflecteth back to Chri•ts heart; he resteth not with stretched out-armes, to pull, while he have his friends and Church in at his heart. 3. The motion of free-grace is a subduing, and a conquering thing, and strong to captivate our love; when yee see Christ dying and leaping for joy to die for you, and when yee see him set to his head a cup of thick wrath, of death and hell, and see him smile and sing, and sigh and drink hell and death for you, it layeth bands of love on the heart. What yron bowels must he have who would break the cup on his face, and despise his love? Grace applyed to the heart maketh it ingenuous, free, thank∣full; how can the sinner with-hold his love without the greatest guiltinesse, that ever Devils committed? for they cannot resist Christs drawing love: O what sweetnesse of strongest and captivating love to see Christ and the tear in his eye, and his face foule with weeping, and his visage more marred then any of the sonnes of men, Esai. 52.14. and a flood of blood on his body, Luk. 22.44. and yet good-will, and joy, and delight to doe and suffer Gods will for us, sitting on his browes, Psal. 40.6.7, 8. Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Now when Christ is burnt up with love, and sick of tender kindnesse; to cast water on this love by resisting it, is the highest Gospel-sinne that can be, except despiting of the holy Ghost; and a third ground of aggravating to the full, this sinne of resisting Christs drawing,* I take from the judgement and the plague and Gospel-vengeance on such as Christ draweth, and they will not be drawn, and is the sinne of the times; I referre these to two heads.

1. This Gospel despising of Christ now reigning in the Age and Kingdoms that we live in, commeth neare to the bor∣ders of the sin against the holy Ghost, for the more men be convinced and enlightned, if they be not drawn to Christ, they are the nearer to this sinne, Heb. 6.4.5. chap. 10.26.27. now may we not think hardly of these who are convinced of Page 461 many Gospel-truths, and yet oppose them? doth not Christs love come neare them, and they flye from i•? now but to neighbour or border on the coasts of a sinne, like to the sin against the holy Ghost, may cost men as deare as the loss• of their soule and the next furnace for torment and paine, to these that sinne against the holy G•o•t.

2. The ••mporall p•ague tha• comm•th nearest to eternall, is the judgement o• God on the Iewes that refused and resisted Christ; see what exp••ssion is put on the last judgement, that same is on the judgem•nt of Ierusalems destruction for resisting Christ: For 1. Its hell-like, when mothers shall wish their chil∣dren had never been born; and when they shall as damned in the day of judgement, pray, Mountaines fall on us, and Hils cover us, Luk. 23.29.30.

Vse 2. If Christ draw all men to him, then they are farre wide who think that free-will and morall honesty can bring men to heaven; there be no Moralists in heaven who were pure Moralists on Earth, and had nothing of the Gospel-drawing and of supernaturall work in them; civill Saints can never be glorified Saints; thousands are deceived with this; they think their lamp can shew them light to know the Bride-grooms chamber-doore; but ta•e these for marks of deluded men.

1. Such men will shoot and cry at adultery, as he that took Abrahams Wife from him;* and a Cain may be madded with murthering his brother; but was Cain touched for Gospel sins? is Judas wakened in conscience for that which is the speciall condemning gospel-sinne, the cause of condemnation and dying in sin, Ioh. 3.36. Ioh. 16.9. chap. 8.24. No, but for murthering his Master; its the light of the Spirit that seeth spi∣rituall sins spiritually.

2. Profession looketh like Paradise and the raine-Bow;* its big in its own eyes, and the fairest for variety of coulors; but its a self-plague and doth carry millions of souls to hell without din and noise of feet, its Christ acting judicially on the hypocrite within pistoll shot of a besieged soule, making fire-works under the earth; and when all within are sleep∣ing, Christ springeth a powder-Mine, and burneth up all for∣ward: Gospel-fire-works maketh more then ordinary fury in the soule; open, open to Christ; multiplyed fastings, and Page 462 taking Christs crown from him are dreadfull.

3. They had never a sick-night for the want of Christ; Gospel profession is a light to let men see to sinne, a candle to let men see to goe to hell, and lye down in sorrow with art. Ah what comfort is it that I goe to hell, no man seeing me, and by stealth, and my back to the Pit? What a poore comfort to goe to eternall perdition, fasting and praying monthly, multiplying dayes of thanksgiving, and withall plundering Christ of his Royall Crown, following the sinnes of Prelates whom God cast out before us, exercising rapine, and unjustice, giving new lawes to Christ, and planting plants, which God will root out? The manner of perishing is a poor acc•d•nt of death. O but heart-boyling of love, a faint pulse, a pale and a lean sinner dying for the absence of Christ, no man but the Spirit and Physitian knowing what ails h•m, are sweet diseases; let the love of Christ abs•nt be in the mans soule a deep river: how sweet were it to be drowned in •hat river, and to die an hundreth deaths in one day, because he whom the soule loves, is gone away? O watchmen know you not where he is? O daughters of Ierusalem, can you tel him that I am sick of love? O shepheards, where is Christs Tent? where dwels he? what is profession to this? a shadow, a straw, nothing, vanity.

4 What a decitfull thing is it make free-will the great Idoll, and to hire an house in heaven, for the income and rent of merit? can it be imagined that the love of Christ can be hired? so much as it should have of hire, so much it should want of free-love; how can the heart of God be taken with the merit of man? grace is the floure, and the freenesse of grace like the beautifull bloome of the floure; and this freenesse is so taking that it layes bands and chaines on the heart; were there a good deserving in the man to buy grace, the cord should be as a single and untwisted thred.*

Vse 3. Christ so drawes all men to him, that drawn mans will is not forced, as we have seene; and therefore Libertines erre fouly, who make the drawn partie, blocks, and stones, and meere patients; hence these positions of Familists and Li∣bertines.

(a) 1. In the saving and gracious conversion of a sinner th• faculties of the soule and working thereof, in things pertaining Page 463 to God, are destroyed, and made to cease.

(b) 2. And instead of these the holy Ghost doth come and take place, and doth all the works of these naturall facul∣ties, as t•e faculties of the humane nature of Christ doe.

3. The (c)new creature, or the new man mentioned in scrip∣ture, is not meant of grace, but of Christ.

4. Christ (d)worketh in the regenerate, as in those that are dead▪ and not as in those that are alive; or, the regenerate af∣ter conversion, are altogether dead to spirituall acts.

5. There (e)is no inherent righteousn•sse in the Saints, or grace▪ or graces are not in the soules of beleevers, but grace is Christ himselfe working in us; who are meere patients in all supernaturall works.

6. Faith, repentance (f)new obedience, are gifts, not gra∣ces —all the elect are saved, and receive the Kingdome as lit∣tle children doe their fathers inheritance passively. Mr Towne saith in Sanctification as well as in justification, we are meere patients, and can doe nothing at all. Assertion of grace, p. 11.68.

7. The Spirit (g)doth not work in Hypocrites by gifts and gra∣ces, but in Gods children immediatly.

8. We may not (h)pray for gifts and graces, but onely for Christ.

9. The efficacy (i)of Chirsts death is to kill all activity of Graces in his members, that he might act all in all.

10. All the activity of a (k)beleever▪ is to act sinne.

11. We are not bound (l)to keep a constant course of prayer in our families, or privately, unlesse the Spirit stirre us there∣unto.

12. If Christ will (m)let me sinne, let him look to it, upon his honour be it.

13. The new heart and the walking in (n)Gods commande∣ments are no conditions of the Covenant of Grace; where is there one word, that God saith to man thou sh•ll doe this? if God had put man upon these things, then they were conditions indeed: but when God takes all upon himselfe, where are then the condi∣tions on mans part? —If there be a condition, he that vnder∣taketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault; if the Lord work not in us a cleane heart, and cause us not walk in his commandements, its then the Lords fault (abs•t blasphemia) if we sinne against the covenant.

Page 46414. The (o)blessednesse of a man, is onely passive, not active in his holy, and unblameable walking.

To the end that these errors may the more fully bee discove∣red, we are to enquire in these Assertions, what activitie wee have in works of grace.

Asser. 1. In the first moment of our conversion, called actus primus conversionis,* we are meer patients.

1. Because the infusion of the new heart, Ezech. 36.26. the pouring of the Spirit of Grace and supplication on the familie of David,* Zach. 12.10. and of the Spirit on the thirsty ground, Esai. 44.3. is a work of creation, Ephes. 2.10. Psal. 51.10. a quickning of the dead, Ephes. 2.1.2.3.4. Ioh. 5.25. 2 Cor. 4.6. and the wildernesse is not here a coagent for the causing ro∣ses to blossome out of the earth.

2. The effect is not wholly denyed of the collaterall cause, and ascribed wholly to another. If Peter and Iohn draw a ship between them, with joynt strength, you cannot say, the one drew the ship, not the other: But Christ said flesh and blood ma∣keth no revelations of Christ, but his father only, Mat. 16.17. Mat. 11.25.26.27. Iam. 1.18. Ioh. 1.18. Then neither blood, nor the will of man contribute any active in••uence to the first fra∣ming of the new birth; nor can clay divide the glory of rege∣neration, with the God of grace, who maketh all things new.

*Asser. 2. The soule or its faculties are not destroyed in conversion: Peters will which he had when he was young, was the same when converted, but renewed, Ioh. 21.18. the Saints that Peter writeth to, are not to •unne to the same excesse of ryot as of old they wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3.4. Paul and Titus were the same men, when d•sobedient and ser∣•ing divers lusts, and when converted, and now washen, rege∣nerat•d, and justified heirs, Tit. 3.1.2.3.4. Paul the same man, a persecuter and an Apostle, but Grace made a change, 1 Cor. 15.9.10. the same minde and spirit remaineth in nature; but they are renewed in the spirit of the minde. Rom. 12.2. Eph. 4.23. It is the same heart, but turned to the Lo•d, 2 Cor. 3.15.16. Christ but removeth the scum, and the drosse, and the false metall,* and frames the man a new vessell of mercy,

Asser. 3. The person of the holy Ghost is not united to the soul of a beleever, nor are there two persons here united or made one Spirit by union of person with person; but the person is said Page 465 to come to the Saints, and to dwell with them, and to be in them, Ioh. 14.16.17. and God hath sent the Spirit of his son in our hearts, crying, Abba Father, not that the holy Ghost, in propper person, doth in us formally, and immediately beleeve, pray, love, repent, &c. We being meer patients in understan∣ding, will, affections, memory, as Libertines▪ teach. But the ho∣ly Ghost cometh to the Saints and dwelleth in them, in the spirituall gifts, and saving graces, and supernaturall qualities c•eated in us, by the holy spirit, and acted, excited, and moved, as supernaturall and heavenly habits, to act with the vitall in∣fluence of our understanding, will, and affe••ions.

I prove the former part:* 1. Because such a union of the per∣son of the holy Ghost in us, beleeving, loving, joying, praying, and immediately in us, were that blasphemous dei-fying and Goding of the Saints, so as beleeving, loving, praying, were not our works, but the immediate acts of the holy Ghost, and either the faint manner of beleeving, or the cold slacked lo∣ving, and praying of Saints, or their not beleeving, and sin∣full omission of the acts of faith, love, praying rejoycing, could not be more imputed to Saints, as their sinfull defects, and transgressions, (but must be laid on the holy Ghosts score) then we can impute the splitting of a ship, to the ship it self and not to the negligent and willfull pilot who of purpose dashed the vessell on a rock; but we must not in reason blame the ship, but the Pilot; for the losse of the ship, is the onely and proper fault of the man that stirred the ship, and the ship is innocent and harmlesse timber: Now what sinne can be in the Saints in these supernaturall acts, if the holy Ghost immediately in his owne person, stirre the helme, and only, without us, act these in us? we might with as good reason say, the shop that a man worketh in doth make the portrait, which is a great untruth, since the artificer in the shop doth it▪ as say that the Saints doe pray, beleeve, rejoyce, if the holy Ghost immediate•y doe all these in them, as in a shop

2. Vpon the same ground the Lords coming down and fil∣ling Iohn Baptist from his mothers womb, and the Apostles and Steven full of the holy Ghost, should be the holy Ghosts per∣sonall filling of them, and his immediate acting in them, with∣out any action of them, in preaching, praying, and their hea∣venly bold confessing of Christ before men; and there should Page 466 be no difference betweene the Ark and Temple of Ierusalem, filled with the immediate presence of God, in the Lords mani∣festation of his glory there, and these Saints filled with God, in these works of free grace. I shall not beleeve that the per∣son of God, can be said to be united to either Ark, Temple, A∣postle, or Martyr; all the union is in the effects and manife∣stations of graces, or tokens of Divine presence, which are cre∣atures rising and falling with time.

3. That excellent and living •rk, the most glo•ious and ad∣mirable thing that heaven hath, the Lord Iesus, is God and man, two nature• united in one person. But both the word of God making that He▪ that same Holy thing, borne of the virgin Mary, the Son of God, Luke 1.5. and that same He, and per∣son who came of the Iewes, according to the fl•sh, to be God bles∣sed for ever. Rom. 9.5. H•br. 7.3. Matth. 16.13.16, and the third generall Councell, called that of Ephesus, and after the counsell of Chalcedone, ver. 4. and 5. doe evidence to us that Christ cannot be two persons as Nestorius dreamed, and one per∣son. Paul spread the Gospel from Jerusalem to Iliricum, about ten hundreth miles. I know not he, but the Grace of God that was with him, 1 Cor. 15.9.10. not hee, but the Lord: True, but the question now is whether Paul and the holy Ghost in all these works of grace, were two persons become one Spirit by union, as some dreamers affirme; because both did the work; I beleeve not: God and cloud• rained down Manna to Isra∣el; O but Christs father, Ioh· 6. gave the Manna, but the que∣stion is if the person of God were united with the clouds or any second ca•ses producing Manna; so the Lord maketh rich and poore, killet•, and maketh alive, maketh snow, froast, fair weather, d•outh, and raine, the Sunne to rise, and go downe, and that in his owne person, Father, Sonne, and Spirit; He, he onely made Heaven, Earth, Sea, and all creatures, and the world; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Acts 17.25. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Psal. 33.9. doe prove him to be a per∣son who doth all these. But we cannot say that the person of God must be united with Clouds, Ship, Sea, Sunne, Heavens, Men fighting, and Men Saving, and Killing; and that God personally filleth all creatures, only God in the immensitie of •is nature, is all these and every where, and is in them by his operation; so the holy Ghost is with the Saints, and dwelleth in 〈◊〉, not by union of his person to them or the immensitie of Page 467 his essence, which is, as David saith, every where, Ps. 139.7. Whi∣ther shall I go from thy Spirit? but so he is in Heaven, in Hell, in the Sea. 2. But he dwelleth in the Saints, in regard of the works, operations, gifts, and graces of the holy Ghost.

1. Because the holy Spirit is in them, in that they have in them the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. such as love, joy, peace,* long suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith; now these are not the holy Ghost, who is eternall, and God uncreated, but are created in time, out of meer nothing, not out of the potency of the subject, but ere God produce grace, so knotty and so rocky are we, and so contrary to grace, that he must fall upon a new and second creation, Ephes. 2.10. Col. 2.10. Psal. 51.10. the same word that is used for creating heaven and earth, Gen. 1.•. is here used; it is not like the repairing of a fallen house, where the same timber and stones may doe the work, or the repairing of decayed nature, when a healthy body recovereth out of a feaver, Grace is a rare and curious workmanship.

2. We are said to grow in grace, 2 Pet. 3.18. and by grace to increase to the edifying of the body in love, Ephes. 4.16. and to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ, 13. and to add grace to grace, 2 Pet. 1.5.6.7. and to goe on to perfection, Heb. 6.1. Phil. 3.12. But the person of the holy Ghost, is no• capable of growing, or addition, nor like the morning light, or the New Moone, that can grow and advance in perfection, being God blessed for ever.

3. If there be an union of the person of the Holy Ghost with the soule, and not an in-dwelling by graces, the beleever as a beleever, must live by the uncreated and eternall life of the Holy Ghost, or a created life. Creatum vel increatum divi∣dunt omne ens immediatè, sicut finitum & infinitum: Not the former, neither any man, nor the man Christ can in any ca∣pacity be elevated so above it selfe, as to partake of the infi∣nite life of God; how the manhood of Christ partaketh of the personall subsistence of the Godhead, is incomprehensible to me, except that it is not by such a union as my singular nature standeth under personality created, and is by assumption ra∣ther then union, how ever if there be an union of the person of the Holy Gho•• to our soules, it cannot be conceived, nor doth Scripture speak of it; if the Saints live the life of God, it must be by created Graces, and this is that we conceive.

Page 4684 The person of the Holy Ghost immediatly acting in the Saints, without them or any active and vitall influence of the naturall faculties, cannot be guilty of sinne, because Da∣vid and Christ are absolved of sinne in this. They l•yd to my charge things that I knew not, that is, things I never acted, crimes in which I had no action or hand: but we are blamed in the word, for all the omissions of holy duties; and the Holy Ghost cannot be blamed, for he bloweth when, and where he listeth, and is under no Law, in his motions of free grace; then he who cannot be blamed in not acting, cannot bee uni∣ted as one spirit, person with person, with him who is justly to bee blamed in not acting.

Asser. 4 It must evidently follow that there is in the Saints a grace created that is neither Christ,* nor the Holy Ghost in person; for what reason any hath to phancy an union of the person of Christ or the Holy Ghost in the Saints, the same reason have they to say that all the three are united to the person of the beleever in all supernaturall actions, for the Father is said to draw men to the Sonne, Iohn 6.44. and Christ to reveal the Father, and to draw men, Iohn 1.18. Iohn 12.32 and the Holy Ghost to reveal the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2.10, 11. now all the three in person doe these, but all the three persons are not united to beleevers in person; this were a mystery greater then God manisted in the flesh, and unknown to Scripture.

2. If Christ be all the grace of beleevers, faith in Christ, and the love of Christ, should be Christ.

3. Then should a beleever having a new heart, and a new Spirit, be Christed, or Godded; and God should bee inca•∣nate in every beleever, and how many Christs should there be? and the new heart in one Saint, and the grace given to Paul, should be the new heart given to Peter, whereas God hath g•ven grace to every man, according to his measure, and there are diversity of gifts, but one Spirit, 2 Pet. 3.15. Phil. 1.9. Eph. 3.3.4.5. • Cor. 12.3, •.5.6. Eph. 4.16.

*Asser. 5. The Grace of God and our free will in a four-fold sense may be said to concurre in the same works of Grace.

1. When free-will receiveth no more from Grace and the Lords drawing, but only literall instruction, and if by our in∣dustry an habite of the knowledge of the letter of the word Page 469 be acquired, its necessary only to the easier believing, as Pe∣lagius said, I may believe without Preaching the Gospel,* by Reading, but more easily by faire and powerfull preaching, and by grace helping and assisting preaching, but yet without grace, but with greater difficulty, as I may goe a journey on foot, but more easily on horse-back; then a horse is not sim∣ply necessary for the journey; and a ship may sail more easily and expeditely with sailes, yet also without sailes with the help of Oars though with more difficulty; thus Christ and his Grace may be spared, we may sail to heaven by natures sweating and free-wils industry, though the sails of grace could more expeditely promove our journey.* Now we think not that Christ draweth when men speak, but the bare letter of the Gospel; and softly requests the dead with only sound of words and syllabls to live, and Orators with golden words doe pray and perswade the blind to see, and the creeples to walk; but its long erre words fetch a soule to dry bones that they may live, or tye the broken eye-strings, or adde vitall power and life to eyes and ankle-bones.

2. Grace and free-will (as Bellarmaine and the rest of the Ie∣suites with Arminians teach) may be thought to be two joynt causes, the one not depending on the other, as two carrying one stone or burthen, neither he helpeth him, nor he him,* but both joyn their independent strength to one common effect. Bellarmine and Grevinchovius with the like comparisons do prove that▪ we may storm heaven, by the strength of free-w•ll, without dependence on Christ; for three untruths are here taught: 1. That Grace determineth not free-will; a saying destructive to providence; if God determine not all second causes, he is not Master of all events, nor hath he a dominion of providence in all things that fall out, good and evill: 2. Grace doth not begin in all things that concerne salvation, nor doth the Lord work in us to will and to doe; if we will not doe without any prior dependence on the •nflu∣ence of the grace of God, we as much work in our selves willing and doing, as the Lord doth, and the Lord in his grace shall follow, and not lead our will. 3. Grace doth not conferre any help on the will to •ctuate it, and to strengthen it in doing good, in believing, •epenting, loving God, hoping, (as Grevinchovius saith) but will and grace doe both joyntly Page 470 meet in one and the same effect, in which 4 Free-will di∣videth the spoyl with Christ; and what need we say, worthy is the Lamb who has redeemed us, if free-will in the ap∣plication of redemption share equally with the Grace of Christ?

*3. The third way is that free-will is said to believe, re∣pent, love God, by a meer extrinsecall denomination•, because it carieth that grace• which formally and only doth perform all these supernaturall actions; so Grace doth all, and free-will is a meer patient that conferreth no vitall subordinate and active influence in these acts; as we say, the Apothecaries glasse healeth the wound, because the oyl in the glasse worketh the cure; when the glasse doth actively contribute nothing to the cure; or the Asse maketh rich, when it carieth the gold that enricheth only; this sense Antinomians hold forth, and make us meer patients, and blocks in the way to heaven, and this sense Jesuites,* especially Martinez de Ripald• falsly chargeth upon Luther and Calvin; and the Councell of Trent, inspired with the same lying Spirit saith the same.

4. The fourth sense is that Grace and free-will doth work so as Grace is the principall, first inspiring and fountane cause: 1. It being a new supernaturall disposition and ha∣bite in the soule, Joh. 14.23. 1 Joh. 2.27. 1 Ioh. 3.9. Ioh. 4.14. Esai. 44.3.4. Ezech. 36.26.27. Deut. 30.6.* A good treasure or stock of grace, Matth. 12.35. Luk. 6.45. And also actually it determineth, sweetly enclineth and stirreth the will to these acts; yet so as free-will moveth actively, freely, and confe•reth a radicall, vitall, & subordinate influence & is not a meer pati∣ent in all these, as Antinomians dream, Psal. 119.32. I will run the way of thy Commandements, when thou shall enlarge my heart, Ioh. 14.12. he that believeth in me, the works that I doe, he shall doe, and greater then these, Matth. 12.50. He that doth the will of my heavenly Father, the same is my brother, &c. 1 Cor. 9.24. So runne, that ye may obtaine, Revel. 2.2. I know thy works and thy labour, 1 Thess. 1.3. Remembring without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of Hope: 1. We are not dead in supernaturall works, and meer blocks, Rom. 6.11. Wee are alive unto God in Iesus Christ, Ephes. 2.1. He hath quickned us, Revel. 2.3. For my names sake thou hast laboured, and had not fainted, 1 Cor. 15.58. Be ye stead∣fast, Page 471 unmoveable, alwayes aboundant in the work of the Lord▪ there is activity in the Spirit to lust against the flesh, Gal. 5.17. Rom. 7.15. Nor is the blessednesse of the Saints only passive in receiving:* though to be just•fied and receive Christs righ∣teousnesse, be the fountain blessednesse, Psal. 32.1. Rom. 4.6.7. Gal. 3.13. But the Scripture speaketh of a true and solide blessednesse in action, Psal. 119.1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Esai. 56.2. Blessed is the man that doth this, Iam. 1.12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, Psal. 119.2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, Psal. 106.3. Blessed are they that keep judgement, Revel. 22.14. Blessed are they that doe his Commandements, Math. 5. Blessed are they that mourn, that hunger and thirst; Then there must be a part of blessednesse in sanctification, as in justification; though the one be the cause, the other the effect.

Asser. 6. The Lords working in us the condition of the Covenant of Grace, such as faith is, by his efficacious grace, doth not free us from sinne, when we believe not, nor involve God in the fault, when he worketh not in us to believe, as Crispe imagineth;* Here let me by the way remove the argu∣ments of Dr Crispe by the which he imagineth, that there is no condition at all in the covenant of grace.

Argum. 1. The Covenant should not be everlasting, if it de∣pended on a condition of faith to be performed by us; for wee faile in our performances daily, and the Covenant is anulled and broken so soone as the condition is broken.

Ans.•. We speak not so, that the Covenant of grace de∣pends on a condition in us; dependency includes a causality in that of which the thing has de•endency, we know no∣thing in us, either faith, or any other thing that is the cause of the covenant of grace, or of the fulfilling of it: a cause is one thing, a condition caused by grace is an other thing; for the pe•p••uity of the covenant there is not requi•ed a condition always in act. 1. If at the eleven•h or at the twelf houre, you come to Chri•t, the nature of this covenant promiseth you welc•me. 2. Particular failings and acts of unbeleif, doe well consist with the habite and stock of faith that remaineth in him that i• borne 〈◊〉 God, 〈◊〉 is the act so tyed to a time. But 3. There is, by •enuure of •he Covenant, a Priviledge two∣fold here. 1. If by the Law a man step a haire-breath wide off Page 472 the way, the doore of Paradise is bolted on him, and in a∣gaine can he never enter, hee must seek another entery, the man has done with heaven that way, the law knoweth not such a thing as repentance;* but the Covenant of grace being made with a sinner, a slip, an act of unbeliefe doth not forfeit the mercy of this covenant. But Christ saith, if you fall, there is place to rise againe; if you sin, there is an Advocate, there is a blood of an eternall covenant; the covenant stands still to make up roome for repeated grace, for a thred, and continued tract of free-grace and mercy all along that your foot never go out of the traces of renewed pardon, while you be in heaven: though the child of God ought not to sinne, yet can he not out-sin the eternity of the new covenant, nor can he sin an e∣ternall priest out of heaven. 2. The Law requireth a stinted measure of obedience, even to the superlative, with all the soule, and the whole strength; any lesse is the forfeiting of salvation. But the covenant of grace stinteth no weak soule, Christ racketh not, nor doth he (as it were) play the extortioner, and say, either the strongest faith, or none at all; he maketh not Abrahams foot a measure to every poor sinner; many smoak∣ing flaxes, and broken reeds on earth are now up before the throne; mighty Cedars, high, tall, green, planted on the banks of the river of life; if Adam bee the first in Heaven, what though I be the last that enter in, though I close the doore in the lowest roome, so I see the throne, and him that sits on it, it is enough to me.

2. Arg. All the tie of the covenant lyeth on God, not any on man,*as bond or obligation for the fulfilling of the covenant, or partaking of the benefits thereof, Heb. 8.10. Ezech. 36.25.26. Jer. 1. the Lord promiseth to doe all and the new heart is but a consequent of the covenant; where is thee in all this cove∣nant, one Word that God sayes to man, Thou must do this? If God had put man on these conditions, then they were conditions indeed: But when God takes all upon himself, where are then the conditi∣ons on Mans part? Give me leave; suppose there should be a fault of performing in this covenant: whose were the fault? must not the fault or failing be in him who is tyed and bound to every thing in the covenant, and saith, he will do it? If there bee a condition, and there should be a failing in the condition, he that undertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault, — God saith Page 473 not, make your selves cleane; get you the Law of God in your mind, get you power to walk in my Statutes, and when you doe this, then I will be your God, and enter in Covenant with you.

Answ. 1. We never teach that the making to our selves a new heart is an antecedent condition required before the Lord can make the New-Covenant with us, as this m•n would charge Protestant Divines, but that it is a condition required in the party covenanting; which is conditio federa∣torum, nonfederis, and such a condition without which its unpossible they can fulfill the other condition which is to be∣lieve and so lay hold on the Covenant: but it is clear, Anti∣nomians think the new heart no inherent grace in us, but that Christ is grace working immediately in us as in stones, and the new heart is justification, without us in Christ only: let Crispe shew where the making of a new heart is commanded to us as a consequent and an effect of the Covenant; surely the new heart, the washing of us with cleane water, be it an ante∣cedent, or be it a consequent of the Covenant of Grace, it is a promise that God doth freely and of meere grace undertake to perform in us, Ezech. 36.26. A new heart will I give you, so Ier. 32.39, 40. Ier. 31.33. E•ech. 11.19.20. Esa. 54.13. Ioh. 6.45. Ezech. 36.32. Not for your sakes, doe I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes, O house of Israel, ver. 22. I doe not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy names sake, which yee have prophaned amongst the heathen, whether ye went; and Crispe saith the Covenant in the old Testament had annexed to it divers conditions, of legall washing and sacrifices, whereas the New Covenant under the New Testament is every way of free grace: He is farre wide; conditions wrought in us by grace, such as we assert, take not one jot or title of the freedome of Grace away, and though there be major gratia a larger measure of grace under the New Testament, yet there is not magis gratia,* there is no more of the essence of free-grace in the one, then in the other; for all was free grace to them, as to us; why did the Lord enter in Covenant w•th the Iewes more then with other Nations? Deut. 7.7. The Lord loved you because he loved you. Was Ierusalem, Ezech. 16. holier then the Ephesians, Eph. 2. No, their nativity was of the land of Canaan, their Father an Amorite, their Mother an Hitti•e, Ezech. 16.5. Thou wast Page 474 cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast borne, ver. 6. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said to thee in thy blood, live▪ And to cause grace have a deeper impression and sinking down into the hearts bottome, he repeateth it againe, I said unto thee in thy blood, live; And will Crispe say, that this i• not a history of free grace, as farre from bribe or hire of merit• as in the world? or, will he say, it was Gods meaning, First, wash you with holy water, and sacrifice to me, and performe all these legall conditions to me while you are Amorites and Hittites by kinde, and that being done, He enter in Covenant with you, when yee have done your work, He pay your wages, and be your God.

2. This Argument militateth strongly against every Gospel duty, and the whole course of Sanctification. God must so be the cause & only cause of all our sinfull omissions, & sins under the Covenant of grace, in that he promiseth to work in us to will and to do, & to give us grace to abstain frō sin, but does not stand to his word as Antinomians teach, which is an Argument unanswerable to me, that its the minde of Antinomians that no justified person can sinne, but that they omit good, or commit ill, God is in the fault, not they; and that the justified are meer blocks in all the course of their sanctification; in all the sins they doe, they are patients; God should more carefully see to his own honour, and not suffer them to sinne; so they and the old Libertines goe on together. For say, that the new heart, that to will and to doe, to persevere stedfastly in the Grace of God, were no conditions of the Covenant (sure be∣lieving in the Lord Iesus is clearly a condition of the righte∣ousnesse of faith, as doing is of the righteousnesse which is of the Law, Rom. 10.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Gal. 4.22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) say that to repent, pray, love God, and serve him, were not from God through the tye of the New-Covenant, yet Gods pro∣mise, his single word when he saith he will doe such and such things, is as strong a tye as his Covenant and oath, when he knoweth its unpossible these things that he saith he will doe, can be done, except he, of his meer grace, work, them in us. Now the Lord clearely promiseth, that he will give repentance, Act. 5.31. Sorrow for sinne, the Spirit of grace and suppli∣cation, Zach. 12.10. a circumcised heart to love and serve the Lord, Deut. 30.6. Ezech. 36.26. perseverance in Grace, Ier.Page 475 32.40, 41. Esai. 54.10. chap. 59.20.21. Psal. 1.3. Joh. 4.14. chap. 10.28. Phil. 1.6. Ephes. 5.26.27. 1 Ioh. 2.1.* Then let D. Crispe or any Libertine say, when the Saints sinne, in not praying, in not sorrowing for sin, in not willing, and doing, in their sinnes and falls in their Christian race to heaven, let me speak in the words of Crisp, whos fault is it, or failing not to perform the word, or promise of God? God undertaketh by pro∣mise, yea by his simple word, to fulfill what he promiseth, and saith he will work all these in us, yea to will and to doe; Ergo, if it be not done, the fault cannot be mans, but it must be, (which I abhorre to writ or speak) the Lords.

3. God takes all upon himselfe, in genere causae gratiosae, Liberrimae, independentis, primae, non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege; in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace, free∣ly, Indepdenently, without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own, then he freely willeth, decreeth, promiseth; for men carnally divide Gods decree, which is most free, from his promise which is as free as his decree• but it followeth in no sort, as Arminians and Jesuites object to us; therefore men who doe not believe, pray, walk holily, are not in the fault, being under a Law to obey; for sinne∣full inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligati∣on of obedience; and most blasphemous it is, that because, God undertaketh in the Covenant, that we shall walk in his commandements, as he doth promise, Ezech. 36.27. and that we shall feare him, Ier. 32.39.40. That God should therefore be in the fault, and we free of all fault, when in many particu∣lars we offend all. Iam. 3.2. and we fear not God, in this or this sinne; as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren; who sayes he would not wrong them, for he feared God; and Iobs word,* that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant, because he was affraid of God. Yet God pro∣miseth, that he will keep Ioseph, Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements, that they shall not fully fall away from him: God never by promise, covenant, oath, or word, undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe, against the Covenant of grace.

4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him, because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing, the Gospel granteth pardons, Page 476 but not dispensations in any sins; and it can in no sort bee imputed to God, because if any believer fall in a particula• sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace, the Lord neither decreed, nor did ever undertake by Covenant or pro∣mise to keep him, by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne; for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him, as he did Peter, and doth all the Elect that are effectually called, that in mighty temptations their faith faile them no•. Nor is the act of believ•ng, that is wanting in that particular fall, such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work,* or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace, or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace.

5. I here smell in Antinomians, that God must bee in fault, as the author of our unbelief, our stony hearts, our walking in our fleshly wayes, because God hath promised to give us faith, and a heart of flesh, to walk in his wayes, as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin, and that God did all things, both good and ill, the Creatures did nothing. So Calvine in ins•itut. adversus Libertines, chap. 14. in opus. pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith, God is the authour of sin. what end is there of er•ing, if God leave us? It is true, the tie, and all the tie of giving a new heart, and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do, Deut. 30.6. Ezech. 11.19.20. chap. •6.26.27. Ier. 31.33. 34.35.36. But yet so that we are under the obligation of di∣vine precepts to doe our part, Ezech. 18.31. make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ier. 4.4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skinne of your heart, Ephes. 4.23. be renewed in the Spirit of your mind, Rom. 12.2. Rom. 13.14. and 1 Thessal. 5.17. pray with∣out ceasing, Psal. 50.15. Call upon mee. Matth. 26.41. Watch and pray: Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever k•nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions, nor can the tye ly on God; evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey & grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience.*

6. Its a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man, which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill, Rom. 9.1. That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition, but Page 477 its not the covenant it selfe, because it is the cause of the cove∣nant. 2. To the love of election, there is no love, no work, no act of beleeving required on our part; Yea, no mediator, no shedding of blood; wee are loved with an everlasting love, before all these; but the covenant though as decreed of God, it be everlasting, (as all the works of creation and divine pro∣vidence which fall out in time,* and have beginning and end are so everlasting, for God decreed from eternity that they should be) yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall, and there is required faith on all the Saints part, to lay hold on the Covenant, Esai. 56.4. and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular. 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant. 3. Christ the mediator of it. 4. Christs blood the seal of it. 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart: But the love of election is a compleat free, full love, before our faith, or shedding of blood, or a mediator be at all.

Object. We are not saved, nor justified, nor taken in Cove∣nant by faith, as a work, (saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace; and grace should not be grace; but wee are justi∣fied by faith, that is, by that Christ which faith knoweth, accord∣ing to that, by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many; therefore faith is no condition of this covenant.

Answ. The contrary rather followeth: 1. Seeing Crisp: doth say, none under heaven can bee saved till they have belie∣ved; We are not taken in covenant by faith; neither wee nor scripture speak so; taking us in covenant is before wee can be∣leeve, but we lay hold on Christ, and righteousnes by faith, not as a work, but a necessary condition required of us. 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly; if beleeving in him who just•fieth the ungodl• be no condition; (a work justifying, I do not think it) but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved, from eternity, as some say; when I was conceived in the womb, •s Crispe sai•h; and that the threatning, he that believeth not, i• condemned already,* carries this sence, he that believeth not that he is not condem••d, hee is already condemned: Who can believe such toyes?

2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ, Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17. Then to 〈◊〉, must bee to know that Christ was in mee, before I beleeved, and tha• I Page 478 received him from eternity, or from my conception.

3. To beleeve maketh mee a sonne borne, not of flesh and blood, Ioh. 1.12.13. and Gal. 3.26. and by faith wee re∣ceive the Spirit: This then must be nothing else but I know by the light of faith, I was a sonne before, and had received the Spirit, before I beleeved: What more absurd?

4. And by faith I live not, Christ liveth in mee, and I am crucified and mortified; that is, by faith I know that I did live the life of God, and was crucified to the world; whereas I was dead in sinnes, before I beleeved.

5. And because beleeving is somewhat more then a naked act of the mind, it being a fiduciall adherence unto, and an affiance, acquiescence, & heart-relyance, & staying on Christ, or a rolling of our selves on God for salvation, as is clear in the originall holy languages of scripture, Psal. 18.18. Esai. 26.3. Psal. 112.8. Esai. 10.21. Mich. 3.11. Psal. 22, 8. Psal. 55.22. 1 Pet. 5.7. Cant. 8.5. Ioh. 1.12. Its too hungry a notion of faith, to make it nothing but a knowing of that which really was be∣fore; for heart-adherence is not an act of the mind, and so not an act of knowledge, but of the will and affection, in which there is no act of knowledge formally, though it presuppose an act of knowledge.

6. Then wicked men must be in their sinnes, not justified in his blood, because they will not know that Christ dyed for them in particular, and that Christ bore their sinnes on the crosse, and justified and pardoned them long agoe, all which to beleeve is to hold a lye in the right hand. But to re∣turne.

Asser. 7. How the Lord worketh in us to will and to do, the power and the act, and yet we are guilty in our omissions of good, or in our sinfull and remisse manner of working with the grace of God, is a point more mysterious, then I dare un∣dertake to explaine, if these may give light, I offer them to the Reader.

*Posit. 1. Grace, free-grace, is the great and Master-wheele, that carrieth about heart, senses, foot, and hand, & not that only, but seede and tree and fruit, the flower, the principle dependeth necessarily on free grace; and for a third, the state and con∣dition is higher then either principle or seed, or fruit; to bee an heir of glory, is more then a supernaturall principle of gift, and Page 479 more then one single action above nature: Grace must make the principle gratious, and grace must inact and quicken the princi∣ple to bring forth, and graces policie makes naturall men, citi∣zens of heaven, sonnes of God, heirs of life, Ioh. 1.12.13. Gal. 4.4.5.

Positi. 2. This must stand as a ground, that there is not any gracious act performed by the members,* but the head Christ, is so interessed in it, that as even the finger and toe, in the naturall body, cannot stirre without the motion takes its beginning from life, and head, so neither can the mysticall bo∣dy or any joynt or member of it, act or move in its supernatu∣rall or be of grace, but every individuall act of grace must pay the rent of glory, to the mysticall head, whose predetermina∣ting influence does act and stirre the ship; for Christ is not on∣ly the compasse, and day-Starre, according to which spirituall motions are directed, and hand and finger, foot, and all see with the visive power seated in the head, (for they have no facultie of seeing in themselves) and the Saints in these actions stirre with the light, in the two eyes, or seven eyes and lamps that are in the head Christ, but also the real motions of grace in their physicall, as well as in their morall sphere are shapen and acted by Christ▪ It is not much, (though it be a wonder) that a huge great ship made up of so many peeces of dry and dead timber can move regularly through so many circles, com∣passes, turnings of many coasts, countreyes, change of windes, ten thousand miles, to a certain herbrie, when timber is acted and moved with the borrowed art and reason of a man stirring the helme; so there is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a reason, a wisdom in him, who is made our wisdome, to act the Saints in their heaven-ward mo∣tion, that are carried through so many sea-circles, turnings, contrary windes of temptations, afflictions, various soule-dispensations of sweet and sowre, absence, presence, going and coming again, of Christ, to such a determinate home as heaven, for the Father must thank the stires-man Christ, his sonne, that the broken bark and all his poore friends are landed, with the borrowed art of Christ, and no more thanks and praise to us,* then to dead timber. That we should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to the praise of his glory, Ep. 1.12. as if our passive being (it is a borrow∣ed expression, for we are coagents with, and under Christ, in the work) were destinated to the praise of the glory of his Page 480 grace; but wee are so drawne as Christ is great Lord, moderator, and authour, and God in the second and new world of grace, as God creator is in all actions of nature, Ioh. 15.5. without mee, (as your vine tree, in whom you grow, and a stock in whom you bring forth fruit, every blossome of of life, every apple) yee can do nothing, Phil. 2.13. For it is God that worketh in you to will and to doe, according to his good plea∣sure, 2 Cor. 13.3. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you ward is not weak, but is mighty in you; then every word that Paul spoke, Christ in him spoke it not formally, as if Paul had been a m•er patient, but efficaciously, Rom. 15.18. for I will not dare to speak of any of these things which Christ hath not wroughtly me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, Esa. 27.3. I the Lord doe keep (the Church the garden of red wine) I will water it every moment, lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day; keeping and watering every moment, is grace actuall every moment to make his tender Vines grow, and pre∣serving his own from succumbring under every temptation.

2. There were no ground for Adams thankfulnesse and praise, that he stood one moment, or that he gave names to every thing according to their nature, or ever heard with patience the command of God, thou shall not eat, if in every act of obedi∣ence, he had not need of the actuall predeterminating influence of God, nor were there ground for this prayer in faith, and in patient submission to God, as to one to whom we owe the prayses of the not failing of our faith, Lead us not into tempta∣tion; but deliver us from evil, nor were there 3 any glory due to Christs advocation and intercession, that we fall not fully▪ and finally off Christ and from Christ; and the state of Grace, when we are tempted, if free-will, not the actuall influence of predeterminating grace did keep the Saints, and stirre them to every act.

3. Who is the Author and finisher of our faith? Christ; and who perfecteth the good work once begun, but Christ? and who but he bringeth many children to glory? Not we, when [ 1] the soule is distempered under desertion; the soule is so tender and excellent a piece,* love so curious and rare a work of Christ, that let all the Angels in heaven Seraphims, and Dominions, and Thrones set their shoulders and strength together, they can∣not with Angell-tongues, (let them speak heaven, and Christ, Page 481 and glory) calme a soul-feaver, and words of silk, and oyle dropped from the clouds, cannot command the love-sicknesse of a sad soule. Will ye look to heaven, while your sight faile, and weep out two eys while Christs time come, you can∣not find ease for a broken spirit; when Christ breaketh, can Angels make whole? The conscience is a hell-feaver, the com∣forter is gone; can you wi•h a nodde bring the physitian back againe? can golden words charme and calme a feaver of hell? can you with all the love-waters on earth quench a coale of fire that came from heaven? Send up to heaven a Mandate against the decree and dispensation of God, if you can; if the gates of death can open to thee; or if thou hast se•ne the doores of the shaddow of death; or can doe such great works of creation, as to lay the corner-stone of the earth, or hang the world on nothing, which Iob could not doe, chap. 37. chap. 38. But who can command soule-furies? onely one∣ly Christ.

The soule is downe amongst the dead, wandering from one grave to another. Can you make a dead Spirit, a Gospel-harp to play on of the springs of Zion, the songs of the holy Ghost? Christ can doe it. Can you cry, and finde obedience to your call, O North, O South winde blow upon the Garden? Christ hath his owne winde at command; hee is master of his owne mercies: Can you prophecie to the winde to come, and breathe on dead bones? Christ onely can: Can you breathe life, soule, and five senses on a coffin? could you make way for breathing in the narrow and deep grave, when clods of clay closeth the passage of the nostrils? Christ can; Isai. 26.19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my body they shall arise▪ awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Can you draw the virgins after the strong and delitio•s smell of the ointments of Christ? but if he draw, the virgings •unne after his love, Cant. 1.3. Christ indictes warre, are you a creator to make peace? he cryes Hell, and wrath; can you speak joy, and consolation? are you an anti-creator, to undoe what Christ does? Christ commandeth fury against a people, or person; can men,* can an∣gels, can heaven countermand?

Position. 3. The Lords suspending of his grace cometh un∣der a twofold consideration. 1. As the Lord denyeth it to his Page 482 own children. 2. As to wicked men also. As he witholdeth grace, especially actuall and predeterminating: It falleth un∣der a threefold respect; 1. As it is a work of the free and good pleasure and Soveraignty of God.

2. As it is a punishment of former sinnes.

3. As from it resulteth our sinne, even as the night hath its being from the absence of the Sunne; Death from the remo∣vall of life.

4. The Lords denyall of Grace, is seene most eminently in two cases:* 1. In the parting asunder of the two decrees of e∣lection and reprobation.

2. In Gods, with drawing of himselfe and his assistance, in the case of ••ying the Saints.

In the former the Lord has put forth his soveraigntie in his two excellentest creatures: Angels and men; if wee make a∣ny cause in the free-will of Angels: I speak of a separating and discriminating cause,* wh• some Angels did stand, and never sinne, some fall, and become divels, wee must deny freedom of Gods grace in the predestination of Angels: now the Scripture calleth them Elect Angels; how then came it that they fell not? from fre-will? No; Angels are made of God, and for God, and to God; then by the Apostles reason, they could not give first to God, to ingage the Almighty to a recompence, they could not first set their free-will to work their owne standing in Court, before God did with his grace separate them from Angels that fell, Rom. 11.36. Esai. 40.13. 2. Make an e∣lection of Angels, as the Scripture doth, when some are called Elect Angels, and some not, then it must bee an Election of grace; an election of works it cannot be; because Angels must glory in the Lord▪ that they stand, when others fell, Rom 4.2. as men do Proverb. 16.4. Ier. 9.23.24. 2 Cor. 10.17. Rom. 11.•6. for no creature, Angels or Men, can glory in his sight; for Angels are for him, and of him, as their last end, and first Authour, Rom. 11.36. then they gave not first to God, to in∣gage the Lord in their debt, vesr. 35. for if so, then glory should be to the Angels: but now upon this ground, that none can ingage the Lord in their debt, Paul, vesr. 36 saith to him be glory for ever; because none can give to him first, and all are for him, and of him; then so are Angels.

3. Angels are associated in the Element and orbe of free Page 483 grace to move as men, with graces wings, to fly over the Lake prepared for the divel and his Angels, whereas others fell in; otherwise Christ the Lord Treasurer of free grace, cannot bee the head of Angels, Col. 2.9. as of men, Col. 1.8. Ephes. 1.20.21.22 23. for as art, not nature, can prevent a dangerous feaver, by drawing blood, or some other way, even as the same art can recover a sick man out of a feaver, whereas another sick of that same disease, yet wanting the helpe of art, dieth: So the same free grace in nature, speece, and kinde, not free will, hinde••• the elected Angels to fall, where as by constitution of na•u•e and mutabilitie, being discended of that first common po•r 〈◊〉•ase house, the first spring of all the creation of God, meere and simple Nothing, the mother of change and of all defects naturall, and morall, in every the most excellent cre∣ature; th•y were as an humorous grosse body, in which the ves∣sells are full and in a neerest propension to the same feaver that devils fell into, even to the ill of the second death, if the grace of God had not prevented them.

2. In men, God has declared the deep Soveraignty and do∣minion of free grace in calling effectually one man, Iaakob, not Esau, Peter, not Iudas, in having mercy, in time, on whom hee will, and hardening whom hee will; I humbly provoke all Ar∣minians, all Libertines who dash themselves, the contrary way against the same stone, to show a reason why one obey∣eth and actively joyneth with the draught and pull of the right arme of Iesus Christ, Ioh. 12.32. and his father,* Ioh. 6.44. and another refuseth, and actively and wilfully with∣draweth from the call of God, if the omnipotency of never e∣nough praised grace, bee not the cause, the adequate, highest, and principall cause; I deny not but corrupt and rebellious will is the inferiour, culpable, and onely culpable and morall cause why Judas denyeth obedience to the holy call of Christ.

It is a sweet contemplation that Angels and Men sing the same song and Psalme of free grace in heaven, to the Lamb, to him that sitteth on the Throne; and a question it is, if a more ingaging and obliging way to free grace could be devised, then that as many as are in the glorified Troops and triumphing armies in heaven clothed in white, should bee also the sworne subjects, and the eternall debtors of the freest grace of him, who is the high Lord Redeemer, and head of Angels and Men.

Page 484But in the engagement it selfe of the winde of the Spirit, for the tryall of the Saints there is great ground of admiration, as 1. the blowing of the soft and pleasant breathings of the South-winde of free-grace lying under the only work of so∣veraignty, when, and where, and in the measure, the Lord plea∣seth▪ is a high and deep expression of the freedome of grace, for in one and the same prayer (the like by proportion may bee said of the acts of faith, love, patience, hope) we often begin to pray, with sad and fleshly complaints of unbeliefe, as is evi∣dent in many Psalms and Prayers of the Saints in Scripture, Jeremy, Lament. 3. of Iob, of David; yet going on, the breath∣ings of th• holy Ghost will fill the sailes, and he returneth: therefore this, is a ground, yea, a demonstration to me; then when I finde no motion of the holy Ghost,* no spirituall dispo∣sition, but meere deadnesse, I am not to abstaine from pray∣ing, because I finde the Spirit not acting nor stirring in me, as Antinomians say; but 1. I am to act and doe, though the principle of motion be naturall; as if the first stroak on flint make not fire, we are to strike againe and againe: and if the fire blowing of the bellows kindle not the sticks let us be doing, and the Lord will be with us. A kindling and a flame may come from heaven; say that the Lord were wanting to me in a dead and low ebbe; he will not once roll about the sight of his eye, nor let out one blast or stirring of aire and winde of the Spirit toward me; yet my deadnesse is my sin, and freeth not me from an obligation to pray and to seek to God; the doore is fast bolted, shall I not therefore knock? accesse is denyed, and the Lord in ang•r shuteth out my prayer, Lam. 3.8. May not I look and sigh and groane toward his holy Temple? deadnesse is not the Lords revealed will for∣bidding me to pray, because I am dead and indisposed.

2. Deadnesse and indisposition is a sinne, then must we confesse to God, and tell the Lord when we are indisposed to pray, that we cannot pray; and let the dead and the blind but bow his knee and lay a dead Spirit, and naked wretched soul, a paire of blinde eyes before God: for we are commanded to confesse this to God,* as may be gathered from, Revel, 3.17. 1 Joh. 1.9. Prov. 28.13. Psal. 32.5.

3. We are expresly commanded in the day of trouble and of our temptation to pray, and seek help from God under our Page 485 temptations, Psal. 50.15. Matth. 6.13. 1 Thess. 5.17. As the Saints have done, Psal. 18.6. Psal. 34.6. Psal. 61.2. 2 Cor. 12 ver. 7.8.9. If then wee judge the no breathing of the holy Ghost a temptation, and a cause of humiliation, as it is, and the Saints doe judge it, then are we to pray though most indis∣posed; why doth David complain that he was as a bottle in the smoak, and pray so often that God would quicken him, if under a dead disposition we were not to pray?

4. If often the Saints beginning to pray, doe speak words of unbeliefe and from a principle of nature, and if words flowing from the deadnesse and misgivings and rovings of the fl•sh interwoven in with the spirituall and heavenly ra∣vishments of the Spirit of grace and supplication in one and the same complaint and prayer to God, as Psal. 38. Psal. 102. Psal. 77. Psal. 88. Lament. 3. Ier. 20.*Job 8. ch. 16. ch. 19. and in many other passages, where the Spirit and the flesh have Dialogues and Speeches by turnes, and by course, then may and ought the Saints to pray under deadnesse, and do as much as thei• present indisposition can permit them, and the Spirit is seene to come and blow, not by obligation of Covenant or promise, on Gods part, as Iesuites and Arminians with Pela∣gians have taught, but in his ordinary free practises of grace as Philip was commanded to come and preach Christ to the Eunuch while he was reading the Book of the Prophet Esay, not because he was reading Scripture, or because such a pro∣mise is made to these who read Scripture, as the Angels re∣vealed the glad tydings of the birth of Christ, while the shepheards were attending their flocks in the field, not be∣cause they were so doing, as if a promise of the Gospel b•long∣ed to men b•cause they wait one their calling; and Annanias is sent to preach Christ to Saul and open his eyes, while he was praying, not because he was praying, but of meer free-grace, which moveth in this ord•nary current and sphere of free love cong•uously to the Lords freely intended end to save his people; even as the Lord joyneth his influence and blessing to give bread and a Harvest to the sower, Esay 55. yet not that he hath tyed himself by promise to give a good Har∣vest to every industrious husbandman; yet this ordinary pra∣ctise of Grace with the Commandement of God is enough to set us on work to pray, to believe, to acts of love to Christ, in the saddest and deadest times.

Page 4865. It should be no sinfull omission in us, not to pray when the Spirit stirreth us not, if our deadnesse should free us from all sin, because we cannot run, when the Bridegroome doth n•t draw. Christs drawing goeth along with the secret decree of Election, but is not to us a signification of the Lords re∣vealed will, that we should not follow Christ, when he sus∣pendeth the influence of his drawing power.

6. Now as in nature, men may so dare the Almighty in his face,* that God in ju•tice may deny his influence to naturall [ 5] causes: as when malice opposeth the Spirit of God in the Pro∣phet of God,* that the Lord refuseth to concurre with the oyle in Iereboams whithered a•m, that he cannot pull it in againe to him. 2. When the Lord is put to a contest with false god's to work a miracle, as in his refusing to concurre with the fire in burning the three children; for in all causes naturall, or morall, or whatever they be, God has a negative voyce and more. 3. When the axe or the saw boasteth it selfe against him that lifted it; the Lord may use his liberty. So (to come to the second consideration) when Peter proudly trusteth in himselfe: I will dye with thee ere I deny thee; the Lord to punish his pride, must deny his assisting grace, when Peter is tempred, that he may know that natu•e is a s•rry under∣taker; that the man rideth to heaven on a whithered reed, who aymeth to climbe that up-hill-city one his own fles•y and clay, strength; and God to show a black spot on a faire face in heaven, will have it said, there standeth David before the Throne, who once committed adult•ry and to cover the shame of it from men, killed most treacherously an innocent godly man: God here out of the ashes of our sin will have a rose of free grace, that filleth the foure corners of heaven with its smell, to grow green up in the higher Paradise, for a summer of eternity; and will have no Tenants in heaven but the free-holders of grace; it is a question w•ith•r there be more grace or more glory in heaven; for the crown of glory is a crown of grace▪* that va•ie sea of the redemption of grace issued from under our s•nfull falls.

7. Yea, upon this reasonlesse and fleshly ground, if we may omit pray•ng, and so believing, loving, repenting, mortifying our lusts, when the Spirit stirres us not to these acts, and say, if God will suffer me to sinne, let him see to it, then upon the same Page 487 ground all the justified Saints (I should think them Devils, not Saints) might sin, mu•ther, blaspheme, whore, oppresse, commit Sodomy, Incest as Lot, deny J•sus Chr•st, as Peter did, and say as w• are not to pray, nor obliged to a constant course in prayer, when Christ draweth not, and when the Spirit mo∣veth us not (as Antimonians say (with Mr Crispe and others) error, 49. pag. 9.10. Rise, Reign) so neither are we to abstaine from murther, denying of Christ, blasphemy, Sodomy, when the spirit of Christ draweth us not, and moveth & stirreth not our soule to abstinency and a holy feare and circumspection that we commit not such abominations, and Peter might say, I am not obliged to a constant course of confessing Christ before men, unlesse the Spirit stirre me thereunto, and David or any Saint might say, If the Lord will suffer me to murther the innocent, let him see to it; for the Lords drawing and the Spi∣rits st•••ing is as necessary in a holy eschewing of sinnes •f commission, as in sins of omission; and by as great, and an e∣very way equall necessity, if the Lord withdraw himself and the Spirit stirre not, we must f•ll•n such abominations, when tempted by Sathan and the fl•sh, as in the sins of sinfull omit∣ting of praying, praysing, believing, when the Spirit stirres us not thereunto; but the truth is, this necessity can neith•r lay the blame on the holy & spotlesse dispensation of God, nor free us from guiltinesse, because between Gods withdrawing influence, and the sin, there doth interveen an obliging Law that forbids sin, and our free-w•ll and reason acting the sin freely. But we are commanded, 2 Tim. 1.6. To stirre up the grace of God in us,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 its on allusion to the Priests, who were to keep in the fire that came from heaven; grace is resembled to fire under ashes, which with blowing of bel∣lowes is made to revive and burn again; it is the Prophets complaint. Esa. 64.•. There is none that calleth upon thy name, or stirres up himselfe to lay hold on thee; the habit of grace may be warmed, •lown upon, and kindled, that as fire makes fire, so grace may put forth it self, in acts of grace; and the seed of God, in the Saints, 1 Joh. 2.9. may bring forth births like it selfe; motion here produceth heat.

Object. But the actuall predetermination of grace is not in your hand; and without this, acts of praying and believing, are unpossible to me.

Page 488Answ. If this were a sufficient reason, then all works of na∣ture, whatever the creature doth were unpossible; for the plow-man should not goe to till, sow, and reape, because, without the blessing of the common and naturall influence of the first cause he could do none of these things.

2. Because the Saints know not the counsell and minde of God in his decree of joyning of his supernaturall influence, or his suspending of the same, to this or this act of praying, be∣leeving, hoping, loving of Christ, &c. Therefore upon all oc∣casions, the Saints, what ever be their present deadnesse and indisposition, are to pray, beleeve, and to stirre up themselves to lay hold on God. 1. Because as in naturall and morall actions, men are not to neglect plowing, earing, journeying, eating, drinking, sleeping, buying, and selling, upon this ground be∣cause they are ignorant, whether in the work, the Lord shall be pleased to joyne his influence, as the first cause without whom all inferiour causes can doe nothing: So are not the Saints to neglect to pray, because they are dead and indisposed, upon the ground of their doubting and not knowing whether the Lord of grace will be pleased to adde his actuall assistance of grace, to worke in them to will, and to doe; for the Lord may be pleased to adde his supernaturall influence in a moment, his winde bloweth when it listeth, his grace moveth swiftly, when, and where he pleaseth: our good disposition is neither rule, condition, worke, nor hire to move him to work.

2. It is all one, as if we willfully neglected to pray, and resisted the predeterminating grace of God, when wee know not whether the Lord shall deny his influence or no; Yet we disobey the Lord commanding and so obliging us to pray; for as if wee had his influence at our elbow, attending us, so wee are to pray, and set to work: yea, our voluntarie refusing to pray,* wee onely conjecturing evil of God, and of his free grace, without ground, must come from sinnefull wickednesse, not from impotency and weaknesse; for who told you that Christ would bee wanting in his influence? You knew it not from any word of God; and shall you fancie a jealousy against Christs love, without any warrant? even as a servant com∣manded to lift a burthen, upon a sluggishnesse should say, It came thither in a Cart and two horses when hee would never move an arme to take a tryall what he could doe, though the Page 489 burthen were above his strength, when he will not doe as much as he can, his disobedience is wilfull: Therefore wee may say, if wee speake of a voluntary, willfull and groundlesse forsaking of God, in order of time, we first fors•ke God ere hee desert us; but in order of nature, God first forsaketh us, that is,* he with∣draweth his heavenly influence from us, but so as before and af∣ter the act of withdrawing, wee are willing that God should withdraw, and be gone; for we love in all the acts of sinning to hav• a world of our own.

3. Wee are to beleeve in the generall, we being within the covenant, the Lord will keep his promise, Deut. •0.6.*And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine hea•t and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soule that thou mayest live, Ezech. 11.19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you, — 20. that they may walke in my Statutes, Ezech. 36.27. then are we so to set to these duties of wa•king in the Lords way, as wee are to beleeve he will nor deny actuall grace, necessary for our perseverance, because it is his expresse promise, Ier. 31.33.34.35.36. Ier. 32.39.•0. Esai. 59.19 20 21. Esai. 54 10.11. Ezech. 36.26.27. 1 Ioh, 2.1.2. Matth. 16.18. Luk. 2•.3•.32. though in acts not fundamentall, and simply n•cessary for our being in the state of grace, the Lord hath reserved a latitude of independent Sov•raigntie to act the soule in these and these particular a•ts, as seemeth good to him, that every new brea∣thing of the Spirit of •esus, may bee a new debt, and obligation of free grace▪ to Christ.

We are absolutely to p•ay for the breathings of Christs Spi∣rit, to goe a•ong wi•h us, in all the particular acts of a gracious and spirituall walking▪ but we know the Lords absolute good pleasure is his rule hee walks by: so here our desires may bee absolute in seeking, where the Lord gives upon condition of •is owne good will; nor are our desi•es in prayer to bee conform∣able to Gods decree, or free pleasure, but to his revealed will.

Grace is the culours of the inhabitants and citiz•ns of the house of the lower and higher roomes of the new Ierusalem; all the way, and all the home the Sain•s walk in this white; Christ keeps not his Spouse in a close chamber, it is not one great act of free grace onely, when all were in one day redeemed on the crosse, but dayly Christ weareth his Church as a brace∣let Page 488〈1 page duplicate〉Page 489〈1 page duplicate〉Page 490 about his neck, as a seal on his heart, as his Royall dia∣dem,* and a crowne of glory on his •ead, as his love-ring on his hand; this day grace, to morrow new and fresh supply of grace: the next houre grace; hee has strowed all the way to heaven with new grace▪ every day new wine, new Spiknard new pe•fume, new ointments.

When will Christ grow old, and gray-haired? Never: Will his heart ev•r grow cold of love? No: Will hee tyre of love? will he weare out of delight in the Spouse that lyeth for eternity betweene his breasts? No, no: The love of •hrist is alwaies green•, as young-like, as fair, and white today, as from eternity;* this rose is not altered a whit. Who knowes how grace and love in Christs breast solaced themselves in these infinite revolutions of ages, before the creation: how Christs heart was cheering it selfe, and rejoycing to have the first day of the creation dawning, that he might enjoy the love of the sonnes of men, not then created, Proverb. 8.3•.31. as if grace and love had thought long to finde a channell with wide banks to flow in; as if Christ having infinite love with∣in him, in that long, long age (to borrow that expression) should say, when shall time begin? and sinfull men and my my∣sticall body, and desired spouse my Church, have being in the world, that I may out that gr•ce on her? I have love within me, and lying beside me; I rejoyce to have a lover: as if grace in Chri•t, h•d been in too na•row banks, in the in••nite acts of the infinite minde of God and the heart of Christ, and longed to have Men and Angels to give a vent to his love.

And that long avum, the ages that were before the world was, brought it green to us, that long, long endlesse and vast duration, when time shall bee no more, cannot make Christs love change the colour, or grow lesse, or root one Saint out of his heart; When God leaveth off to bee God, •r•ce will leave off to bee Grace: Make Christ repent of Grace, if you can; as Christ has washen his Spouse, and in regard of the guilt of sin, has made her all fair and spotlesse; so doth he day∣ly lick and purge, and cleanse her, in regard of the inherent b•ot, while shee bee faire as the Sunne, and all a new heaven.

Asser. 7. In the third consideration, from this suspensi∣on of divine influence cometh our sinne, as a necessary con∣sequent Page 491 and result; yet so as the Lords suspension, and our trans∣gression fall both in the bosome of divine providence: The Lord knoweth why be withdraweth his grace, that we m•ght know how weighty a thi•g gr•at heaven is laid upon our poor shoulders, and that we would make foule wo•k out of all wee have received, and the flock the second Adam has given is, if we had not Christ to stirre the ship, to lead the minors to hea∣ven, to keepe the inheritance to the little heirs of Christ, should evanish to nothing.

Po•tion 9. If wee consider the Lords denyall of Christ, from wicked men; they c•nnot turne to God,* but that impo∣tency lay in the womb of will; it is not weaknesse onely, but also wilfulnesse, Matth. 23. verse 37. I would have gathered you, (saith Christ) yee would not, Ioh. 5.6. Christ saith to the sick man, wilt thou bee made whole? Then there was a stop in his will, as well as in his weaknesse, er. 44.16. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us, in the Name of the Lord, we will not hea•ken to thee.

2. Love and delight to do ill, is from the strength and mar∣row of the will, not from weaknes only; the seruant that would not leave his master, because he loved him; is a slave for ever, through love to slavery, rather then through impotency to bee free? In those that d•light to doe e•il, Will hath a strong in∣fluence in the evil they doe: every sinner esteemes his prison of hell, a heaven; hi• fetters of sinne on his legs, as a gold chain about his neck.

3. It is a journey of a hundreth miles to Christ, it is unpos∣sible to the naturall man to compasse it,* yet he may walk two of these hundreth miles, though not as a part of the way; he will not so much as cast a sad look after Christ, the will not bestow one sigh after Christ, nor know his own weak∣nesse, nor d•spair of his own hability, nor lie at the water-side, and c•y, Lord Iesus come carry me over; he positively hates Christ; were it possible that the unrenewed man had the two eyes of a renewed man, to see the beauty and high excellen•y of Iesus, though he had still his own lame legs, he would weep out his eyes for a Chariot to carry him to Christ,* hee would send sad love-challenges, after Christ; could these that' are scortched in hell-fire and hear the howling of their fel∣low prisoners, and see the ugly Devils, the bloody Scorpions Page 492 with which Satan lasheth miserable soules, and the huge, deep, broad furnace of eternall vengence, have but a window ope∣ned to see heaven, the •horne, the tree of life, the glory of the Troops clothed in white, and hear the musick of these that prayse him that sitteth on the the Throne, or say but one of the apples of the tree of life were sent down to Hell, and that the damned had senses to taste and smell a graine weight of the glory that is in it, what thoughts would they have of Christ and heaven? It is like they would hate themselves, and send up sad wishes at least, for the continuance of that sight. O could but naturall men see Christ with his own light, it may be they would make out for him: but when all is said of this subject, the grace of God is a desirable thing, better have Chris•'s heart and love and soule toward you, then what else your thoughts could imagine above or below heaven.

If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to mee.

Articl. 5. I come now to the fifth Article, the condition of Christs drawing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; If I be lifted up from the Earth;* this particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (if) is not as in other places, a note of doubting or of a thing of a contingent and uncer∣taine event; Yea, it signifieth here that Christ was not on any deliberation; Shall I die, or sh•ll I not die, for loste man? Christ is not wavering, dubious and uncertaine in his love; love in Christ is more f•xed and resolved upon, then the Cove∣nant of night and day, and the standing of mountaines and hills, Ier. 31.35. Esai. 54.10. in other places of Scripture, it is not a matter of debate; as •oh. 14.3. If I goe away〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Christ made no qu•stion whither he would goe to his father, 1 Ioh. 2.•. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, if any man sinne, we have an Advocate; there is no doubt but the Saints sinne, and if we say we have no sinne, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us, 1 Ioh. 1.8.

To be lifted up from the earth, is expounded to be crucified, v. 33. this is Christs Metaphrase of the kinde of death which he suffered.

Crucifying was a cursed shamefull and base death, Deut. 21▪ 23. yet Christ exp•esseth it by a word of exaltation, Phil. 2.9. lifting up from the earth: Christs death is life, his shame Page 493 glory; there be pearls and sa•hirs of heaven in Christs hell; and •hrist keepeth warm b•eath of life and hot blood in the cold grave; when he is in an agony, which materially was hell, a glorious Angell of Heaven is in that hell with him to comfo•t him; when h• i• born a poore man on earth, and lies in a horses manger, there •s a new bon fire in Heaven for joy that a great Prince is born, a new starre appeares; the weaknesse of Christ is stronger then men. The blacknesse of Christs marred visage is fa•re; in Christs poverty, when hee has not to pay Tribute to the Emperour Caesar, the Sea payes Tribute to the King and Prince of Kings, Iesus; a 〈◊〉 yeelds him a piece of moeny; the lowest and basest rep•o•ches of Christ, his Crosse and suffering• drops the honey▪ the sweet smell of heaven; Christs thorne is a rose, his sadnesse joy; O what most immediate rayes of glory that comes from his face be? the very second •able of Heaven must be exceeding fatnesse, the back pa•ts of the glorious King that sitteth on the Throne must be desirable; the fragments and the broken meat of the Lords higher Table must be incompa•ably dainty: all the earth to these are husks; the reproaches of Christ must be not so sower as they are reported of. 2. He maketh it the cause of Christs drawing all m•n to him. 1. The Holy Ghost will expresse the cursed and shamefull death of Christ, by a word of glory to be lifted up.

1. The dying of Christ is a leaving of the earth.

2. It is a ma•ter of exaltation that Christ was thus abased; Of these two only in this place in the New Testament, and Ioh. 3.15. is Christs dying so expressed; It is considerable that in this manner of death, Christ will hold forth to us, that the dying of Christ i• in a specia•l manner a leaving of the earth; so Ezechiah, Es•i. 37.11.*I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world, that is, I must leave the earth, and see the Sunne no more; and Christ, Ioh. 13.1. Iesus knew that his houre was come, and that he should depart out of this world into the Father; Hence his own word to the re∣penting •heife, Luk. 23.43. To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise, Ioh. 8.21. I goe my way, and yee shall seek me, and shall die in your ••nnes: whither I goe yee cannot come.

Doct. Christ choosed a kinde of death which was a visible leaving of the earth, and a going to •eaven ere he came down Page 494 again off the Crosse; for that day his soule was in Paradise; as the Serpent was lifted up in the wildernesse, Ioh. 3.15. Christs motion in death is from the earth; Christ was tired of the earth, and had his fill of it, he desired no more of it. It is not a place much to be loved by you, Saints for your deare Saviour had but few and sadde dayes on the earth, he was served as a stranger here, and has now left the earth, and gone to the Father; consider but a few reasons to move you to leave the earth: 1. The earth was Christs prison, he could not escape out of it, till he payed his sweet life for it; only two that we read of, Enoch and Elias left the earth, and went to heaven and saw not death; these that shall be changed and shall not die, at Christs comming have this priviledge; but otherwise all have a bruise in the heel, ere they goe out of earth. 2. When Christ was on his journey, he was not so much in love with the earth, as to repent and turn back again; as Christs head and face was toward heaven,* so his heart and soule followed, hee went from the Crosse straight way to Paradise. 3. What doth Christ leave? the earth. It is thy fel∣low-creature of God.

But 1. the foot-stoole for the soles of Christs feet, Esa. 66.1. Math. 5.35.

2. A foot-stoole of clay farre from the the throne of glory, the office house of sin, Esay 24.5. The earth also is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof, chap. 26.21. For the Lord commeth out of his place, to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their ini∣ty; It is Satans walk, Iob 2.2. And the Lord said unto Sa∣tan from whence commeth thou? and Satan answered the Lord and said from going too and from the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

3. Its the poore heritage of the Sonnes of men, a clay pa∣trimony, Psal. 115.16. The heav•n even the heavens are Lords; but the earth hath he given to the children of men; and oppressors are the Land-lords of it. Psal. 10. God ariseth to judge, ver. 18. that the man of the earth may no more oppresse, Io•. 9.24. The earth is given to the hand of the wicked.

4. Yea, it is not only the slaughter-house and shamble• where Christ was slaine,* but all the Martyrs and witnesses of Iesus were butchered here; for its said of Babylon, Rev. 18.2•. And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of the Saints, and Page 495 of all that were slain on the earth; then the earth is the scaffold of the Lambs of Christ where the• throats have been cut.

5. Its a common Inne where bed and board is free to men, Devils, Sonnes, Bastards, Elect and Reprobate; yea,* to beasts called from their Country, Gen. 1.25. beasts of the earth; an earthly minded man, is a fellow-citizen with beasts; it is a home to all but the Saints, its their Pilgrime-Innes; it is a strange land and the house of their Pilgrimage; Psal. 119.19. I am a stranger in the earth; so David; so Abraham and his; though they had the heritage of a pleasant spot of the earth by prom•se, even the Land of Canaan; yet they sojourned in it as a strange Countrey; and Heb. 11.13. Confessed they were strangers and Pilgrimes on Earth, 2 Cor, 5.6. While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.

6. The first doomes-day fell upon the earth, for mans sinne, Genes. 3.17. Cu•sed shall the earth bee for thy sake,*in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all thy dayes. Its a cursed table to man: And the other doomes-day is ripening for it, Revel. 14.15.16. An∣tichrists seat the Earth of the false Church, is a ripe harvest for the Lords sickle of destruction. The last doomes-day is ap∣proaching when this clay-stage shall be removed, 2 Pet. 3.10. The earth and the works therein, the house and all the plenishing shall be burnt with fire: Its no long time that we are here, if wee beleeve, Iob chap. 7.1. Is there not an appointed time to man upon Earth? are not his dayes like the dayes of an hireling?* Iob 14.2. Hee cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down, he fleeth also as a shaddow, and continu•th not. Many generations of hirelings have ended their dayes taske, and have now their wages, ma∣ny sh•ddowe• are gone downe, many Acters have closed their gam•, as it may be, and some have fulfilled their course with joy, and are now within the curtine, since the creation.

7. It is a poore narrow •oom•; Some, Esai. 5.8. make house to touch house, and lay field to field, till there bee want of place,*that they onely may be placed alone on the earth: if they report right of the earth, who make it one and twenty thousand miles in circuit, if new found Lands adde to this some poore •kers, and the Westerne Beast have much of this, Revel. 13.8. and the other Beast of the East, the Turke, the enemy of Iesus Christ, have eight thousand miles of the Land, and other eight thousand miles of Sea, making sixteene thousand Page 496 miles of the two little Globes, (I leave others to examine their Geographie) then it must be a base plea, and a poore lodging to contend for; it were a good use for us to argue, Was the earth my Saviours refuse, and his Inne, not his home, and if Christ left the earth long agoe,* and was tired of it, then let us (Heb. 13.13.) goe forth therefore unto him, without the camp, bearing his reproach: for here have we no continuing citie, but we seeke one to come: We cannot lodge, far lesse can we dwell in a house that shall be burnt with fire; Nor is there roome for us here; there is a more excellent countrey above, where men have no winter, no night, no sighing, no sicknesse, no death, but they live for evermore: wee are thronged here for want of roome, and its a narrow tent; O what a large land is that above, in which we shall not strive for Akers, Land, King∣domes?*In my Fathers house (saith Christ) there are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 many dwelling places, houses, great and fair, and nume∣rous; all these are holden forth to us; the earth is a creature neere of kin and blood to the half of us, and our body. When a Sonne of Adam dieth,* hee returneth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to his owne earth; had he no free heritage on the world, though hee were no landed man, yet when hee goeth to his grave, hee returneth to his owne free heritage, to his owne earth, 32. If I be lifted up from the earth. I will draw &c.

Here is a s•eciall condition of drawing sinners to Christ; the manner of Christ• death, his being lifted up from the earth, holdeth forth a drawing of sinners up after him from the earth to heaven; hence Christs death is a speciall m•anes of heavenly-mindnesse and mortification.* So 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own selfe bare our sinnes in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousnesse, Col. 3.2. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. 3. For you are dead▪ and your life is hid with Christ in God, &c. 5. Mortifie therefore your members, that are on earth, fornication, uncleannesse, &c.

Beza, Piscator, and others think it probable that Christ ut∣tered this prayer to his father, in the Syriack tongue, because the Evangelist useth th• word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to bee lifted up from the earth, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth both to cut off, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth, as Daniel 8.11. by him the daily sacrifice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was taken a∣way; and to exalt and lift on high, 1 Sam. 2.1. my horne is Page 497 exalted, Psal. 99.2. the Lord is high, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 above all the peo∣ple, Psal. 18.47. Let the Lord be exalted Numb. 24.7. Psal. 46.11. Esai. 49.11. Gen. 14.22. so •e holdeth forth such an exalting of Christ, as is to cut off, and to slay; this doth come home to drawing of man from sinne, and the earth, by that Spirit purchased to us by Christs death: Now Christs dy∣ing, thus being a taking of him away from the earth, and from sinners, and that in a shamefull manner, hee being lifted up on the crosse, and hee in this posture drawing us after him, its a clear working in us the death of sinne, and our deadnesse to the pleasures and glory of the world. 1. Christ dyed pulling his brethren out of hell and sinne, hee dyed, and his Spouse in his armes; and this showeth how desirous Christ is to have an union with us; its a posture of love and grace, his head bowed downe to kisse sinner▪ his armes stretched out to im∣brace them, his bosome open to receive them▪ his sides pierced that the doves may fly into the holes of the rock, and lodge there; Christ on the crosse, broached and pierced, as a full vessell,* out of whom issueth blood and water, justification and redempti∣on from the guilt of sinne, and sanctification, is a drawing lo∣ver. 2 Here is fulnesse of power, to reconcile to himselfe all things, whether they bee things in heaven, or things on earth, by the blood of his crosse; here wee are made Chrrsts friends, to doe whatsoever hee commands us, Col. 1.20 Ioh. 15.15.

3. Nor is there a stronger band or cord to draw men from sinne, then the faith of Christs death, Gal. 2.20. I am cruci∣fied with Christ, neverthelesse I live, yet not I, but Christ liv•th in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh,* I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved me, and gave himselfe for me, Gal. 6.14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to mee, and I unto the world; here is reciprocation of death's: Paul is crucifi∣ed to the world, as a dead man, not in the world, nor one of the worlds number▪ A mortified Saint drawne up to heaven from the earth, is an odd person, not under tale, hee may bee spared well enough; the world and the Towne he lives in may be well without him; as Ioseph was the odde ladde▪ separated foom his brethren, and David none of the seven, miscounted in the telling among the Ewes at the sheepfolds, and forgotten as a bastard, or as a dead man out of thought: And againe the world Page 498 is crucified to Paul, for it looks like a hanged man, it smells like a dead corps to a Saints sences. Now thus they have not eyes more affected with the world, nor eares more taken with their musick,* nor a heart more overcome with the lusts of the world, nor a dead man set to a rich table is affected with all the dainties there, or with the harping of the sweetest musician; the man has escaped the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉the pollutions •f the wo•ld, to him the world has sooty fingers, and dirty and picky hands, it defiles washen soules but to the unmortified man the world smelleth like the garden of God: Lust casteth in, and well cometh to eye and heart and fancy, Granadoes and fire-bals of uncleannesse; sinfull pleasure has a rosie face, profit has golden fingers, Court and honour has a sweete breath, the world is not to him an ill smelled stinking corps, fit for no∣thing but for a hole under the earth; Nay but god-Mammon looks like heaven; the world a poore thing, yea the world of it self is but a bagge of empty winde, a fancy: (1.) It has no weight, as touching the part of it wee count most of, the earth, but so many pounds of clay, the dreggs, the earthie bottome of the creation: (2.) the stage that peeces of brittle clay comes upon▪ and weeps, and laughs, and lives, speaks and dies: (3.) The flowers of it, that we are most in love withall, the lusts of the eye, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, are not of God, 1 Ioh. 3.16. (4) It is a house of glasse, or of Ice that stands for the fourth part of the yeere, for winter, but is removed in the Spring, and is never to be seene againe, for it passeth away like a figure written on the Sea-shoar, when the sea floweth, 1 Cor. 7.31. (5.) the frenizes, or passements of it pleasure pro∣fit, honour, are all sick of vanity and change, to the Saints that are crucified, and buried with Christ, in whom lust is nailed to the crosse of Christ, the world is a dead bagge of de∣spised dust, and though a toe or a finger of a crucified Saint will make a motion and a sti•re, and breake a wedge of the Crosse, because of the indwelling of a body of death, yet hear his arguing. O vaine clay-god, dirty Earth, I ow thee no love, because my Lord was lifted up from the earth, and has drawne me after him. I care not for this bubble of a vaine life, this transient shaddow, seeing Christ could not brook it: What is the fancie of a plaistered and fairded worldly glory to mee, if Iesus his face was spitted on? what is this painted globe of an Page 499 empty perishing, and death-condemned world to my happines, seeing my Saviour was a borrowed body, a stranger and slaugh∣tered in the world, and had all against him, and alwayes the winde on his face?

Now let us consider what Antinomians say of mortification;*What is mortification (saith (a) Mr Den) but the apprehension of sin slain by the body of Christ? What is vivification but our new life? The just shall live by faith, I may know (saith the Antinomian) (b)I am Christs, not because I do crucifie the lu••s of the flesh but because I do not crucifie them, but beleeve in Christ that crucified my lusts for me: Much of this lawlesse and carnall mortification is to be found in Saltmarsh his unexperienced treatise of free Grace, in which he labours to make Protestant Divines Anti-christian Legalists in the doctrine of mortification; for his way is (c) that we are to beleeve our Repentance true in Christ, who hath repented for us; our mortifying sinne true in him through whom wee are more then conquerers; our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed the Law for us, and is the end of the Law to every one that beleeveth, our change of the whole man is true in him, who is righteousnesse and true holinesse; and thus with∣out faith it is possible to please God, for there is (saith hee) (d)great deceitfulnesse in mortification of sin, as it is commonly taken, (hee must point at Calvin, and other Protestant Divines, for as Papists and Arminians commonly speake and teach, wee are justified by works of pennance and mortification) for the not acting of sinne, or conceivings of lust is not pure mortification; for then (e)children, and civilly morall men were mortified per∣sons, &c. It is not in the meere absence of the body of sinne, for then dead or sick men were mortified persons.

Eatons Honey comb of justification, chap. 8. pag. 164.165. Wee mortifie our selves onely declaratively, to the sight of men— whereby the holy Ghost seeth not us properly mortifying our sinnes out of the sight of God; for then he should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done before wee begin; nay but when the wedding garment hath freely curified us in the sight of God then the Spirit enters in us to dwell, which otherwise hee would not do, and enableth us to walk holtly and righteously, to a∣void and purifie out of our owne sight, sence, and feeling, and out of the sight of other men that sin which the wedding garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God.

Page 500But this in name, and thing, is the doctrin of the old Libertines in Calvines time,* as •e may read, Calvin opuscul. instructio ad∣versus Libertinos chap. 18. pag. 450.451. The Libertines (saith Calvine) seeme to bee of the same minde with us, and ex∣toll Mortification and Regeneration, and say we cannot be the sons of God, except we be borne againe, and if we belong to God, the old man must in us bee crucified, the old Adam must perish, and our flesh must be mortified; but they destroy all holinesse, and tans∣forme themselves into beasts, when they explaine to us their regeneration and Mortification; they say, regeneration is the re∣stitution of man,*to that innocency in the which Adam was cre∣ated.

And they expound it thus; This state of innocency was to know nothing, neither good nor ill, black nor white, not to know or feel sinne; because this was Adams sinne to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evill; so by the minde of Libertines, to crucifie old Adam is no other thing then to discerne nothing, not to feel sinne in our selves,* as Mr Eaton saith, but all know∣ledge of sinne being removed, it is, according to the custome of children, to follow sense and naturall inclination; hence they drew into their mortification all the places of Scripture in which the simplicity of children is commended; Eaton just so, Honey-Comb, p. 165. unto naturall reason (or sense) objecting, if we be perfectly holy in the sight of God, then we may live freely, as we list in sinne; Paul Answers, Nay, that is unpossible; for (saith he) how can we that are dead unto sinne live y•t there∣in? that is as if a man be by justification restored to the case of the first Adam or perfectly freed from all sin in the sight of God, as hee is freed from the troffick and businesse of this life that is dead, which must needs be, if we be made perfectly holy in the sight of God from all spot of sinne? Nay, he cannot chuse but shew and declare the same by holy and righteous living, to the sight of men, and mortifie them to himself and to his own feeling and sense, as he is by justification dead to them in the sight of God. Consider if Antinomians and Libertines doe not both joyn in this; that though sinne in our conversation and before men, as to walk after our lusts, we being once justified, is tru∣ly contrary to the Law of God, yet to mortifie sin to our sense is to attain to a sense and feeling that it is no sinne to us and be∣fore men, as it is no sin in the sight of God, and in the Court of Iu¦stice, Page 501 because its freely pardoned; this is the currant Doctrine of Antinomians.

Parallel. 2.

When Libertines saw any man troubled in conscience with sinne, they said to him, O Adam, knowest thou somewhat yet?*Is not the old man yet crucified in thee? If they saw any stricken with the fear of the judgement of God; hast thou yet (said they) a taste of the apple? beware that that morsell strangle thee not; sinne yet raignes in thee. So Mr Town the Antinomian said, pag. 103. David confessed his sinne, not according to the truth and confession of faith, but from want and weaknes of faith and effectuall apprehension of forgivenesse, pag. 97. I can look on my self my actions, yea, into my conscience, and my sins remaine (this is the sense of the old Adam, the unmortified flesh) but look into the records of Heaven, and Gods justice, and since the blood∣shed of Christ (why were no the fathers pardoned before Christ shed his blood?) I can finde there nothing against me, but the band by my surety is satisfied▪ and cancelled, and even these present sinnes, which so fearefully stare in my face, are there bl•tted out, and become a nullity with the Lord; I need not cite Mr Denne, Eaton, Crispe, Saltmarsh; for Town and all the An∣tinomian race teach that it is unbeliefe, a work of the flesh of the old Adam, and our weak sense, and want of mortification, that the justified person feels sinne; sorroweth for sinne, com∣plaines of the body of sinne, as Paul doth, Rom. 7. For in that Chapter (saith Crispe) he doth not act the person of a regene∣rate person, but of a scrupulous and doubting unbeliever: But for the justified person, its more then he ought to doe, if he con∣fesse sinne, crave pardon, mourn, fast, wal• in sack cloth, he has peace (saith Towne, pag. 34) Security, consolation, joy, contentment and hap•inesse, except his flesh rob him of these: Its legall and bewrayeth the man to be under a Covenant of works, if upon the committing of Incest, or the greatest sinnes, he doubt whe∣ther God be his deare Father, Rise, •aign, error. 20. And after the revelation of the Spirit, neither the Devill nor sin can make the soule to doubt. Error 32.

Parallel. 3.

Libertines said, sinne, the world, the flesh, the old man was no∣thing but an opinion or an imagination, and these were new crea∣tures, Page 502 that were free of that opinion that sin was any thing,*or such as believed sin to be nothing, and the benefit of Christs death they place in taking away that opinion, by which the first sinne of Adam entered into the world, and under this opinion they com∣prehended all scruple of conscience, sense of judgement or remorse or sorrow for sinne; and when this opinion is taken away then there is no more sinne, nor the world, nor the Devill, nor the flesh.

Antinomians come well-neere fully up to Libertines in this, for in their writings they tell us, that what sinnes justified persons fall in, being once justified, are sinnes (sath H. Denne) of our conversation, and before men, not sinnes in the conscience and in the Court of Divine justice, or as Eaton saith, Honey-Combe, pag. 165.166. Before God they are no sinnes, and in his sight they are perfectly abolished; yea, and become nullities, saith Mr Town Assert. of grace, pag. 97. But to our carnall sense and feeling saith Eaton, they are sinnes, till our sense be mortified, and when we look on our selves, our own actions, yea on our own conscience. Now the adulteries, murthers, denying of the Lord Iesus; that David and Peter and other Saints fall in after their justification, cannot be sins in them∣selves; but only in the opinion and sense and feeling of such as commit these sins, and in such a sense as is contrary to faith and the light of faith that believeth 〈◊〉 jus•ification in Christs death,* and must be abolished and removed by perfect mortification, then all the justified are to believe what •ver sins they commit in their conversation, and before men, are no sins in themseves, or the court of Divine Iustice, or in relation to a Divine Law; but they are sinnes in their sense or er•oneous opinion. If Ioseph be only dead in the opinion and in his Fathers mistaking judgement, then hee is not really dead, but lives. 2. Vnder this head Libertines said mortification was not in Page 503abstaining from fleshly lusts that warre against the soule; but in removing the opinion and sense of apprehending sinne to bee sinne; and so Saltmarsh forbiddeth: 1. Any man to doubt whither his faith be true faith or no, and it is true faith, and wil∣leth all within the visible Church to believe God loved them with an everlasting love, and its true they are all chosen to sal∣vation and that Christ died for all, and that opinion makes it true, that Christ died for them all, and they are all justified in Christ blood; there is here strong power in opinions. 3. Saltmarsh, Den, Town, s•y mortification is not in personall abstinence from worldly lusts, but in faith apprehending that Christ dying on the Crosse satisfied for the body of sinne; then if they abstaine from adultery, murther, perj•ry, being once justified, its of meer curtesie, and of no obligation to ei∣ther Law or Gospel command, and if they commit such flesh∣ly sinnes, they are only sinnes to their weak flesh and opi∣nion, not in themselves; and if they lay aside that opinion and carnall sense, by the which they believe these to be sinnes, and believe that Christ has abolished them, then these sinnes are no sinnes, but perfectly mortified and abolished; that I doe them no wronge, I repeat Mr Eaton's words; Honey-Combe, chap. 8. pag. 165. The Holy Ghost seeth us not proper∣ly mortifying, cleansing and purifying our sinnes out of the sight of God our selves, for then he should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done, before we begin; but when the wedding garment wrought by his blood, hath freely purified them out of Gods sight, then the spirit (we being thus first clean in his sight) enters into us to dwell in us, which otherwise he would not doe; but being entered and dwelling in us, he inableth us by walking holily and righteously to avoyd and purifie out of our own sight, and out of the sight of other men, that sin which the wedding garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God and so we meerly declare before the Spirit,* that he himself and Christs righteousnesse have originally and pro∣perly cleansed and purified away and utterly abolished them out of Gods sight freely. But this holy walking, they talk of is not opposed to sinning or walking after the flesh, it is but a removing of the sinfull sense and feeling or knowledge of unbeliefe, by which we apprehended sin pardoned to be sinne, when it was no such thing; but our erroneous sense or opini∣on Page 504 as the taste of the forbidden apple remaining, could not rightly judge of these sinnes, because our life of justification is hid with Christ in God, and we apprehended our selves to be under a Law, and our lying, adulteries, swearing, &c. to bee sinnes before God and contrary to his holy Law, when they were no such thing; for we being justified, are under no Law, and so as clean from sinne as Christ himselfe, but our dreaming sense judged so, but erroneously and falsly; for abo∣lished sinnes are no sinnes.

Parallel. 4.

*Libertines taught that regeneration was a cleane Angelicke state in which they were voyde of sinne, and when they were re∣buked for sinne, they answered, non ego sum qui pecco, sed asinus meus, Its not I, but my asse or sinne dwelling in me doth the sinne; and they cited the same Text, that Antinomians doe now, 1 Ioh. 3. He that is borne of God, sinneth not. So Antino∣mians. Mr Eaton frequently, especially Honey Combe, chap. 6. ch•p. 7. saith, being justified we are made perfectly holy and righ∣teous from all spot of sinne in the sight ▪of God. Saltmarsh flow∣ings, par. 2. chap. 29. pag. 140. The Spirit of Christ sets a be∣liever as free from hell, the Law and bondage here on earth, as if he were in heaven, nor wants he any thing to make him so, but to make him believe he is so;*for Sathan sinfull flesh, and the Law are all so neare, and about him in this life, that he cannot so walk by sight or in the clear apprehension of it, but the just doe live by faith. So Sal. abets nothings of what Libertines say, he will not have sinne dwelling in the Saints, but will have the justified as clean from sinne, both the guilt and obligation to eternall wrath (which we yeeld) and from the bondage and in-dwelling of sinne, of which Paul complaineth so sadly, Rom. 7. as the glorified in heaven. 2. If the •justified sinne only, he doth not really sinne, but only in the dreamings and lying imaginations of his sinfull flesh; because, Sin, Sathan and the Law, are near him; so that it is the Devill• and the living flesh, the asse; not Paul that makes him Rom. 7. com∣plaine he was sold und•r sinne; Crisp saith, Paul lyed when he saith so; If Peter walk by faith, then Peter shall see his denyall of Christ, and David his adultery and murther to be no sinnes, for they want nothing to make them as free from sinne, death, as these that are now in heaven•, but believe it is so, believe Page 505 adultery and murther in these justified persons to be no sin•, and they are no sinners; this looketh as l•ke the Devilish mor∣tifi•tion of David Georgius, and Libertines, and the casting off of their sense of discerning good and ill,* and the banishing common honesty, and the principels of a naturall conscience, as milke is like milke. Yea, Mr Town contendeth for a compleat perfection, not only of persons justified in Christ, but also of performances, so that (saith he• pag 73, I believe there is no sinne▪ no male •ction, no death in the Church of God, for they that believe in Christ are no sinners; and hee will have a perfection not of parts, but also of degrees, pag. 77. This he p•oveth from Luthers words perverted.

Parall. 5.

Libertines, (saith Cal•ine•) because the Scripture saith we are freed from the curse of the Law, and made free in Christ,*without all distinction, will have the whole Law abolished, and that we are to have no regard of •he Law a• all.

Now I need not cite Mr Town and others Antinomians, who will have believers freed not only from the curse & rigor of the Law, but from the Law as a rule of righteousnes, its obvious to all that read their writings. to which Calvine Answers well, There is not (saith he) any Epistle of Paul, in which he doth not send believers to the Law, as to a rule of holy living, to the which they all must co•form their life: Yet Antinomians are not ashamed to pretend Calvins name and authority for their opini•n▪ w•en Calvine in a learned Treatis• refuting the Li∣bertines of his time, doth clearly condemn the Antinomians of our time; and proveth from the necessity of sanctification, that we are not f•eed from the Law.

Some a little legally biassed (saith Saltmarsh (f) are cari∣ed to mortifie sinne by vowes, promises, shunning occasions, removing temptations, strictnesse and severity in duties▪ (what aileth him at w•lking 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, strictly, Ephes. 5.15. Psal. 16.4. Iud· v. 23?) feare of hell and judgement, —watchfuln•sse, scarce rising so h•gh for thier mortification as Christ — but pure, spirituall,(g)mysticall mortification is being planted together in Christs death, in our union with Christ. So as a believer is to consider himselfe dead to sinne only in the fellowship of Christs death my∣stically, and to consider himself only dying to sinne in his own nature spi•itually, so as in Christ he is only compleat; and in Page 506 himselfe imperfect at the best. I finde (saith Saltmarsh) (h)no promise made against the never committing such a particular act or sinne which a man lived in, in his unregenerated condition; there are differences made, but it puzzles both D•vines and the godliest to finde a difference between sinnes committed before, and after regeneration; for take a man in the strength of natu∣rall or common light, l•ving under a powerfull word or preacher, by which his candle is better lighted then it was, such a man shall sinne against as seeming strong conviction, as the other, if not more; This to me is that which the Libe•tines of New-England (i say, That there is no differencs between the graces of hypocrites and believers in their kind; And know in the Covenant of works, a legalist may attaine the same righteousnesse for truth which Adam had in innocency, before the fall; And (l)a living faith, that hath living fruits may grow from the living law. I see not but all these must follow, if a regene∣rate David▪ or Peter may commit the same act of relapse and falling in the same sinne of adultery and murther after con∣version,* which he committed before conversion: then he must commit the same sin with the like intension & hight of bensill of wil after as before conversion, & he mu•t now after he is con∣verted, fall again in the same act of murther, denyall of Christ, being now converted, which he committed before conversion, that is as the unconverted man with the rankest and highest strength of lust, & unrenewed will in its fervor of strength and rebellion did murther & d•ny Christ, without any reluctancy and pr•testation on the contrary from the renewed will or the Spirit, he may, being converted, fall in the same sinne; yea, with a higher hand, and without any reluctancy from the re∣generate part; this to me must inferre necessarily the Aposta∣cy of the Saints, as that believers may fall againe in these same sinnes with as high and up-lifted hand against God, with as strong, full and high bended acts of the will after, as b•fore conversion, so as the battell of the Spirit against the •lesh in this wicked relapse does utterly cease: for Perkins who denyeth a man can fall in the same sinne, of which he once sync•rly repented, and whom Saltmarsh judgeth a Lega∣list and Anti-Christian in this point, denyeth that a Con∣vert may fall in the same sinne that he committed in his un∣regenerated state, or that a Convert can fall in the same sinne, Page 507 every way the same with the like strength of corruption that this Convert before acted in his unregenerated condition, yea, or regenerate, he having a further growth of habituall renovation in the second fall, and so a higher habituall re∣luctancy of the renewed part, then when he formerly fell in th• same sinne, and so it cannot be the same sinne but a lesser, otherwise he never sincerly repented of the former sinne, if this bee more grievous and committed with a higher hand: Now Saltmarsh his ground is different f•om all Pro•estant Divines, to wit, (m)That the wound, pricking or sorrow for sinne in an enlightned soule leaveth no such habituall impression of re∣morse as the man dare never adventure to commit the like again; for (saith he) th• gales and breathings of the Spirit of sorrow for sinne are like the winde that makes a thing move or tremble while the power of the aire is upon it, but as that slackens or breaths, so doth it.

But this is to say right down that the Spirit of Grace,* that causeth sorrow according to God, and repentance which is never to be repented of, is but an evanishing and transient act like the blowing of the wind on a tree; the Scripture maketh the spirit that produceth mourning and remorse for sin, when the sinner sees him whom he has pierced, an habituall in-dwelling Spirit, and calls him, Zach. 12.10. The Spirit of grace and supplication; if then the Spirit of Adoption be no transient, but an habituall and inbiding grace, as is evident, Rom. 8.23, 24, 25, 26. It is a received spirit, abiding in us helping our infirmities, teaching us what to pray; it is Esa. 44.•, 4, 5, 6. Water poured on the thirsty, making us confesse and subscribe the Covenant, & if it be, as it is the New heart, Ezech. 36.26, 27. The Law in the inner parts, Ier. 31.33 the seed of God, 1 Ioh. 3.9. the annointing abiding in us, 1 Ioh. 3.27. A well of water of an everlasting spring within us, Ioh. 4.14. I se• not how a Spirit groaning in us, when we pray, Rom. 8.26. sighing, sorrowing for the in-dwelling body of sin, Rom 7.14, 23, 27. can be but a passing away motion like a blast of ayre; but this is the mystery of Libertines that the•e is no inheren• grace in-biding in the Saints, no spring of sanctification; all grace is in Christ and his imputed righte∣ousnesse, and so they destroy sanctification: 2. The ayme of Sal. is here, that if we sorrow once, and scarce that, at the beginning of conversion, wee are never more to confesse or Page 508 sorrow for sinne, when that transient motion, like a fire-flaught in the ayre is gone. But for mortification against all contrary blasphemies we say.

Asser. 1. Mortification is not as Mr Denne saith, An appre∣hension of sin sl•in by the body of Christ:* 1. Because this appre∣hension is an act of faith, in the understanding faculty, be∣lieving that Christ has mortified sin for me, and so Mr Denne saith, vivification is to live by faith, that is to believe that I am justified and have life and righteousnes freely in Christ. Now mortification is not formally any such apprehension, it doth flow from faith as the effect from the cause; but mortification denominates the man mortified not in his apprehending and knowing that Christ wa• mortified and dyed for him; but in that he really himself is dead, when it is said, •ol. 3.3. for you are dead, Gal. 6.14. by Christ I am crucified to the world and the world crucified to me: by this fancy, the world and the sinfull pleasures crucified must be the faith and apprehension that is in the fleshly pleasures and lawlesse-lusts by which these lusts ap∣prehend and know that Christ dyed for them; for Paul saith, as well that the world is crucified to him, as he unto the world.

2. Mortification is a deadnesse in will and affections, and the abaiting,* halfe death, the languor and dying of the power of our lusts to sinne; as a believer is dead to vaine-glory, when contentedly he can be despised, have his name trampled on, be called a Deceiver, a Samaritan, and when the Apostles went out from the Councell Act. 5.41. Rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame; and the Saints are pers•cuted, reviled, and men speak all manner of evill against them falsly, for the name of Christ, Matth. 5.11, 12. and yet are so farre from the boyling and rising of sinfull lusts in them▪ that as if choir lusts were dead, they rejoyce under the hope of glory, then are they mortified to these lusts and the like, I say, of fleshly pleasures, of unlawfull gaine. 2. Mortification is when the heart runnes not out wantonly and whoorish∣ly upon the pleasures of the creature, we are too ready to take the creature in our bosome; but mortification is when the heart stands at a distance from creatures; as Iob saith of him∣selfe, Chap. 31.24. If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, thou art my confidence, ver. 25. if I rejoyced because my Page 509 wealth was great. 3. Its to be from under the power or bon∣dage to the creature or the world, the believer is above the creature, and the world is under his feet as a drudge or ser∣vant; they have no Dominion over the heart; he has a wife as if he had no wife; the man buys and possesseth not; because when he has bought houses, gardens, lands, they are no more in the center & heart of his love, then if they were the houses & lands of an other man; mortification is a Lord over the creature. But there is nothing more contrary to the Gospel and the grace of Christ, then that the Apostles rejoycing, when they we•e scourged & shamed for Christ, had nothing of realty of scourg∣ing of shame, nor of reall joy & deadnesse to the world in their persons; only they believed and apprehended that Christ was scourged, shamed, crucified for their sinnes; this is but opinative, not reall mortification; The Scripture knoweth nothing of imputed mortification, as contra-distinguished from reall per∣sonall and inherent mortification.

3. When Paul saith, Col. 3.5. Mortifie therefore your mem∣bers▪ which are upon earth, fornication, uncleannesse, inord•nate affection, evill concupiscence—for which things the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience; h•s sense must be,* be∣lieve and appreh•nd that fornication, uncleannesse, are mor∣tified to your hand, and that Christ has slaine the body of sin on the crosse, and the•e is an end; now this is to annihilate sanctification, and to make justification all; whereas justifi∣cation, it alone is no justification being separated from sancti∣fication, as Libertines doe, and the Popish sanctification, or the morall acquiring of a new habit of holinesse, and the infusion of supernaturall habits is not justification at all, yea, nor true sanctification, for they separate it from the free imputation of Christs righteousnesse, to a believing sinner: The Libertine takes away sanctification and makes justi∣fication all; the Papist takes away justification by faith and the free grace of God, and in the place thereof substitutes a supposed morall, or civill sanctification; which to him is all in all; further if this (Mortifie your members and the body of sinne) be nothing but believe that Christ has mortified the body of sin already, then as we are justified from eternity, as some Libertines say, or as all say, before we believe remis∣sion of sins in Christs blood: so to be mortified to our lusts, Page 510 must he to believe we are mortified to our lusts long before we believe. Paul thinks not so of the Colossians, set he saith, v. 7. chap. 3. In which also yee walked some time, when yee lived in them, v. 8. But now also put off all these, wrath, malice, &c. Then before they were converted, and did believe, they we•e not mortified nor freed from uncleannesse, fornication, because then they walked in these; except Libertines say that they were mortified and did not walk in uncleannesse, before they believed, but were delivered in themselves from walking in these lusts, only they were not in their own sense delivered, but in their own sense, though not really, they did walk in fornication and uncleannesse; this is not sober divinity; for they say, before we believe wee are justified, though not to, or in our own sense and feeling till we believe; and why are we not also sanctified and effectually called before we believe? for whom he called and predestinated, them also be justified, Rom. 8.3•. And the Scripture never shewes us of a man in time justi∣fied, before hee bee sanctified, and mortified in some mea∣sure.

4. When Paul saith Col. 2.6. As yee have therefore recei∣ved Christ, so walk in him, hee meanes so mortifie your lusts; then he must intend this; walk in Christ, that is believe that Christ walked in Christ for you; and put on love and brother∣ly-kindnesse, and pray continually, in all things give thanks, abstaine from worldly lusts, love one another, keep your selves from Idols, seeke the thinks that are above, &c. must have no other mea∣ning but believe that Christ has put on love for you, that he abstaines from fornication for you, gives thanks, abstains from wordly lusts for you, keeps himselfe from Idols, seeks the things that are above, mortifies his members that are on earth, fornication, uncleannesse, inordinate affection, for you; all which are blasphemies; or they can have this sense at the best, love one another; that is, believe that Christ hath satis∣fied for your hating one another, and then yee love one another; and keep your selves from Idods, that is, apprehend and believe that Christ hath died for your Idolatry. Now this is a mocking of sanctification, not a commanding of it.

Then to doe all these and abstaine from fornication, must be commanded and forbidden in sou•• other Gospel, otherwise we performe will-worship, and will-obedience to God, with∣out Page 511 warrant of his word, and the grace of God in the Gospel doth not teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, in our owne person, but onely to beleeve that Iesus Christ has a•d doth deny •ngodlinesse and worldly lusts, and performe active and personall obedience for us, and to our hand; for Liber∣tines cannot expound one Gospel charge one way, and another Gospel command another way, and that wee are obliged to personall active obedience in one precept,* and to imputed active or fidei jussory, or mediatory obedience in Christ, in another; yea when we are in the Gospel to beleeve with a promise of •ife and righteousnesse, and that damnation is threatned, if we believe not, so are wee commanded to mortifie our lusts, and seek the things that are above with promises, and forbidden to walk after our lusts, because for these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience, then I may with equall strength of reason say that the sense of these passages, Beleeve in I•sus Christ who justifies the ungodly, and beleeve the imme∣diate testimonie of the holy Ghost witnessing to your hearts that ye are the sonnes of God, must bee not to beleeve in your owne persons, but beleeve that •esus Christ beleeveth for you, on Christ that justifieth sinners and beleeve that the Spirit•: witnesseth to Christs Spirit, that yee are the sonnes of God: Now if the •ommands of the Gospel urge us not to personall obedience, but to beleeve that Christ (as S. saith) has obeyed for us, and that in the Gospel way, they cannot oblige us in a law-way, as they teach, so by law and Gospel wee shall bee freed from all personall obedience and morti••cation, Saltmarsh and Libertines bid us bee merry, and beleeve that Christ has done all these for us.

5. A fle••ly presumer walking after his lusts may beleeve that Christ mortified sin for him, obeyed the Law, & repented for him: so if a hypocrite as an h•pocrite, a presumer vainly puffed up, void of all down-casting and conscience of sin, beleeve that Christ has repented and mortified sinne, and beleeved for him, though he live as the devil beleeving and trembling, hee is not to doubt his faith.

If they say, that men beleeving savingly and sincerely, can∣not goe on in a constant walking after their lusts, never hum∣bled for sinne, never dispairing in themselves, never out of love constraining them to please God and strive to walk in Page 512 Christ, as they have learned him; for if they be such, their faith is but wilde oats, and empty presumption: then they say, 1. Men know their faith to be found, by holy walking: 2. Men may call in question their faith, if their works b•lie their faith: 3. They deny that a fleshly man, as such, and never humbled, can beleeve, (this is our doctrine.)

Asser. 2 Never any of our Divines said that pure mor∣tification is the not acting of sinne, or the not conceiving of lusts; nor that it is the meere absence of the body of sinne; this is a foule slander; which if willfull, Antinomians, though in their owne eyes perfectly holy, in the sight of God must answer to God for: nor is that any argument of weight to prove that mortification is not the absence of the body of sin, because then (saith hee) dead and sick men were mortified persons, except w•e admit such new vaine divinitie that a bodily ague or sicknesse does extirpate the body of sinne out of the soule, which mad or frantick men would not say; and if it bee truth that the bo∣dy of sinne dwelleth in us, in this life, this body of sinne is either sinne, or no sinne; if it bee no sinne, l•t Libertines speak plaine truth, wee deceive our selves, if wee have no sinne; If it bee sinne; Then let Libertines resolve us, how Crispe and Ea∣ton and Denne say we are all as holy and cleane from sinne, being once justified, as our surety Christ is, and as spotlesse on earth as the Angels and glorified that are in heaven that stand before the throne; now certaine, neither in Christ, nor in Angels, is there any spot of sinne, or any indwelling bo∣dy of lust:* and Crispe gives this reason why sinne dwelling in the Saints, is no sinne; It cannot sink (saith he) into the head of any reasonable person, that sin should be taken away (by the Lambe of God, Ioh. 1.29) and yet be left behind; it is • flat contradiction; if a man be to receive money at such a place,*and he doth take this money away with him, is the money left in that place, when he hath taken it away? Mr •enne has a fine 〈◊〉 for this; hee saith, there is sin in the conscience, and sinne in the conversation: Christ hath taken away sin out of the conscience of his called peo∣ple, 1 Pet. 3.21. Heb. 10.22. The whi•e rayment wherewith the Saints are cloathed ••gnifieth not only cleannesse before God, but also purity and cleannesse of conscience confi•ing in the apprehen∣sion of that glorious estate and •ondition in Christs death;*so there is no sin at all in the Saints, 1 Ioh. 1.8. and the blood of Iesus Page 513 Christ shall purge you from all sin: in the conscience does joy and gladnesse dwell, and there is no more place for sorrow and sigh∣ing; and there is sin in the conversation or hands: now a man may be strict in conversation, and yet not pure and cleane in Con∣science: So its possible a man hath beene an exceeding sinner, and yet is not wholy cleansed from all wickednesse in conversation; if this seeme a mystery to you that sinne in the flesh (in the body, outward man or conversation) should stand wi•h puritie of consci∣ence take these reasons, if purity of conscience could not be found, but where there is purity in the flesh, a pure conscience could not at all be found on earth, for there is none that doth good, no not one, Rom. 3.12. (2.) Puritie of conscience ariseth not from puritie of conversa∣tion; but the original of purity of conversation is from the consciences apprehension that all our impurities and sins were laid on Christ; and in regard of sin in the conversation, if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves, 1 Ioh. 1. and 1 Ioh. 3.9. He that is born of God doth not commit sinne.

Answ. 1. Sinne in the conversation,* and outward man is essentially sin; to •ill my neighbour with my hands, to speak with an unbridled tongue, to the Apostle Iames, argueth a vain religion, and must be pardoned, else such sins condemn; for he that offends in one, is guilty of the breach of the whole law. Ergo, sinne in the conversation must be sinne in the conscience, and the distinction must be vaine; for the one member is essen∣tially affirmed of the other.

Now when John saith, if wee say wee have no sinne, wee de∣ceive our selves; hee must mean of sinne in the conscience, and of sinne before God, and not in the flesh and conversation on∣ly, because if sinne in the conversation bee no sinne, then when wee commit sinne in the conversation, we faile against no Law of God, and doe nothing that can bring us under eternall con∣demnation, and if in committing sinne in the conversation, we do nothing contrary to Gods Law, wee may well say wee sin not, and yet not lye in saying so.

2. Iohn must understand sinne in the conscience, and in the sight of God, when he saith, if wee say wee have no sin, wee lye, because that of that same sinne of conversation of which Mr. Den supposeth Iohn to speake, hee addeth in the next words, 1 Ioh. 2.1. If wee sin, wee have an advocate; but the sinne which has need of an advocate, has need also of a pardon, and Page 514 is a sinne against the Law, and in the sight of God, and in the conscience.

3. By this wee may bee pardoned, pure in conscience, justi∣fied in Christs blood▪ and yet before men, in the flesh, outwa•d man,* and conversation under sinne, and yet not bee guilty be∣fore God; so drunkennesse, murther, Sodomy, incest, den•ing of the Lord Iesus Christ before men, shall bee no sinnes before God; for that which is p•rdoned is no more sinne then if it ne∣ver had been committed, as Libertines say, and is no more sin then any thing that ever our Saviour Christ did, or the elect Angels; now the sinnes which they call sins of conversation, and the Apostle Peters denyall of Ch•ist, and all the sinnes of the Iust•fied Saints, their Murthers, Adulteries, Parricids, &c. are pardoned, before they have the being or ess•nce of sinne, ere they bee committed; ergo, when they are committed they are no mor•sins before God, and in the Court of Conscience, and no more capable of pardon,* then they were before they had any being, and were not as yet committed at all: the murther that David is to commit some twenty yeers before ever he bee King of Israel, and shall commit, it is no more his sinne to bee char∣ged on him in the sight of God, then originall sinne can be char∣ged on David before David or his father lesse bee borne; what may be charged as a sinne on David, in regard hee is not yet borne, is no more his guiltinesse, as yet▪ then the guiltines of any other man: Now Davids murthe•, Peters denyall, they being justified from these sinnes, and pardoned ere the sinnes have any being in the world, cannot bee sinnes at all, nor such as are charged on Mankinde, Rom. 3. Psal. 14. There is none that doth good, no not one; for this sinne stops the mouth of all the world, makes them silent, guiltie and under condemnation before God, v. 19.20. and how Mr, Den can cite this to prove that there bee some sinnes of conversation distin•t from sinnes in the conscience, let the Reader judge; Yea, to my best under∣standing by these reasons while I bee resolved, Otherwise Li∣bertines must hold neither the elect before or after justification can sinne any at all.

4. It is most false that a man strict and upright in conver∣sation, can have a foule and polluted conscience, if you speake of true sincere strictnesse and u•rightnesse of conversation, as the scripture speaketh, Psal. 50.23. To him that ordereth his Page 515 conversation aright, I will shew the salvation of God, Psal. 37.14. The wicked drawes his bow to slay such as bee of upright conversation; the principle of a soun• conversation is the grace of G•d, 2 Cor. 1.12. the sound conversation is heavenly mindednesse, Phil. 3.20. and is in heaven, and must be, as be∣cometh the Gospel of Christ, Phil. 1.27. a good conversation, Iam. 3.13. wee are to be holy in all manner of conversation, 1 Pet. 1.15. and so even before men; God beholdes the sins that we doe to men, no lesse then our secret sinnes wee com∣mit again•t God, and the scripture requires in our conversati∣on that it bee holy, 1 Pet. 1.15. honest, 1 Pet. 2.12. chas•e, 1 Pet. 3.2. without coveteousnesse, Heb. 1•.5. not vain, 1 Pet. 3.16. not as in times past in the lusts of the flesh Ephes. 2.3. But the putting off of the old man, Ephes. 4.22. In charitie, in Spirit, in Faith, in puritie, 1 Tim. 4.12. Now every conver∣sation contrary to this, argueth an unjustified and unpardoned man▪, and must •e an unpardoned and sinfull conversation, so as there is neither strictnesse nor uprightnesse, nor any thing but sinne and an unpardoned estate, where this conversation is not, what ever Antinomians say on the contrary, beeing in this, as in other points, declared enemies to the grace of sancti∣fication. But if we speak of a strict and upright conversation, in an hypocriticall outside, Its true, many are as Paul was, strict Pharisee•, precise Civilians, painted tombes without, but within full of rottennesse and dead mens bon•s: But this way Sathan onely saith Iob is a strict walker, and serveth God for hire, and the enemies of Christ joyn with Antinomians in this, to say, that the justified in Christ, have but sinne in their con∣versation, but wide consciences, because they study strictnesse of walking with God; but puritie of conversation, (as the places cited prove) must bee unseparably conjoyned with pu∣ritie of conscience; separate them who will, Christ hath joyned them.

Mr. Eaton and Mr. Town call the sinnes of justified persons sinnes according to their sence or the flesh, but in regard of faith they are cleane of all sin, and without spot in the sight of God. So Eaton Hony combe, chap. 5. page 87. God freeth us not of sins to our sence and feeling, till death, for the exercise of our faith. yet in his owne sight he hath perfectly healed us. chap. 5. pag. 95. So Saltmarsh Free grace, page 57. chap. 3. article 3. calls it the Page 516 lust of sinne, the just (saith he) shall live by faith, which is not a life of sence and sanctification meerly, but by beleeving of life in another.

I should gladly know, if sinne in the justified be sinne re∣ally and indeed, or against any Law? I beleeve not. 1. Eaton saith, •in hath lost its being in the justified: Saltmarsh part. 2. chap. 32. If a beleever live onely by sense, reason, ex•erience of himselfe as he lives to men, he lives both under the power and fe•ling o• sin and the Law: Now hee should not live so; this is the use of unbeleefe; ergo, He ought to beleeve that h• hath no sinne; and so hee hath no sinne, nor doth he sinne, onely the blinde flesh falsely thinketh that is sinne which is no sinne:

But faith is not to beleeve a lie; then a beleever may say, he has no sin; Iohn saith, that is a lie.

Assert. 3. Mortification essentiall is in abstaining from w•rldly lusts,* and in remisse and slacked acts of sinning, and in begun walking with God, and acts of holy living, yet so as all these do flow from faith in Christ; another mysticall or Gospel-mortification is unknown to the Gospel, Rom. 6.•. Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so we also (consider the formall acts of mortification) should walk in newnesse of life, ver. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likness• of his death: we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection, ver. 6. •nowing this that our old man is cruci∣fied with him, that the body of sinne might be destroyed, that hence∣forth we should not serve sin; Then as it is one thing to sinne, and another thing to serve sinne; so acts of mortification must be in abstaining from greedy sinne, as hired servants make it their life and work to sin; and in remisse and weakned acts of sinne, as a dying mans operation are lesse intended and hightned then of a strong man in vigor▪ and health; as for the plenary mortification, expiring, and death of the body of sin, we think i• cannot be, so long as we are in the body, Col. 3.3. Yee are dead, ver. 5. mortifie therefore your members that are upon earth, fornication, uncleannesse, &c. To mortifie fornication, must be the none-acting of fo•n•cation: 1. Be∣cause it is an abominable sense to imagine that we mortifie for∣nication, when we believe that Christ abstained from fornica∣tion for us▪ 2. On to believe that Christ dyed for our fornicati∣on Page 517 and uncleannesse; for both these may hold forth mortifica∣tion of fornication and committing of fornication. 2. Because for not mortifying of fornication, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience, ver. 6 Now wrath com•s not on wicked men because they believe not that Christ abstained from fornication for them; many walk in uncleannesse, co∣vetousnesse, who are therefore under wrath, who are not ob∣liged to believe that, because they never •eard the Gospel. 3. Such an abstinence from fornication is here commanded, as the Colossians and other Gentiles walked in, ver. 7. and which they had now put off with the old man, ver. 8. But the Colossians, while they were Gentiles, and heard not of the Gospel, did not walk in this as in a sin, that they believed not that Christ abstained from fornication for them and satisfied divine justice for their fornication; but their sin was, that in person, they commit∣ted these sinnes, 1 Pet. 2.11. Dearely beloved▪ I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fl•s•ly lusts that warre against the soule, ver. 24. Who his own self bare our sinnes in his own bo∣dy on the tree, that we being dead to sinnes should live to righte∣ousnesse Rom. 8.11. And if the Spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall als• quicken your mortall bodies, ver. 12. Therefore brethren, we are debters not to th• flesh, to live after the fl•sh, vers. 13. for if yee live after the fl•sh yee shall die: But if yee, through the Spirit, do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live, ver. 10. If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christs, have crucified the flesh, with the affections & lusts, Gal. 2.1•. For I, through the Law, am d•ad to the Law, that I might live unto God; all Gospel-commands to subdue the lusts of flesh, not to serve the flesh as debters paying rent thereun•o: to mortifie the deeds of the body, not to live to our selves &c. were meer precepts for justification, not for san∣ctification and mortification of lusts, and should •urn the Saints into meere Solifidians, Gnosticks, empty Professors and fruitlesse trees, if ou• mortification were not in the weakning of lusts, •bstinence from sin???service, and living to him who is our ransomner. There is nothing more false then that ever our Divines taught to mortifie sinnes by vowes, promises strictnesse and severity o• duties, watchfulnesse scarce rising so high for mortification as Christ: For its Christ and faith in his death Page 518 that is the spring and fountaine of mortification; yet is mor∣tification formally in holy walking, and not formally in be∣l•eving, for then should we be justified by mortification, for sure we are justified by faith: 2. Faith is a duty of the first Table respecting God in Christ as its object: mortification to uncleannesse, vaine-glory or the like, is a duty of the second Table respecting men.

Asser. 4. The living of the just by faith, is as well the life of sanctification,* as of justification; its true the life of justifica∣tion is the cause, more compleat and perfect, and the other the effect and unperfect; but our spirituall condition is not only in sanctification, but also in justification. And only enemies of free-grace, separate the one from the other; and highten the one to feed men on the East wind, and lessen the other, as if sanctification were an accident, and some indifferent Ceremony, that men walk after the fl•sh and believe, that Christ for them walked after the Spirit, and that is enough: nor doe wee teach men to weigh their state of Grace in the scales of mortification or simple not acting of sin, as morti∣fication commeth from morall and naturall principles, but as it floweth from faith apprehending Christ crucified, and from the Spirit of the Father and the Son drawing the sinner to Christ, and our blessednesse is no lesse in that corruption is subdued, and the dominion removed, then in that the curse is taken away.*Saltmarsh when he willeth the sinner as a sinner, a Parricide, a Man-slayer, a slave to his lusts, to be•ieve and apply Christ as his Redeemer without any sense of sin or hu∣miliation at all, and then saith the mans blessednesse is more to have the curse of sin, then the corruption of sinne remo∣ved, clearly concludeth that a man that walks after his lusts in actuall lusting against the Lord Iesus and the Gospel; proud, vaine, selfe-righteous, is as such a man to believe, and so blessed and may promise to himselfe peace, though he walk after the imaginations of his own heart.

Nor is arguing against the tentation with spirituall reason fr•m the word as Ioseph did Gen. 39.8.9. and Job ch. 2.9.10. and David, 2 Sam. 16.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. our own power or contrary to the fighting by the shield of faith, the Word of God; as Saltmarsh imagineth.

Assert. 5. It is to be reputed as a most blasphemous assertion, Page 519 that we know we are Christs, not because we crucifie the lusts of the flesh, but because we do not c•ucifie them; Pet 1. Crucify∣ing of our lusts is a mark of our being in •hris•Gal.•.24 Rom. 8.13. This maketh walking af•er the Spirit, and a par∣ting from iniquity and being pure in Spirit and dying to an〈◊〉 of no interest in Christ, contrary to Rom. 8.1, 2. 2 Tim. 2.19. Math. 5.8. 1 Pet. 24. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet. 1.18. and contrary to the whole Gospel: which was that blasphemy of David George who taught mortification was to act all uncleannesse with∣out shame or sense of sinne;*•nd the more men are v•yd of the common passion that follows sin, the more mortified and spirituall they are; and this is very like ••e Libertines way, who teach (a)That to take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whooring from God; and that they are (b) legally biassed, that would mortifie the fl•sh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walk∣ing; whereas to put our duties on the Throne with Christ, and to put Christs crown on our mortification, as if we were thereby justified is the Idolatry; But the delighting in the Law of the Lord, and taking of the Lords testimonines for our heri∣tage, a serving the Lord with chearefulnesse and fervor of Spirit, Psal. 1.2. Psal. 119.111.262. Isai. 58.13. Psal. 112.1. Rom. 7.22. Rom. 12.8. 2 Cor. 9.7. Phil. 4.4. Act. 20.24. Iaem. 1.2. are marks of a blessed condition. If any teach that wee mortifie the flesh by watchfulnesse and strictnesse of walking, as if these did merit mortification, we judge it cursed doctrine; but if Libertines deny, as they doe, that acts of mortification doe formally consist in watchfull, strict and accurate walking with God, in being not taken, nor madly drunken with the lusts of sin, but dead to pleasures, as these acts flow from the Spirit of Christ, we curse their fleshly doctrine also.

Its no consequent to say, because (c)Regeneration is not a work of nature, but of the Spirit of God, and the way of the Spirit is not so grosse and carnall as the Divinity of former times, it being hard to trace and find the impressions of the Spirit, there∣fore we are not to take experience so low, and carnally, by the feelings of flesh and blood, and signs not infallible, as to write of Regeneration as Philosophers do of morall vertues.

Answ. 1. Regeneration is above nature every way, but in this its most sutable to nature. That as a man come to age doth not at all times, even when he is sick, in a swon, in a deep Page 520 sleep know that he liveth; yet ordinarily life hath reflect acts on it self, so as a living man may know that he lives by many signes of life; so a regenerate man, except hee be deserted may know that he lives the life of God.

*2 If Antinomians find out new Divinity lesse cernall, more spirituall, then in former times, how is it that Christians are to live from under all rule of life? and not to pray, forgive us our sinnes, when they pray for daily bread? and that none ju∣stified are to confesse their sins and to sorrow for them: that new obedience, mortification, repentance, is to believe that Christ has done these for us; that we are not to pray continual∣ly but only when the Spirit stirreth us? an hundreth of these false wayes may be shown; is this more spirituall Divinity then in former ages? is it not the most carnall divinity that we read of? for when D. Taylor objecteth to Antinomians, as a limbe of their fleshly divinity, No action of the Believer after justi∣fication is sinne, Mr Town answereth nothing at all but of the way,*no action is sin, the disorder and ataxie of the action is the sin. But D. Taylor meaned that there is no disorder in the actions of a justified man by their way; to this Mr Town replyeth not one word, but saith unto faith there is no sin, because there is not one spot in a justified person; and he citeth Rev. 1.5. Eph. 5.26. Cant. 4.7. and 6.9. 1 Cor. 6.11. because Christ hath washed Rev. 1.5. purged, Heb. 1.3. abolished, Heb.•.26. all our sinnes, and hath made us holy and unblamable and unrebukable in the sight of God; we are like Christ voyd of sin; which is not the removall of sinne, but of the guilt, that is, of the obligation to eternall wrath and the curse of the Law; for if we say we (even though justified as Iohn the Apostle was) have no sin, we are lyars; can this be any but a divinity of the flesh that Antinomians teach?

3. Sanctification is a farre other thing then morall vertues: 1. A moralist that is •emperate, chast, is never so over-clouded in his faith, as to doubt, whither he be a temperate man or not;* a sanctified soule will often doubt if •e have any san∣ctification at all: 2. A sanctified man must ••ve the use of the light of the Spirit to know his •tare, and these things that are freely given him of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. A Mo••li•• knoweth with the light of his own sparks, what he is; does Saltmarsh know of any desertions or overcloudings of the Spirit, in a morall Seneca, Aristides, Plato? 3. The Moralist dreames of justi∣fication Page 521 by his vertues. 4 He needs only naturall reason, not the breathings and stirring of the Spirit to act according to his morall habits. 5. Nor are his habits infused from heaven, but his own conquest. 6. Nor knowes he an absence or a presence of the Spirit, all which are peculiar to sanctified and just•fied persons.

We are not compleatly (saith Saltmarsh) or perfectly mortified to sin, by our being planted into Christ, and the fellowship of his death.

Answ. But if mortification bee the faith and apprehen∣sion that Christ mortified sinne for us, then as we are perfectly justified, so are wee perfectly mortified; now Antinomians teach the former.

Let not (saith he) mortification of sin in Christ, tempt any to a neglect of mortification of sinne in the body, no more then the free-grace of God in forgivenesse of sinne ought to tempt any to take liberty to sinne.

Answ. 1. Surely as to adde an thing to justification, so to advance in mortification must be as wicked and blasphemous, according to the way of Antinomians,* for if mortification be the believing that Christ has slaine the body of sin, as Mr Den saith (and Saltmarsh seconds him as a brother) •hen our neg∣lecting of mortification is no sinne, for we are to believe that Christ has removed all neglects of mortification, if mor∣tification bee faith and beliefe that Christ mortified sinne for us.

2. I cannot neglect justification or apprehension that Christ mortified sinne for me, any otherwise but by a remisse act of believing, or neglect of a higher measure, and a more intense and strong act of faith, and not by an abstinence from fleshly lusts; such an abstinence is no faith or apprehension that Christ has slaine and mort•fied the body of sinne for me; for non-sinning cannot formally bee believing; that were non-sense.

3. If the meaning be that we are not to abstaine from flesh∣ly lusts▪ that is from sinnes that the flesh or the body of sinne acteth in us, this is neither mortification nor any part thereof, to Antinomians. But I desi•e and provoke Antinomians to satisfie us in these; if Salmarsh one of their Patrons can.

1. Whither or no sins of the body, or in the body, as SaltmarshPage 522 calleth them here, or sins of conversation, as Mr Den saith, or sinnes, as Mr Town speaketh, arising out of these earthly mem∣bers of our flesh,* he sinnes agai•st the Law of God; if so, they involve t•e justified under a curse, and so t•ey a•e sins for∣mally, and the justified either cannot sin a• all, which I feare is the fleshly way of Libertines, a way that my soul abhorre•, if I be not deceived, or then, the sinnes, the adultery o• a just•fied man, the m•rther, the denyall of Christ in Peter, is no lesse a breach of the Law of God, then the denyall of Christ in Iudas (it may be the one with a greater bensill of will denyes Christ, then the o•her; sed magis & minus non variant speci∣im) and so the jus•ified doe as truly and essentially sin against the Law, as the unregenerate doth; then they are not as clean from sin as Christ the surety is.

2. If murthers, adulteries committed by the justified bee sinnes of their flesh and body that is, such sinnes as they are not by any Prophet or Nathan to be rebuked for; because the Spirit that is not in their power, in his actions and moti∣ons did assist not them to abstaine, and they are under no other Law, but the only irresistible action of the Spirit to hinder them physically in all sinnes, to abstain from any sin, this must be Antinomians spirituall divinity; to make no Rule no Law of ordering the life and conversation of an justified man; but only the motions of a Spirit separated from the world.

3. Whither or not when Paul said, Rom. 7.17. Now it is no more I (that sinne) but sinne that dwelleth in me, ver. 18. I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing, his meaning be according to the Antinomians divinity, that no regenerate man sinneth, but his flesh and sensitive part which is not capable of any Law, sinneth: but he who acteth the sin being above or from under Law, Rule, or direction, sinneth not against God, or any Law?

4. Whither or no the Enthysiasts Rule, which is the im∣mediate and irresistible inspiration of a Spirit, which doth presse a brother to kill a brother, and has done it, as Bul∣linger saith of the practise of divers Anabatists, and some of New England said, though they resisted the Christian Magi∣s•rate, and fired the Churches of Christ there, yet they should be miraculously delivered from the Court, as Daniel was from the den of Lyons; whither or no this Rule of the Spirits im∣mediate Page 523 acting without Law and Gospel be the only Law and Rule that the justified are under and led by?

5. Whither from this spring does not flow the rejecting of all the Scriptures or written Law or Gospel, as if they were but a covenant of works, and the walking by the Spirit separa∣ted from the word, and the denying any marks as love to the brethren sincerity, keeping of the commandements of God re∣commended in the word, Ioh. 14.15. 1 Ioh. 2.3.4.5. 1 Ioh 3.14? and if this be the spirituall divinity spoken of here?

6. Whither or no sinnes of the body and of the fl•sh or conversation (as Antinomians call them) be not sinnes against the Law of God, and make the justified truly guilty, if the Lord should enter in judgement with them, and though they that commit them be justified, and so absolved from obliga∣tion to eternall wrath, are not formally and inherently blotted, and sinfull in those sinfull acts?

7. If they are not to be sad for them as offensive to the au∣thority of the Law-Giver, and the love of Christ, though they be not to fear the ete•nall punishment of them? for sor∣row for sin, and feare for sin, are most different to us.

8. Whither the free-g•ace of God doth not tempt men to sin, most kindly and from the nature of free-grace, according to the Antinomian way, if the free-grace of justification doe free the justified so from sinning; as their indulgence to the flesh and sinfull pleasure, can bee no sinne in Gods court, no more then there can be sin in Christ; and if they be as free, notwith∣standing of all the sin they doe, being once justified, as if they never had sinned, or as the sinlesse Angels; and if the essence of sinne and all they doe against the Law of God, be as cleane removed as money taken away out of a place, which sure cannot be said without a contradiction, to remaine in that place, as Dr Crispe speaketh, and that before the sin be committed? whither can a thing in its essence be wholly removed, as if it never had been, before it have any being at all; can a rose be said to be whithered and destroyed as if it had never been, before ever that same rose spring out of the earth? sure faith cannot phansie lies and contradictions.

How ever it be, Christs death teacheth us mortification of our lusts, it is a mortified like death, for he dyeth on a visible journey leaving the earth; his back was towards life, plea∣sure, Page 524 profit, he is not dead to his lusts, whatever be his boasting who is not dead in, or with Christ to sinne.

For 1. Christs death and his contempt of the world teach∣eth that we should follow him. 1. He looked even straight before him,* neither to the right, nor left hand, nor behind him; the meddows, buildings, faire flowers and roses in the way of this passenger, did never allure him to stay in the way and fall in love with any thing on this side of heaven, Heb. 12.2. as our 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉the captaine of our faith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the joy that was set before him,*he endured the crosse; his heart was so upon the crown, and that which was his gar∣land, his conquered Spouse, that he did runne his race with all his breath and wearied not; his heart was much upon the p•ize that he did runne for.

2. H• was nothing beholding to the world, he came to the house o• his friends, they refused him house roome and lodge∣ing, Ioh. 1.11. His own received him not, and therefore he was fame to lie with the birds of heaven, and the Foxes of the earth; Christ was no landed man on earth, hee had never a free house of his own above his head; he had a purse, but no fi•e rent, no income by year, Matth. 8.20. he had not where∣on to buy a grave when he dyed, Ioh. 19.41. The earth was his Fathers land; but he lodged in a borrowed grave; his coat was all his legacy, yet it could not buy a winding sheet to him; the souldiers thought it too little see for their paines in crucifying him, and it was not of much worth, when they put it to the hazzard of lots, take it that wins it; his heart was never on the world, he refused a Kings Crown when it was offered to him without stroak of sword, Ioh. 6.15. He had nei∣ther heart nor leasure to enjoy the world,*Ioh. 4. when he wanted his dinner, he begged a drink of water from a stranger, and was wea•y with walking on foot, yet he was the one great Bishop, the head of the body of the Church, and had neither ho•se nor coach, and he could have made the clouds his cha∣riot; he became poore that we might be made rich. Was sweet Iesus thy Saviour a poore man in the world? learn to be a stranger and to want, and to be content to borrow, and to lie in the fields, and to have a dead heart to the world: 1. O glory worldly', O all crownes, and gold, and stately Palaces, blush, be ashamed, take not such a wide lodging in the hearts Page 525 of Saints, goe not with so broad and faire Peacock-wings, ye are too bigge in mens eyes, Christ our dear Saviour refused you: 2. Rich Saints, drink at leasure, use the world at t•e by, as if you used it not. Look with halfe an eye, the least halfe of your desire upon this borrowed shaddow: Let not thy heart water, nor itch after white and yellow clay: 3. Gold, thou art not God, Saints look over crownes and court; see, see what a Kingdome is above your hand; Pilgrims, drink, but la• not down your burthen and your staffe: let it be a standing drink, and bee gone; 4. Yee are longed for in heaven, 5. Your King lodged with poverty and abasement, and shame; love the lodging the better that hee was there before you. Christs love is languishing to have you soon cut of this pas∣sing •ransi•ory world and to be at your best home.

3. Christ did never laugh on earth that we read of, but he wept; O what a sad world! Psal. 69.11. I made sackcloth my garment; O pretious Redeemer, cloth of gold is too con•fe fo• thee, v. 20. Reproach hath broken my heart,*I am full of heavinesse; he was a man made of sorrow, Esa. 53.3. and had experience and familiar acquaintance with grief; there be a multitude that goes laughing, harping, piping and dance∣ing to heaven as whole and unbroken-hearted Christians my∣sticall mortification (say they) is only faith, and joy; we have nothing to doe with weeping, co•fessing, sorrow for sinne, that is a dish of the Law Vinegar and Gall, it belongs not to us; we are not under the Law, but under grace; that soure sauce is the due of carnall men under the bond•ge of the Law; but will Christ wipe away teares from the eyes of laughing men, wh•n they come to heaven? believe 〈◊〉, there goes no unbroken and whole professors to heaven; that is farre from mortificati∣on; heaven will not lodge whole soules, with their Iron sin∣new in the neck never cracked by the death of Christ.

Object. But godlinesse is not melancholy, but joy of the ho∣ly Ghost.

Answ. 1. True; but whom does Christ,* with the bowels and hand of a Saviour binde up, but the broken-hearted mourners in Zion, and such as lie in ashes? Esa. 61.1.2.3. sorrow and joy may lodg in one soule.

2. Christ feasts some in the way to heaven, and dyets them daintily; some feed ordinarily on the fat and marrow of the Page 526 Lords house, Psal. 63.5. And there is a feast of fatte things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of ma•row, of wines on the lees-well refined Esai. 25.6. and has not the King a banqueting house, a wine-celler (Cant. 2.4.) for some? and doe they not feed upon the hony-comb, and the wine, the spiced wine and the milk? Cant. 5.1. Cant. 8.2. But these that drink wine at some time, must at another time bee glad of a drink of water.

2. And if there bee varieties of temperature of Saints, some rough and stiffe, some milde, some old men, and some babes, 1 Ioh. 2.13. and as there be some Lambs,* some fainting weak and swooning tender things that Christ feeds like Kings son•, with wine of heaven: so there bee others that are under the care of the steward Christ, who are heifers and young bullocks, like Ephraim not well broken yet. Ierem. 31.18.19. and there be hoping and waiting Saints, that must bear the yoake in their youth, Lament. 3.26.27. and sundry kindes and sizes of children; every one must have their owne portion and diet, 2 Tim. 2.15. Matth. 24.45. One mans meat is anothers poyson, and yet they are both the sonnes of one Father.

3 Can every head that shall weare a crowne in heaven, bear this wine, on the earth, being clothed with such a nature? and must every one be taken into the Kings house of wine, and sit betweene the Fathers knees, at the high table, and eat mar∣row, and drink spiced wine? are there not some set at the by-board, that must bee content with browne-bread and small drink or water?

4. Though the word should be silent, it is easie to prove that Saints have not the like fare of Christs dainties at all times; for the Church, Cant. 2.4. is taken into the banqueting house, and feasts on fatnesse of free love; and yet againe, Cant. 3. crys hunger, and seeks and findes not; and Cant. 5.1. feasts with Christ on wine and honey and milk; but vers. 5.6. there is a dinner of gall, hunger, and swooning, my soule (saith the Spouse) went out of me.

*5. How many Saints goe to heaven, and you never heard another word from them but complaints, want of accesse, straitning of Spirit, deadnesse, absence, withdrawings of the beloved, at every slippe, scourged, chastised every morning? their complainings cannot be praised; yea till they land, they Page 427 are ever sea-sick, till they bee at shoare, never see a fa•re day, nor one joyfull houre, •sal. 88.15. I am afflicted and ready to die 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from my youth I suffer thy terrors, and am distra∣cted sore, for the Lords dispensation, wee m•y •ay, who hath been upon his counsels and who hath instructed him? Antinomi∣ans allow dayly feasts and the strongest of the Gospel wine for dayly food to all that are sinners; this we• dare not doe; but as we judge it a sinne to stand a•o•fe from free grace, be∣cause wee have no mon•y nor hire: so to fill out the wine of t•e the Gospel more largely and p•ofusely then the King of the feast allowes, even to sinners as sinners, and all unhumbled and high minded Pharisees, is to be stewards to mens lusts, and to turn the Gospel in to the doctrine of licence to the flesh, and not to extoll Free grace.

4. Chri•t in his way had no reason to glory in friends, 1. How was hee dispised of them? Esai. 53.3. Wee did hide our faces from him; all his friends thought shame of him, a•d fled the way for him, they refuse to give him one looke of their eye, 2. Psal. 31.11. I was a reproach amongst all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a feare to mine acquain∣tance, they that see me without, fled from me; this is more to be a•pproach and a feare to neighbour and friend. 3. Nature and blood went against it self, Psal. 69.8. I am become a stran∣ger to my brethren, and an alien to my mothers children.

All the Saints Idols are broken, to the end God may be one for all; this is a good ground of mortification; men shall bee cruell brethren, and redeemed ones shall have the yron bowels of an Ostrich, a Lion to kill you and to consent to make war against you, that Christs meekenesse may appeare; friends must be sowre, that Christ may bee sweet; and you may bee deadned in love to brethren and friends, yea to a forsaking fa∣ther and mother, Psal. 27.10.5.* No lust had any life or stir∣ring in Christ, this cannot be in us; the old man that has lived five thousand yeers and above, is not so gray haired as to dye, in any Saint while he dy, his deceiveable lusts at best come to a staffe and trembling, and gray hairs in the holiest and most mortified, but expire not till dust returne to dust.

If I bee lifted up, I will draw, When Christ is weakest and bleeding to death on the crosse, he is strongest, Col. 2.15. he triumphed over principalities and powers; there is more of strength Page 528 and omnipotency in Christs weaknesse, then in all the power and might of Men and Angels; the weaknesse of God is stronger then men, 1 Cor. 1.25. there is more of life in Christs death, then in all the world;* hee was a graine of wheat cast in the earth, and sowen in the grave, and there sprung out of dead Christ a numerous off-spring of children, a•l the redee•ed ones grew out of the womb of his grave, his Catholicke Church was formed out of the side of the second Adam, when hee was fast asleepe on the crosse.

2. This makes the way of redemption so much the more admirable, that out of a way of weaknesse, of death and shame, the Lord should out-work sinne and the Devil, and rear up to himselfe out of dust and hell and death, glory heaven and e∣ternall life: Infinite glory made a chariot of shame, and from it highly honoured Christ: Omnipotency did ride upon death, and triumph over hell and devi•s, 1 Cor. 1.27. God hath cho∣sen the weak things of the world, to confound things that are migh∣ty, 28. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉the base, the kinlesse things that are of no noble blood, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, things that are despised, the nothings of the world he hath chosen, and things that are not,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that he may make idle and fruitlesse, or bring to no∣thing, things that are.

Vse If the Lord Iesus at the lowest and weakest, his dy∣ing and shamed condition be so strong as to pull his bride from under the water,* and out of the bottome of hell, up to heaven, what power has he now, when hee is exalted at th• right hand of the Majesty of God, and has obtained a name above all names, and is crowned King in Zion? It is better to be weak, and sick, and weepe and sigh with Christ then to bee strong, and live, dance, sing, laugh, and ride upon the skies with men in the world; sure his enemies will be now lesse then bread to him, and shall be his footestoole.

*2. Christ had cause to minde himselfe, and forget us, being now lifted up to the crosse under extreame paine and shame; but love has a sharpe memory, even in death.

Two things helpe our memory, and they were both in Christ: 1. Extreame love; the mothers memory cannot faile in minding her childe, because the childe is in her heart, and deepe in h•r love: the wretch cannot forget his treasure, his gold is in his heart; Christ loved his Church, both by will, and Page 529 nature, and cannot forget her, she is Christs gold, and his trea∣sure, Esai. 49.14, 15. Christ could not cast off nature, the hus∣band cannot forget the wife of his youth; and the deeper love is rooted, the memory of the thing loved is the stronger. O but it is many yeares since Christ loved his redeemed ones: 2. Sense helpeth memory; a man cannot goe abroad in cold weather and forget to put on his cloaths; sense will teach him to doe that; a paining boyle will keep a man in minde of paine; the Church is a fragment and a piece of mysticall Christ; hee cannot forget his own body; the Church is bone of his bone; the head forgets not a wound in the hand. Love did sweat up an high and mighty mountaine with thou∣sands on his back: 1. O what sweating for us even in death, and sweating of blood: 2. O what praying, and praying more earnestly; Lord help me up the mountaine with this bur∣then; and all this time, he is drawing and carrying on his shoulders hell up to heaven. 3. What a sight was it to be∣hold Christ dying, bleeding, pained, shamed, tormented in soule, wrestling in an agony with divine justice and wrath, receiving stroaks and lashes from an angry God, and yet he kept fast in his bosome his redeemed ones, and said, death and hell, paine and wrath shall not part us. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, to afflict his soule, not to spare him, to smite the shepheard, but it pleased him in that condition out of deep love to draw his redeemed ones from the earth up after him to hea∣ven. Christ was a good servant, he alwayes minded his work, even to his dying day.

Vse. If he in his weakest condition draw all men.

1. How easily can he with one look, blast the beauty and strength of his enemies being a God of such majesty and glo∣ry? how weak is hell and all the Iron gates of it?* when Christ at the weakest, plucks his Church out of the jawes of death; and triumphs over death and hell.

2. It shall be nothing to him with a pull of his finger, when he appeares the second time in power and great glory, to break the pillars that beare up heaven and earth, and to dissolve with the heat and sparkles of fire that comes from his angry face, the great Globe of the whole world,* as a hot hand can melt a little snow-ball of some few ounces weight, and to loose with one shake of his arme all the Starres in heaven, especially Page 530 since the world is now but an old thred-bare-worn case, and the best jewell in the case is man, who is old and failed, and passeth away like a figure; and it shall be but a case of dead bones, and of old broken earthen shards at Christs comming, and Christ with no labour or paine, can crush down the Pot∣ters house, marre all the clay-vessels, and burn with fire all the work of the house, the Houses, Castles, Towe•s, Cities, A•kers, Lands, Woods, Gold, Silver, Silks, and whatever is in it; glory not in the creatures, but glo•y in Christ.

3. Death and the crosse are the weakest things in the world, but being on Christs back they are the strongest things in the world, 2 Cor. 13.4. Though he was crucified through weaknesse, yet he liveth by the power of God: 1. The crosse was Christs triumphing Chariot;* there is power and strength in Christs teares, in his sighes, in the holes that the thornes made in his head, in the stone laied above him, when he is bu∣ried: 2. His shame, death, and buriall, made the greatest tur∣ning of wheels in the earth and heaven that ever the eares of man heard;* the more providence does concerne God, his highnesse, his glory, the more speciall it is and accurate, not that infinite wisdome is not infinite in the care over a worm, as over an Angel; but because there is more art of seen and exter∣nall visible providence in whole Kingdomes, in Kings, in the Church, then toward one man or one Saint; so providence must have more of the art, wisdome, speciall care of God to∣ward his Catholick Church, and his own only begotten Son in redeeming the whole Catholick Church, then in caring for the Lilies of the field, and the wormes of the earth, or some one particular Saint: What wonder then there be an eminent providence observed in the disposing of Christs coat when he dyed, & in the borrowing of an Asse for him to ride on, and in casting a garment on the Asse for a Saddle, or a foot-mantell when he rode into Ierusalem? so in Christs suffering there is much of God; there was a more noble work in his dying on the crosse, then the creating of the world; and there were foure things of the greatest basenesse imaginable upon Christ, in this providence; for there were upon Christ. 1. The weaknesse of death. 2. Extreame paine. 3. The openest shame, Christ dying poore, despised, forsaken of all friend and unfriend. 4. The curse of the Law in the manner of his death; yet in Page 531 all these he acted the part of a triumphing redeemer, Col. 1.19. For it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell, ver. 20. and (having made peace through the blood of his crosse) by him, to reconcile all things to himselfe, whither they bee things in earth, or things in heaven.

Vse. Yea, we see Christ has never loosed any thing by the crosse, but has gained much, Rom. 8.37. in all these we are more then conquerours, in death we die not,* a dead man is more then a conquerour, and if he should not live and triumph, he could not be capable of conquering, farre lesse could he be more then a Conquerour, Revel. 12.11. The Saints overcome, but its a bloody victory; They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their Testimony; Then if the word be an overcomming and prevailing thing, the cause overcame; but what if the persons be killed, then they are overcome? No; for the victory is personall, the followers of the Lamb, over∣came by dying, because they loved not their lives unto death▪ Triumphing in the grave is admirable. Things work in a threefold consideration: 1. According to excellency of their being, modus operandi sequitur modum essendi, mens operations flowing from reason are more excellent then actions of beasts.* And Angels excell men in their actions. Its a noble and ex∣cellent being that is in Christ, being the only begotten Son of God; what excellency of working is this, that not only the dead, but death should live? and shame should shine in glory? the dumb may speak, and the deafe hear; but that dumbnesse should speak, and deafnesse heare, is more then a miracle; here Christ causeth death, shame, cursing be imme∣diate organs and instruments of life, glory, immortality and honour. 2. Christ was never weaker and lower then now, and never more glo•ious in his working, Esai. 63.2. Where∣fore are thou red in thy apparell, and thy garments like one that treadeth in the wine fat? R•v. 19.15. he himselfe was trodden on in the wine-presse, and fiercenesse, and wrath of Almighty God? but Esa. 63.1. he is glorious in his apparell and travelleth in the greatnesse of his strength; so in his lowest condition, when he is shamed, he is glorious; when he is weak and lying on his back, he walketh and walketh in the greatnesse of his strength; from the basenesse of the instruments, in excellent works, we collect that there must be a high, noble and excel∣lent Page 532 cause, who acteth on these instruments: 3. Agents work according to the distance they are to that they wo•k upon; a shot afarre off is weaker. Now on the crosse, 1. Christ is nearer to us, and so getteth a heartier lift of us; death and blood are neare of kindred to us; 2. Christ comming so near death, hath a fairer shot and visie of death, and the grave, and Hell, and all our enemies, Heb 2.14, 15. Hee dyed that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death.

1. Drawing when he is on the Crosse, doth most extoll Christs love:* death parteth company amongst men, and often parteth loves; but Christ dying draweth his Church into his bosome and heart, as not willing that the grave should part them and him Ioh. 14.1. Christ having loved his own, that were in the world, to the end he loved them: Christ dyed lo∣ving, and dyed drawing.

2. The cords of love with which he draweth sinners, were woven and spunne, in all their threds and twistings, out of the bowels and heart of Christ, out of his blood, death, and paine; though it be sweet to Christ to draw, yet its laborious and and painfull to Christ. It cost Chr•st a pained back, and holed sides, and pierced hands and feet, an head harrowed with thornes and a bleeding body, and a bruis•d soule to draw sinners; he drew while hee did bleed againe, he dyed under the work.

3. All the bones of all mankinde that have been, are, or shall be, all the strength of Angels in one arme could not have drawn one sinner out of Hell. But O the strength of the merits of his lifting upon the Cross•! one sinner is as heavie as hell, as a mountaine of Iron; what burthen must it be to Christ to have millions of soules and all their sins hanging on him?*He carried on his body on the tree, so many millions of sinners, and drew up after him so many thousand redeemed ones, as would have made the world to crack, the whole earth to groan and cry for paine like a sick woman in child-birth paine.

4. The white and red in a flower or rose contempered to∣gether, make up a beautifull colour and pleasant to the eie; 1. Love in Christ; 2. Lowlinesse; 3. And singular care to save, made up a sweet mixture •n Iesus that flower of Iesse, to draw strongly sinners to him. See a Father carrying seven or eight children on his back; through a deep river, he binds Page 533 them all in his garment that none of them fall in the water, he leanes on his staffe; how doth he with advised choyse and ele••ion order every step, that he s•eme not to them to slip or fall? and he cryes comfort over his shoulder to them, Fear not,*be not dismayed, I will present you safe on dry land: so Christ with all his children, great •esus Christ had his off-spring laped up in his merits, and did wade through the floods of death and hell and the curse of the Law with redeemed ones in his armes crying, Feare not worm Iacob, be not dismayd: I will help thee, the fl•nds shall not drown thee; and for his own condition, his faith was that he should safely swim through the Sea, and the mighty waters of all his deepest sufferings, and that he and his mysticall body (for Christ was a publick sure∣ty, not one private man in this case) should shoar on the land of prayse•, and this is above all doubting, when he saith, Esai. 50.7. For the Lord God will help me,*therefore shall I not bee confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed; and then Christ had a most watchfull and prudent care, Esa. 52. that not one pinne, not one wheele in the work of our salvation should miscary, but all should goe right, nothing neglected, in doing, comforting, preaching, praying, suffering, sweating, weeping, believing, hoping in patience, in being shamed, spitted on, scourg•d, ac∣cused, railed on, traduced, condemned, belyed, pained, crucified between two Theeves, buried in a sinners grave; there was not one hole, one want, one stumble, one slip in all or any thing, but the work was whole entire and perfectly finished to Gods satisfaction, Esa. 53.11. Luk. 22.37. Ioh. 19.30.

5. That drawing of sinners to Christ was his last work in his death-bed and departure out of this life, cryeth •hat he was desirous to lie in one grave with his Spouse the Lambs wife, and dyed inclosed in an union with Saints; it saith also, O how admirable was his love! and that love was Christs last work in this life, he dyed of no other sicknesse but love, love, love was Christs death-work, Christs Testament, Christs winding sheet, Christs grave, he took his Bride lapped in his love and hart to Paradise with him, his last breath was love. The myrrhe, when it is withered has the same smell (and a sweeter) that it had while it was g•een. Christ that bundle of myrrhe that lyeth all the night between the Churches breasts, when withered Page 534 and dead, smelled of love, for hee opened the graves and raised the dead, and took a repenting sinner to Paradise with him, which are acts of great love; its considerable that hee is at one time a dying, a drawing and a loving Saviou•; and ask what was Christs last act on earth, its answered, he dyed in the very act of loving, and drawing sinners to his heart.

Vse, We are engaged to love him, and if so, to keepe his commandments, and to draw him after us; his owne image, ho•inesse in the Saint• takes Christ, and causes him fall in love with us, Cant. 4.9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart, with one of thine eyes, with a chaine of thy neck; Its much love that ravishes Christ; y•a it so overcomes him, that hee professes its above him, hee must de∣sire his Spouse to looke away, Cant. 6.5. Turne away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me, Cant. 7.5. The king is held in his galleries; holinesse make• our king, the Lord Iesus a cap∣tive, for eternitie he will delight to see the Lambs wife his bride, when shee shall bee decked up with endlesse glory; Bee holy, and the king shall desire your beauty; ingage Christ more to love you, deck your selves with chains, with bracelets, be attired in raiment of needle work, the braver in this apparell you are, yee are the lovelier to Christ, the wedding garment makes you fair to the king; put on the crowne of grace on your head, and bee highly beloved of this Prince.

Ver. 33. Now this he spoke signifying what death he should dye.

The last article in Christs draw•ng of sinners, is the exposi∣tion of the Evangelist Iohn, who openeth to us the sense of Christs words, to wit, what was meant by Christs lifting up from the earth; for it is not an ordinary phrase to expresse dy∣ing on the crosse; therefore saith Iohn hee meaned by his lift∣ing up from the earth, the kinde and manner of his death, to wit, that he should bee crucified, and dye the shamefull and ignominious death of the crosse; it would seeme that the expo∣sition of Iohn may be referred to the whole verse, 32. What is the sense of this? If Christ be lifted up hee will draw all men up to him,* that is, if he be crucified, by that shamefull and painfull death and the merito thereof he will draw all men to him, and translate them from the kingdome of darknesse to the state of saving grace, which is true in it self, but seemeth not to bee the sense of the words.

Page 5351. Because the Evangelists use to expound what may ap∣peare ambiguous to the hearers, as Ioh. 7.8.39. But this he spoke of the Spirit, •oh. 20.23. Then went this saying abroad a∣mong the Brethren, that that disciple (Iohn) should not dye: yet Ie∣sus •aid not to him, hee sh•ll not dye: So Matth. 2.16.17, 18. But that Christ draweth sinners by his death, was not so much controverted; for to come to Christ, to beleeve in Christ, to bee drawen to Christ, were Phrases obvious enough, and known to all.

2. It is most pertinent to the text, that lifting up from the earth, which is ambiguous, and may seeme to allude to Elias his beeing carried up to heaven, should bee expounded by Chri••s manner of death, to wi•, by crucifying.

3. Because the holy Ghost expoundeth not the connexion of the conditionall proposition, If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men after me, which he must doe, if the sense goe thus; but onely speaketh of the kinde and nature of Christs death, which was known to the •ewes to bee both shamefull and cursed; but in his exposition hee speaks nothing of the fruit of Christs death, but of the kinde and manner of death.

Now that the Evangelist expoundeth the sence of Christs words, what he meaned, by being lift up from the earth, it hol∣deth forth to us a necessity that the Lord speak plaine language to us in scripture, and that one scripture expound another.

In finding the meaning of scripture, these considerations may give light.

1. The Scripture in the plainest expressions is dark, that is,* high and deepe in regard of the matter which is deepe; high, above the reach of reason, and yet the language plaine, obvi∣ous easie, that a virgin shall be a mother, the antient of dayes a young sucking infant; that through one man, death digged a hole in the world, and sinne passed on all; through a second Man life and heaven entered again;* are high and deepe myste∣ries, yet is not the Gospel obscure, as Papists say.

2. In meer historicall narrations and prophecies foretelling the wars of the Lamb, the Dragon and the Beast, the Anti∣christ, their persuing the woman in traveling in birth, to bring forth a man child, the matter subject is not profound, nor deepe, yet the expressions are dark and covered, while the Page 536 works of the Lord bee a key to open his word; Here's the wisdome of God, that in deepe and high mysteries necessary for salvation, the Lord is plaine, and lower and easier stories are foretold more darkly; articles of faith are not set downe in dark and enigmaticall prophesies, but plainly, whereas histo∣ries of things to come are more mysteriously proposed.

3. The Scripture in no place is in the popish sense dark, that is, that we are not to take any sense for the word of life, and the object of our faith, but that which the Church giveth as the sense, in regard the Scripture is a nose of wax, with equall propension to contradictory senses, except the mistris of our faith, the witch of Babel expound it, and then it is for such formally the word of God, as she expoundeth it.

4. The holy Ghost the Authour of Scripture has concrea∣ted with the words, the true native sense, which all the powers on earth cannot alter.

Then when we sweare a covenant with the Lord in plaine easie countrey language, not devised of purpose to bee ambi∣guous or to hold forth that all sects, Antinomians, Socinians, Ar∣minians, Prelati•all halters, Anabaptists, Seekers, &c. may salve every one his owne way, and his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, what hee thinks good; to obtrude any authoritative interpretation on this covenant, which it holds not forth in its owne simple words, to the reader, is the greatest tyranny and equivocating jugling in the world, and we may easily distinguish and dispute our selves out of a good conscience, or rather confesse wee had ne∣ver any intent to keep it, or acknowledge it was our sin we did swear it, and because unlawfull, it obliges us not.

When wee accuse the scripture of darknesse, wee would but snuf the Sun, and blow at it with a pair of bellowes, to cause it shine more brightly. But the mischief is, that wee either charge our soules beyond their stint,* thinking to compasse that world of the de•pe wisdome of God with our shor• fingers, or we stumble at the wisdome of the Scripture, because it is eccen∣trick to, and compl•es not with our lusts; and here's a deep not seene; God intends to carry Pharoah and blinded reprobates to hell, through the wood of his mysterious works and word, they being blinded and hardned and they intend the same, but in another notion; God aimes at the same end materially with them, but God levels at the glory of his owne unviolable Page 537 justice; they levell at the word, the works of God to flatter their lusts, and take up a plea with both from the womb.

What death he should die.

Two things offer themselves to our consideration.*

1. Christs dying,
2. The kinde of his death, What death he should dye.

Christ came into the world with as strong intention to dye as to live, and to be a pained, an afflicted man, as to bee a man. In Christs dying these considerations have place.

1. The love of man can goe no farther then death, greater love then this hath no man,*that a man should give his life for his friends, Ioh. 15.13. For this Love can goe no farther then the living Lover; now hee cannot goe one •eppe beyond death;* Chri•t went on to the first and second death, so farre as to sa∣tisfie justice: love is like lawfull necessity, neither of them can live, when God is dishonoured. Christ's love burnt and consumed him, till he dyed; love followed and persued his lost Spouse through the land of death, through Hell, the grave, the c••ses of an angry God, though Christs love was both ancienter then his man-hood, and survived his death; love was of longer life in Christ, then his life as man, this Sun of love bu•nes hard down from heaven to this day.

2. It was a hard law that Christ subjected himselfe unto;* that die he must; Heaven, Angels, the World could not save his life; This fa•re •ose had life and greenesse in abundance, and yet it must wither; this fountaine of heaven had Sea's of waters, yet dryed up it must bee; this beauty of highest glory was full and vigorous, yet it must fade; the Lilly of the excellentest Paradise that cast Rayes of glory and Majesty over the foure corners of the Heaven of Heavens, and out-shadowed Angels, Men, and the large circuit of the whole Creation, must finde its death-moneth, and must cast its faire and timely bloome: The love of loves must become pale and droup, that fire of love, that warmes Angels and men, must become cold; and there was strong and invinci∣ble necessity; thus it must be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Matth. 26.54. Christ must die, Mar. 8.31. the Sonne of man must suffer many things, Luk. 22.27. For I say unto you (saith Christ) that that which is written must have an end in me. Ioh. 3.14. The Son of man must be lifted upon the Crosse. Christ could not passe to hea∣ven Page 538 another way; death was that one inevitable passe that he behoved to goe through; there was no passable foord in the river but one;* there was but one strait passe and fort between Christ and his Father, his glory and a saved Church, and justice kept this passe. Christ must lay out himselfe, his life, bloud, estate and glory for his Church to gaine this fort, and save his people from their sinnes. The Law laid it on him; 2. Love laid it on him: 3. Our necessities and everlasting perishing burthened him.

3. Might not the dead all wonder? there was never before nor after,* nor never shall be such a Christ amongst the dead as the Lord of life; all these in the dust could say, O life, what dost thou here among the dead! the wormes and clay might say, O Creator canst thou lie neare to us! Would not the fountains be offended, that they could not have leave to furnish a draught of cold water to their Creator, who made the the Seas and the Rivers, and divided Iordan with his Word? would not life it selfe grieve at such a dispensation, that it could stay and lodge no longer in the body of the Lord of life, but behoved to be gone and leave the Prince of life, to fall, that he could not stand on his own feet? was not bodily strength discontented, that sweet Iesus complained, Psal. 22.15. My strength is dryed up like a Pot-shard, ver. 17. I may tell all my bones. Would not joy and beauty take it ill that sweet Iesus was a sad Saviour, and his face foule with weeping, and his faire countenance that was like Lebanon, all marred, and our lovely Redeemer was put to his knees to pray with strong cryes and teares? Esai. 52.14. Heb. 7.5. If there had been sense and reason, in all the Purples, Silks, Fleeces, wooll, fine lin∣nins that ever the earth had, they would think themselves un∣happy, that they could not cover the holy body of the Redee∣mer of men and their Creator, when he complained, Psal. 22.18. They part my garments among them, and cast lo•s on my Vesture.

*4. It was to much in regard of our deservings, that the Lord of life should discend to a naturall life, to be under the •owly condition of base clay;* but that this tent of clay, that the Lord was to dwell in, should be of the finest and most pretious earth that can be, would seeme reason; it might be said, it were fitting for the glory of the God-head united in Page 539 a personall union with the Man Christ, that the body of the Son of God should be above paine, weaknesse or the Law of death, that it should be more glorious then all the pearelesse and pretious stones of the earth; yea, then the Sunne in the Firmament; yea, but Esai. 53.2. he hath no forme, nor com∣linesse, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that wee should desire him. But this was incomparable condiscension of love that the Lord would take his own death upon him, and assume the manhood of sick, weak, pained, sad, sighing and dying clay, Esai. 53.4. Surely he hath born our sicknesses, and carryed our sorrowes.

5. If there be any that ever tasted the sweet of life, it be∣ing the most noble and desirable of created beings,* if it were from a glorious Angel to a poore gnat or a base worm, they keep possession of life with all their desire;* they will part with all things, men even with teeth and skin, ere they quit their life, Iob 2.4. The more excellent life is, they struggle the more to keep it; a young man will doe more then an old man for it; and the old man who ha• but a chip of life, the dregs of it, or the hundreth part of an hand-breath, the twentieth part of an inch, yet holds it so long as there is so much as the fourth part of a dram of naturall vigorin him; Now Christ had cause to love his life, as any man else. It was about the flower of his age, the thirty three yeare of this life; and it must be a noble life, that dwelt personally with the God-head; yet when he was cal∣led to a treaty for rendering his life, hee gave it not up, but upon princely and honourable quarters, even that he should see his seed, have a noble prize, and a ransomed spouse, a faire crown, a rich Kingdome to mysticall Christ, but hee parted with his noble and glorious life deliberatly, intentional∣ly, most willingly, Ioh. 10.18. there was more will, more love in Christ dying, then in the dying of all men from the crea∣tion to the last judgement; O how he thirsted and longed to pay that Ransome, he had it by him, to give it out on de∣mand; he did not first die, and bow his head, but he first bowed his head, and beckened with his hand, and called upon death, and then rendred his Spirit.

6. O what a wonder, this rose of life on the Crosse withe∣reth in his full beauty,* the Sun of life would shine no more on it. The prime delight of the Sons of men, the second Adam Page 540 from Heaven fades, and life can breath no more, and beauty shine no more, and green•sse blossome no more; and when most lowly and low, cloathed with a curse, most lovely, most Lordly and Princely, because in the act of Redeeming.

*7. Christs death must come under a three-fold notion: 1. At a torment inflicted by Gods enemies: 2. As a punishment inflicted of God or sinne, as a Ransome pa•• to justice: 3. As the crown and •nd of Christs journey.

In the first notion, Christs death as comming from wicked men, wanted three ingredients, that all the wicked world and Hell could not give it: 1. All the world cannot adde a curse to the death of any man,* God only is the Master and Lord of cursing and blessing: God cast this in from heaven of his own, for 2 Cor. 5.21. God made him sinne, Esai. 53.6. Ieho∣vah, the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all. Who said that, Cursed be every one that abideth not in all that is writ∣ten in the Law to doe it, Gal. 3.10.13. Deut. 21.23. Deut. 27.26? the only Law-giver who can dispense curses, he made Christs death a curse: One death has not a curse more then another, and Christs death of the crosse had not a Ceremoniall curse only in it, for that was common to the deaths of all that hangeth on a tree, Deut. 21.23. But the curse of the Morall Law which is upon the sinner, Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10▪ 13. was laid upon Christ; and this is heavier then ten millions of deaths of the crosse: O how many thousands and what mil∣lions of talents weight of gall, & vengeance did the Lord from heaven adde to the cup of Christ? 2. Because Christ was made sin, he behoved to be made the sinner, and from Christs person his death had the sweet perfume of infinite merit & a sweet smel of a savor of rest to God, above all sacrifices and offerings that ever were offered to God, infinitnesse of merit, this Christ gave to his own death. 3. The Lord gave it a third ingredient, that it had acceptation even in point of Law and Iustice, which no man could give; to feele a smell of everlasting love, peace, re∣conciliation in bloud, is the sure mercies of David; O but it was white bloud to God, crying bloud, or rather singing blood that sings the sweet Gospel-song. Abels blood cryed a song of vengeance; ye are come to the bloud of sprinkling 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that sounds better things then the bloud of Abel, Heb. 12.24.

Page 541In the second notion that Christ came under the Law of dying (for it is appointed for all men to die) speaks much love▪ To come to sleep which is deaths brother, to come un∣der paine, weaknesse, bleeding, that are the neare bloud-friends of death, is great love expression. But to die, the lowest, and the saddest and sowrest of bodily infirmities, and then for o∣ther mens faults, it sets out the love of God.

In this respect Christ dying was a Ransome for justice;* there be foure of the sadest things in a ransome that are here.

1. To give person for person is the hardest bargain; by the Law of Nations they are meeker warres where moneys and gold may buy a captive. God in this bargain could send captives away for neither silver, nor gold, nor any corruptible thing, 1 Pet. 1.18. A gift a reward will not bow justice; Rubies, Saphires, let ten earths be turned into gold of Ophir,* they can∣not buy the offended Law of God; therefore it must be man for man, person for person or nothing, a man is more pretious then gold.

2. If you must have man for man, then let proportion of common justice be kept; a souldier for a souldier, a servant for a servant, a free-man for a free-man,* a master for a ma∣ster; yee cannot demand a King to ransome a servant: Yea, (saith justice) but I will; they are but men and slaves, and ser∣vants of sinne; their Father Adam was indeed a King, but by Law, he is fallen from the crown and all his children are traytors and born servants; therefore justice would have no lesse ransome then one of the Kings line, one of the bloud royall; and more, the only heir of the crown of heaven and earth, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords; he is more then an over-ransome and over-summe; this is hard; but infinite wisdome cannot be against justice, but it was the strictest ju∣stice that ever was, the Kings Sonne for the Traytors sonne, the Prince for the Slave, the Lord of Lords for the poor c•ay-subject.

3. But the ransome King must have honourable conditions, like himself; if he must be a captive,* let him have some free∣dome befitting his birth and condition; now because this bar∣gain was to be stretched out to the utmost line and border of strict justice (as also it wanted not deepest mercy shining in glorious rayes through justice) therefore the King standing Page 542 a ransome was as farre below his place as a servant is below a King, Phil. 2.6, 7. You have the lowest and the highest steps, who being in the forme of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God, but made himselfe of no reputation, and took upon him the forme of a servant: a King and God made a servant, Matth. 20.28. for even the Sonne of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransome for many: See here the Sonne of God a ransome in his own person, and the lowest of ransomes, a servant, farre below a King.

4. It is not universall in these persons that are given to ransome others,* but poor soules, if they be turned in servants, their life should be spared; but Christ was such a ransome as must lay down his life for the captives, Matth. 20.28. No ransome can come lower then a man, and an innocent mans death: If the captive be wounded and sickly, the man that goes a ramsome for him, by no Law, should be sickly and wounded also: 1. It is not ordinary that he that stands as a ransome for captives, should take their naturall infirmi∣ties, their body, sighes, sadnesse, sorrow, wants, and be like them in all things, but Christ was like us in all things except sin: 2. And what greater hardship can you put on a ransome captive then death? all these Christ did •ndergoe for us.

The third and last consideration of Christs death, is as it was the end of Christs journey, and all his labours in the flesh, and this I desire to be considered in these repects.

1. As death is Christs last enemy.
2. In the concomitants of it.
- 1. As in his triumph of victory.
- 2. His welcome to his Father.

1. As death was Christs last enemy, dying was to him as to man the last day and moment of his week, when he entered into his Sabbath and rest,* and dyed never to die againe; the world, and devils chased him into the grave, and when he was there, hee was in his own land, in Paradise, in a Kingdome: Death was the wearied way-faring-mans home, the end of his race, and at this place was the fore-runners gold, his garland, and prize, even the glory set before him, for the which hee indured the Crosse and despised shame, he then sat down; it was Christs landing port after his stormy sailing. 2. He had no more to do: in the merit of redemption, in the way of Page 543 satisfying justice; for Christs buriall or lying in the grave was but his mora, his lodging all night with death or a continua∣tion of his death; when he dyed, all was finished, the Law of God for satisfaction could crave no more: as the last enemy of the body is death, 1 Cor. 15.26. so it was the head Christs lasts enemy on earth: 3. Heaven was Christs place of re∣fuge, his sanctuary and his asylum; when Christ was in the other side of death and of time, hee was in his castle, in his strong Fort; enemies can neither besiege him nor take him, he cares not now for the worlds feud, or for death or the grave, Revel. 1.18. There was no more law against Christ after his soul was in Paradise; the believer has a perfect acquittance of all crosses, when he is once in the land of glory.

2. There be two considerable concomitants in Christs death: 1. His victory: 2. His welcome:* His victory was in his very act of dying, that death and the justice of a divine law had their will of Christ, and could demand no more of him for all engagements, and to answer the bill, but death and such a death it was a sort of over-plus and aboundance of ransome to God, that death was put to the worse, and could in justice never arrest any believer or Saint after Christ. O dea•h, what wouldst thou have more! Or, what canst thou demand in law? 2. Christ and all his, l•gally were crucified, and dyed, and Christ and all his were not destroyed under death, but Christ lived and all his with him, Ioh. 14.19. when two strong enemies doe conflict, and put out their strength one against another to the full, and the one lives in his full strength, the other must be foiled. Christ after death lived and can die no more, and is strong and omnipotent; now death did all it could against Christ in that he dyed; then he must be the Victor, and death the vanquished party; death was Christs Land-port, his shoar after sad Sea-sailing, his last stage in which he posted to glory; and he came into Paradise and his Fathers Kingdome, in a sweat of bloud (and the Crosse accompanied him in over the threshold of the gates of heaven) so he was welcommed, he, and all his feed (who then were le∣gally in him) as one who had acquitted himselfe bravely and honourably in the businesse that most highly concerned the Lord, and the glory of all his blessed attributes, mercy, ju∣stice, grace, wisdome, power, soveraignty, &c. There was a Page 544 most joyfull acclamation in heaven, a welcome and embracing, and a hand-shaking (as we say:) 1. Between the Father and the Sonne, and this is a sweet medi•ation, Dan. 7.13. I saw in the night visions,*and behold one like the Sonne of man, came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of dayes, and they brought him neare before him, ver. 14. And there was gi∣ven him dominion and glory, and a Kingdome, that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him: Now who be these that brought Christ to the Father when he ascended? who but th• holy Angels his ministering Spirits or servants; they attend his ascension to heaven, as the Estates of a King wait on, and convey the Prince and Heire of a Crown, in his Corona∣tion day, Heb. 1.6, 14. the Disciples, Act. 1.10. See two men in white apparell, at his ascension; goe up to heaven; sure there must have been a hoast of them, as there were at his birth, and shall be at his second comming, and its little enough that the Peeres of Heaven, such a glorious Parliament of the High House, beare the taile of his Robe Royall and attend to welcome to heaven their Lord Creator, and their head Christ by whom they stand in Court, they are the servants of the Bridgroome; it was much joy to them, when Christ returned a triumphing Lord to heaven, having done all gloriously and compleatly. The Father after his death made him a great Prince, and gave him a name above all names, and set him at the right hand of the Majesty of God: 2. And if the Lord shall say to sinfull men, Well done, good servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord; Farre more, being infinitely satisfied with the travels and service of his Sonne, he must say, Well done, well suffered, O Son of my love, enter into the joy of thy Fathers soul: For the Fathers soule ever delighted in him, Esa. 42.1. 3. And to see the Father embrace his Sonne in his armes after the battels, and put the Crown on his Head, and set him down at his right hand and exalt him as an eternall Prince for evermore, and accept all his labours, and his faithfull and most successefull acquitting of himselfe, in all his offices, as Redeemer, King, Priest, and Prophet, must be a joyfull sight.

Vse 1. No Believer take it ill to die; death sips at every bloud,* noble or low, and would but drink the bloud of this celebrious and eminent Prince of the Kings of the earth: 1. For besides, that God has stinted our moneths, and the Page 545 ship cannot passe farther then the length of the cable; here is the matter, Christ for imputed sinne, behoved to bleed to death: 2. Only Enoch and Elias were reprieved, by the prero∣gative of free-grace; we are by birth and sinne, but some ounces or pieces and fragments of death and its appointed for all men to die; there is more reason we should die then the Lord of life; for life was essentiall to the Prince of life, but life is a stranger to us; man is but man, but a handfull of hot dust, a clay-vessell tunned up with the breathing of warme wind that smoaks in and out at his nostrils, for a inch of flietting away time. And sinne addes wings to the wheels of his life, and layes a Law of death on man, and if Christ had not come into this clay▪ city, he had been under no law of death; he dies for us; then we should •arre rather have died, p•opter quod unumquod{que} tale, &c. Now because your Redeemer laid his skin to death, and was willing to kisse death, believers are to esteeme of death as the crosse that Christ went through, love the winding sheet and the coffin the better, that they were the sleep-bed and night-clothes that your Saviour sleeped in. 3. And Christ had the more cause to be willing to die, that he was little beholden to this life; it looked ever with a frow∣ning face on Christ: 1. The first morning salutation of this life when Christ was new born, it boasted and threatned Christ with the cutting of his throat in the cradle, and ba∣nishment out of his own land to Egypt: 2. He had good hap all his life to sufferings, hee had ever the winde on his faire face, and the smoak blowing on his eyes,* as if his whole day had been a feast of teares and sorrow; yea, life and the sad and glowing crosse parted both together with Christ, as if the world had sworn never to lend the Son of God one smile, or one glimpse of a glad houre. 3. Christ thought himselfe well away and out of the gate (as he fore-telleth, when the people mourned for his death, Luk. 23. ver. 28, 29, 30, 31.) be∣fore the destruction that came on the City of Ierusalem, that killed many of the Lord of the wine-yards servants, and at last killed the righteous heir. 4. You may remember Christ mes∣sage that he sent to Herod, Luk. 13.32. I doe •uers to day and to morrow, and the third day 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I shall be perfected,* Heb. 2.12. It became him from whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain Page 546 of their salv•tion perfect through sufferings,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Death made Christ perfect for the Lo•d put the faire crown of Redemption on Christs head with a very black hand; it was a black boat-man that carried our Prince Iesus over the water to Paradise, but sweet Iesus would have it his perfe∣ction, his crown, his glory to be swallowed up in deaths womb for us. Its considerable that death perfecteth the head: 1. As a Priest; he had been an unperfect sacrifice, if he had not dyed; and being offered dead to God, Christs dead corps had an infinitely sweet smell in the nostrils of a just God; never sa∣crifice, never burnt offering like this which perfected all: 2. He had not been a perfect King and Conqueror, had he not per∣sued the enemy to his own land, and made the enemies land the seat of warre, and triumphed dead upon the crosse. 3. He had not beene a perfect Redeemer, had he not dyed, and paid life for life: no satisfaction without death, no remission of sinnes without blood, Heb. 10. but it was the heart-blood, and blood with the life that was shed to God. Now these same befall the dying Saints: 1. While the Saints are here they are from home, and not at their Fathers fire-side, and this world their Step-Mother looks ever asquint on them, Ioh. 16.33. And the crosse gets a charge from God concerning a Saint, w•it on him, as his keeper while he die, leave him not; the crosse fol∣lows the house of Christ and all the children of the house, its kindly to all the second Adams seed, it is an in-come by year that followes the stock:* every childe may in his suffering say my father the Prince of ages even the head of the house, my brother Iesus, and all our kine were sufferers: the sad crosse runs in a blood to us, Psal. 34.19. Matth. 19.24. This is not our home,* I would I were ashoare, and at home, in my Fathers house.

2. The Lord takes the righteous away from the ill to come, Esai. 57. When Christ was taken away, vengeance came to the full on the lewes,* when he was in heaven. Christs followers, that die, out-runne many Crosses, as we see a man upon his life chased by his enemies, gets into a strong house and with speed of foot wins his life; sad dayes persue the Saints and they escape to their Castle, before the affliction can reach or overtake; there be some cruces posthume late-borne crosses, calamities and ill dayes that come on the posterity of the Page 547 godly, the Lord closeth their eyes that they never see them. The grave is a house the Devill and the World and aff•ictions cannot besiege; sure when a Saint is in heaven, he is beyond Doomesday, death, and teares, he defies the malignants of this world then, and the warres and bloud that his own bre∣thren can raise against him.

3. What shall we say, that as Christ thought himselfe maimed, and he wanted a piece, or an arm or legge of a Savi∣our and a perfect Redeemer till he dyed, and then when hee dyed he was perfected; indeed our redemption had been lame and unperfect, had not Christ dyed; and his escape through death and the land of darknesse the grave to his Fathers old crown that hee had with him befere the world was,* was a perfecting of Christ: 1. So dying to a Saint is the Sun rising, the morning birth-day of eternity, the opening of the priso∣ners doore, the Coronation-day, the marriage-night: 2. He is ever a lame man, he wants incomparably his best halfe, so long as he wants Christ in a fruition of glory; all the tra∣velling and way-fairing men in their journey toward heaven are but sick men, for sicknesse is but a lamenesse of life, a want of so many degrees as make up a perf•ct life (because good health is but the flowre and perfection of life) and the only perfect life Col. 3. ver. 3.4. is the life of glory; then all the Saints yet wanting the life of heaven, must be crazie, weak, groaning men, not healthy in a spirituall consideration, while they be in heaven: 3. When a Saint dies, he but takes an essay of the garment and robe of glory (though death make it seem strait and pinching) and enters in the joy of his Lord, Rev. 14.13. There is both Word and Writ, and from a land where there can bee no lies, from heaven, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labours,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that the travellers may over-rest, or exceedingly breath, and refresh or comfort themselves after much toyle and sweating in the way; therefore is death, 2 Tim. 4.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an unfolding of the net, or of the tent, that the man may goe out, or a taking up the burthen and laying it down in another Inne, or a loosing the cabels of ships to saile, or an untying of cords of a tabernacle to goe to a choycer place.

Vse 2. From Christs dying we learn to die to sinne, and live to him that dyed for us, 1 Pet. 2.24. Rom. 6.2, 6. 2 Cor. 5.15. Page 548 Mortification to this goodly and God-like Idoll the World, is a speciall lesson of the death of Christ, Gal. 6.14. It is a great distance and many miles about and off the roade-way to heaven to goe through such a thorny, thick, and bushy-wood of honours, riches, pleasures wordly, its a shorter and easier way to stand at a distance from the silken and golden creature, and despise the fairest created excellencies that fill both sides of the Sun. Antinomians would have us rest satis∣fied with a morall mortification,* in the brim of the imagina∣tion, to believe that Christ dying mortified sinne and the bo∣dy thereof on the Crosse, and there is an end, and that wee are obliged by no command, no precept, no law to a personall mortifying of our lusts, to walk in new obedience, and that all that we doe is arbitrary and free to us, comming on us by the immediate Spirits impulsion; for (a)Christ works in the Re∣generate as in these that are dead, not as in these that are alive, and that after conversion we are altogether dead to spirituall acts, say they; contrary to 1 Cor. 15.10. Phil. 2.13. Rom. 6.11. Gal. 2.20. 1 Pet. 2.5.24. And (b)that it is the efficacy of Christs death to kill all activity in his members, that he might act all in all; Yea, and that there is not any command in the Gospel, all is but promises, Christ is obliged to doe all in us, and if he suffer us to sin, let him see (c)to his own honour; Yea (d)to act by vertue of, or in obedience to a command, is a Law-way, and we have nothing to doe with the Law: But the Gospel teacheth us a reall and personall mortification, and that we are to be holy as he is holy, perfect as he is perfect; that is, a new-covenant command, Gen. 17.1. That we should walk before him and be perfect, that we should walk after the Lord, Deut. 13.4. walk in all his wayes, Deut. 5.33 take diligent heed to walk in his way, Iosh. 22.5. Psal. 119.93. Prov. 2.7.20. Isa. 2.3. walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham, Rom. 4.12. accor∣ding to this rule of the Gospel Gal. 6.16. and worthy of the vo∣cation, Eph. 4.1. worthy of the Lord, Col. 1.10. in light, 1 •oh. 1.7. even as he walked, 1 Ioh. 2.6. after his commandements, 2 Ioh. 6. honestly, as in the day, Rom. 13.13. in love. Ephes. 5.2. as children of the light, v. 8. as we have received Christ, Col. 2.6. in wisdome, ver. 4.5. as wise men, Ephes. 5.15. And the Gospel forbids and condemns walking as the Gentiles doe in the vani∣ty of the minde, having the understanding darkned, being aliena∣ted Page 549 from the life of God; but observe by Antinomians fleshly doctrine, no Gospel command under paine of eternall death, bee it a command of believing in him, that justifieth the sinner, or of holy walking as a fruit and witnesse of our faith and justification obligeth these that are in Christ, as if, in regard of any Scripturall command of law or Gospel, we might live as we list, and follow the inspiration and leading of a lawlesse spirit separated from all word either Law or Gospel, either commanding or conditionally promising or threatning. We are not so to live after flesh in lasciviousnesse, lusts, excesse of wine, revellings, banquetings and abominable Idolatries, 1 Pet. 4.3. not after the flesh, 2 Pet. 2.10. Rom. 8.13. If yee live after ths flesh, yee shall di•: There is a Gospel threatning as a promise of life; yea, the armes, colours, the badge of Gospel grace is to deny ungodlinesse, Tit. 2.11. Not to walk in darknesse, nor hate our brother, 1 Ioh. 2.8.9. for this is the new commande∣ment; and that the Gospel has commandements is cleare, Math. 15.3. Ioh. 15.12. Rom. 16.6. Eph. 6.2. 1 Tim. 1.1. The holy commandement, 2 Pet. 2.21. 1 •oh. 3.23. Rev. 22.14. Prov. 2.1.*Ioh. 14.21. 1 Thes. 4.2. 1 Ioh. 2.4, 3, 2•. And he that keepeth his Commaadements, dwels in him, and he in him, Ioh. 14.15. If ye love me, keep my Commandements, Math. 5.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.20, 21, 22▪ 24. Math. 7.1.2, 3, &c.

Vse 3. We have rich consolation, from the Article of Christs dying; the sinners debts are paid, his band and the hand-writting of bloud, and eternall vengeance is cancelled, and taken out of the way; the gates of the p•ison broken, and the prisoners brought out, by the bloud of the everlasting Cove∣nant, 1 Pet. 2.24. with his stripes we are healed, Esai. 53.5. The chastisement of our peaces, or treaties of peace, as the word beares were upon him, and with his stripes we are healed; Th• word of stripe in either languages, * is a mark of a wound where blood and humours are neighboured together, it leads us to this that the only medicine of sick and dead sinners, was that which is sicknesse, paine, swellings from nailes in hands and feet to Iesus Christ. Christ the Physitians paine was our case, his wounds the healing and cover•ng of our wounds with his skinne, and his death the life of sinners; to visit the sick and help him at his bed side with consell and art is favour, but its physick of grace, not of nature, that the Physitian should Page 550 be the sick man, the pained, the groaning and dying Patient•, and lye down in his bed, and make his life and blood, and medicine to cure our diseases and wounds; In a Law-challenge the believer is so freed from eternall wrath, that if Satan and conscience say, Thou art a sinner and under the curse of the Law, he can say, its true, I am a sinner, but I was hanged on a tree and dyed, and was made a curse in my head and Law-surety Christ, and his payment and suffering is my payment and suffering.

*Vse 4. Sinne is a sad debt, the Law is a severe crave•: 1. Its pastime to a foole to sinne: it is no pastime nor sport to Christ to satisfie for sinne. 2. There is as much justice and vengeance in the Gospel, as in the Law; the Gospel-suffering for our sin was as salt and sowre to Christ as the Law vengeance would have been to us. The Lord never minded that any should beare sinne, either by acting or suffering gratis, and at an easie rate. 3. Will yee not read bloudy justice persuing sinne on the blew stripes and scarlet wounds, on innocent Ie∣sus back and sides, his head and hands and fe•t? will ye young men, Eccles. 11.9. laugh and sinne, and must Christ weep and shout and cry for paine, when he suffers for sinne? Sinners yee have merry dayes in your lusts, O but it was a dolefull and a wearisome time to Christ to pay for sinne. The drunkard sings and drinks, when Christ answers his bill he sighes. Sa∣lomon, Eccles. 2. in the dayes of his vanity sought to give him∣selfe to wine, ver. 3. to lay hold on folly; and ver. 10. and what ever his eyes desired he with-held not from them, he kept no joy from his heart. But Christ had a sad night in the garden, O but he had a heavie soul, when with teares and strong cryes, he prayed, when justice squeazeth a sweat of blood out of Christs body, and hee looks like sorrow and sadnesse it selfe dying, and b•eeding, and crying My God, my God, why hast thou for∣saken me: never mothers sonne after this, make a sport of sin, or sinne with good will and delight.

What death, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, what quality or kinde of death, he was to dye.*

The quality and kinde of Christs death is most remarkable; for three characters were printed and engraven on the death of the Crosse which Christ dyed.

1. Paine. 2. Reproach and shame. 3. The Curse of God and man▪

Page 551The paine in Christs death comes under a twofold consi∣deration: 1. Naturally: 2. Legally; the nature of the death was painefull, for death of it self is painfull; no man payes that debt with ease and nature smiling and sporting: die who will, it will cost you of your flesh; when Asa dies,* he cryes, ah my feet; when David dies, he complaines, O my cold body; the Shunamites child, ah my pained head; Vzzah, Oh my lep•ous skin; do not pamper nor idolize your body; if wicked men have not one band or coard in their death▪ but steal down to the grave in a moment beside deaths knowledge, yet they pay deare for it, Iob 24.20. The wormes shall feed sweetly on them; life is a great pearl▪ But there bee three things besides, that made the death of Christ painfull.

1. Violence.
2. Slownesse of dying.
3. Many degrees of life taken from him.

Violence, it is to die of any disease or of paine: 1. But when five or six deaths do all start equally at one land-port, and at one race, and strive which of them shall dispatch the poore man soonest, the paine is the more; yee know the complaint of our blessed Saviour, Psal. 22.16. They pierced my hands and my feet, and Ioh. 19.34. one of the souldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out bloud and water:* here by Scripture, be five deaths, that invade a living man, death on every hand, and death on every legge, and death on his side; though this last came a little too late; the Souldiers had no law to pierce his side, but to make sure work he should be dead, by a sort of chance to men, which yet sweetly was sub∣servient to the decree of God and the Prophecies; Christ was thus served. 2. Now a violent death it must be when strong and great nailes did pierce the most nervous parts of his body, his hands and his feet; one Iron wedge thrust in at his left pape, to pierce his heart, or to pierce through the temples of the head would quickly have dispatched him. 2. As for the slow∣nesse of his death, foure leasurely and slow violent deaths to cause him to bleed to death were hard: the word saith the bloud is the life of the living creature; then look how long his bloud was comming out, his life was dropping out as long. They say, the death of the Crosse will keep a man aliv with his life in on the Crosse, above three or foure hourese Page 552 the man dying and yet cannot die; these languishing deaths procuring a cruell favour such as is deaths slow pace, and yet quick torment, are images of hell, where men seek death, but cannot finde it, because death sleeth from them.

2. The lentnesse of death is much when death is divided into foure quarters;* death at every hand, and at every foot makes the paine greater; when the weight and trunck of Christs li∣ving body lifted up from the earth, hangeth upon four paining and tormenting pillars, the Lords pierced hands and feet; as if death had delighted to hold Christ long at Sea, and de∣nyed him the last sad service. 3. And Christ had been before dying a terrible death in the garden, when he had been see•hed and boyled in a bloud of sweat, and two circumstances evi∣dence that the two Theives death was nothing in slownesse of torment comparable to Christs death: 1. The sad and dire∣full Prefaces and preparatories to Christs death, as he was in the night before in a soule death in the garden and in a sweat of bloud there trickled out of his body down upon the ground 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as it were drops great hail-stones of blood frozen or h•ardened together as Stephanu• thinks, through extreame terror; he was scourged against all Law and crowned with thornes: 2. And so was he weakened in body as he was not able to beare his own crosse; it was his own complaint, Psal. 22.17. I may tell all my bones, what ever the story of passion say, how Christ could have been so lean in twen•y and foure houres, its evident he complaines his ••rength was dryed up like a pot-sheard, and that death was more painfull to Christ then to these tha• dyed the same death; yea, Christ be∣gan to die the night before; he was then under violent death of soule and body above▪ the houres that hee was on the Crosse, when others are long tormented with paine, that paine is rather the fore-runner of death, then death; for death stayes but a moment in doing that sad service in bringing the soule out, but death all this time twenty foure houres was acting upon Christ, both the second death, the Lords anger and curse being on him,* and then bodily paine with the curse of the law all this time wrought upon him. Some say gall and vinegar were given to men to be crucified to make them lesse sensible of that extream paine. And consider his death legally, may we not say, as Christ in bearing the paines of the second Page 553 death did suffer that which all the Elect should have sustained in their souls for ever so Christ did bear many millions of bodi∣ly deaths? it may be a question, if Christs suffering for Peter be Christs suffering for David; for sure Peters sins and Davids sins together, are more then Davids sins alone, and if on Christ the Lord laid the iniquity of us all, •sai 53.6. it must be a greater pu∣nishment, then if the Lord had laid the iniquity o• some few, one or two upon Christ; say that the Elect were three millions of rede•med ones, as we cannot de•erm•ne the number, sure thi• must be a sadder death, then if Christ had dyed but for tenne men; it is true, it was an infinite paine in regard of the one infinite person that did beare our iniquiti•s, yea, and so subjectivè it was an infinite love with which in election and free redemption Christ followed all the Elect of God withall,* but terminative as his love is bounded on sundry persons, Paul speaks of it as if there had been not one man loved but himselfe, Gal. 3.20. Christ loved me, and gave him∣selfe for me. Though the Lord Iesus passed in one bill, the election and redemption of all the family of the first born, yet every soule has a white stone, and a new name, that no other elect man knowes, but he himselfe; as every flower, every rose, every medow and severall garden has its severall rayes, beames, and comfort, and vigor of hear from the Sunne, yet all these rayes and beames are but one in the Sunnes body; so though Christ dyed but on death for all the Elect, yet in the hight of paine it was many de•ths to him.

3. Againe, consider how much of life Christ had, the re∣moving of it by violence must be so much the more painfull; life naturall had in Christ a sweet and peaceable dwelling,* the possession of life was with excellent deligh•s, like a tree growing on the bank of a sweet river of oyl, wine and honey; it was planted beside the glorious Godhead pers•nally, and had sweet company, and that made it pleasant; the more beau∣tifull, pleasant, and green the flower of lesse was, the more vio∣lence and paine it was to hew down this delitious tree of life, and to cut him out of the land of the living; it had not been so much to cut down a thistle or a thorn tree, or to take away the life of a common man, whose life is not priviledged with grace and the grace of a personall union with God; yea, the destroying of the life of an Angel, could never have been Page 554 such violence. And then its considerable that Christ was not suffered to goe to the grave without bloud, and that his skine, his winding sheet, were bespotted with bloud. Christ paid not this sum quickly, as many die; its true, there was more will and love infinitely in his blood, then violence and paine, eve∣ry streame of bloud flowing in a channell of love; and its also sure the soule and the Godhead were not separated, but the pretious life of Christ was expelled, and that by a bloudy death, out of a sweet Paradise, and death was a rough, sad and thorny journey to Christ; weapons of Iron on hands and feet came against the Lord to fetch the soule out of the body.

2. Shame.

The second character engraven on Christs death was shame and reproach, in which consider

1. How shame could be on Christ dying.
2. What sh•me was on him.
3. How it stood with his honour as King.

1. Shame, is taken either fundamentally in the cause, or formally; sinne and sinne acted by men against the Law of God is the only foundation of shame,* when the people fell in idolatry, Exod. 32.25. Aaron made the people naked to their shame; so when Tamar disswads her brother from incest, 2 Sam. 13.13. she saith, and I, whether shall I cause my shame to goe? and as for th•e, thou shall be as one of the fooles of Israel. Shame and sinne are of one blood; for sinning is a shamefull reproaching of the crea•ure; and thus, Christ was no more capable of shame, nor of sin; for he had done no violence, neither was there any guile in his mouth. Christ-man came out of the wombe cloathed with a precious white Robe of inno∣cency and abundance of grace,* hee never contracted one black spot on that faire Robe of the highest image of God, from the wombe to the grave; and so there was no shame, but fundamentally glory in Christ all his life; but there is shame formally in sinne; and that: 1. Which we call think∣ing of shame or being ashamed actively:* 2. In bearing of shame passively. In the former consideration; because sinne is a shamefull thing in selfe, Ier. 11.13. Ye set up Altars to that shamefull thing, even Altars to burn incense to Baal; there is an internall blushing and shame rising from sinne, when Page 555 the sinner, if the conscience through a habite of sinne be not turned brazen and hard, thinks ill of sinne and esteemes it s•lf base in doing ill; Rom. 6.21. What fruit had yee then of these things whereof yee are now ashamed? Adam and Eve were not ashamed before they sinned: now Christ man had this ingenuity which Heathens called halfe a vertue; shamefast∣nesse or a power to think ill of sinne. Christ of himselfe (though he could not sinne, as Adam had a power, before the fall to pitty and commiserate the sick and miserable, though there was no formall object for that power afore men sinned) could think it of sinne. Christ (I say) thought ill of sinne, and esteemed the creature base in sinning; Heathens said vertue was of a red blushing colour; and the Scripture condems the shamelesnesse of sinners that are not abased themselves, for sinne and cannot bee ashamed; so the Lord burthens his people with this Ier. 3.3. And thou hadst a whores forehead, thou refusedst to ashamed, Heb. to blush, Esai. 3.9. The shew of their countenance (that cannot blush at sinne) doth witnesse against them, and they declare their sin as Sodome,*they hid it not. Zeph. 3.5. But the unjust knoweth no shame. In this, Christ our Lord, (to come to the second point) being our surety though he could not be ashamed of any sinne he did himself, for that he never sinned, yet being made sinne for us, he did did beare the shame of our sinne. And so Christ was not free of shame passively, as it is a punishment of sinne; for it is penall evill of the creature, Dan. 12.2. Many that sleep in the dust shall awake some to shame and everlasting contempt. Ezech. 32.24. Elam and all her multitude are slaine—they have born their shame, with them that goe down to the pit. That which is penall in shame, the Lord Iesus did beare; he saith of him∣selfe, Esai. 50.6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire, I hid not my face from shame and spiting, Heb. 12.2. Hee endured the crosse, de∣spising the shame; in these respects he did beare our shame; 1. That hee being the Lord of glory, and thought it no robbery to bee equall with the father, hee abased himselfe to come so low as to be a man, and the lowest of men, a servant, Phil. 2.6, 7, 8. Matth. 20.28. & Esai. 49.7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his holy One to him whom man dispiseth, Hebr. to one dispised in soule,*a contemned Page 556 soule abhorred by the nation, to a servant of Lords: 2. All the tokens of reproach and shame was on his suffering: As 1. In gestures,* the puting a crown of thornes on his head, and a Reed for a Scepter in his hand, to scorne his Kingly power, saluting him with mocking and bowing the knee to him: 2. In words, saying, Haile King of the Iewes; a scorning his Propheticall dignity, in blind-folding him and covering his face and saying, Prophecy who is he that smot thee? and to de∣ride his Prie••hood, they put a Roab on him, and when he is on the Crosse and offering himself as our Priest, in a sacri∣fice to God, all that passed by wagged their head, and shot out the lip, saying he trusted in God, let God save him: then the spitting on his face, in the Law was great shame, Deut. 25.9. the wife of the brother that would not build his brothers house, did spit on his face; so Iob complaines, chap. 30.10. that the children of fooles and base men abhorred him, and spared not to spit on his face. O but there is now much glory and beauty of glory on that face, its more glorious then the Sunne. 3. His death had a speciall note of shame, the death of a robber and an ill doer; so it is called Christs reproach, Heb. 13.13. Let us goe forth therefore unto him, without the Camp, bearing his reproach, or bearing his crosse, which was a reproachfull thing; for it is a clear allusion to the manner of Christs going out of the City of Ierusalem to Mount Calvary bearing his own Crosse; it was a reproachfull thing to see the Lord of glory beare shame on his back, and to behold Iesus going through the City, out at the Ports of Ierusalem with a shamefull Crosse between his shoulders, and all the children and boyes and base ones of the City wondering at him, and crying hue after him; O woe to Ierusalem when they shut Christ out at their Po•ts, and will lodge him no longer, and wo to them that put that shame on him, as to lay the reproach∣full and cursed Crosse on his back, and no man would beare it for him: And the suffering of Christ, Heb. 11.26. is called the reproach and the shame of Christ, Psal. 22.7. But I am a worme〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉no man of note, the reproach, the manifest or published shame or reproach of Adam, of fraile men, the con∣tempt of the people, the publick disgrace or neglect of the people.* Now the third particular is how could it consist with the glory of Christ as King to be shamed. It is, I must Page 557 confesse, a strange expression, the Son of God shamed, yet its Scripture expression, Heb. 12.2. Esai. 50.7. But such a shame as they could put on Christ, may well stand with the personall union.

For 1. Shame as arising from the ill conscience o• sinne, they could not put on Christ, Ier. 2.26.*As the Thiefe is ashamed, when hee is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed, They could not catch Christ in any sinne and so though they shamed him, he was not shamed, nor could he hide his face for confusion.

2. Shame is a breaking of the hope and confidence of these who look for great things, as 2 Chron. 32.21. The Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captaines in the Camp of the King of Assyria: So he returned, with shame of face, to his own land; and Esa. 30. Ye trust (saith the Lord) in the shadow of Egypt, ver. 3. There∣fore shall the strength of Pharoah be your shame, ver. 5. They are all ashamed of a people that could not profit t•em, nor be a help nor profit, but a shame and also a reproach: now thus the confidence that Christ had in God could not be broken. God could not faile Christ; his hope was ever green before the Sunne: he said it, and it was true Esa. 50.7. (Christs faith and boldnesse in his father was as hard as flint) for the Lord God will help mee, therefore shall I not bee confounded, ther•fore have I set my face as flint, and I know that I shall not bee ashamed.

3. But it is cleare, in pulling off his garments and scourging him, so they shamed him, as Ier. 13.26. Therefore will I disco∣ver thy skirts on thy face, that thy shame may appear: they brought Iesus bound, as if he had been a common Thiefe, to Pilate, Matth. 26.2. And in regard of this, Esay prophecied 53.3. He was dispised and rejected of men (the text will beare) Christ was no body—and we hid as it were our faces from him; they put so much disgrace and shame on blessed Iesus, he was so basely •andled, that we blushed and were ashamed to look upon him, all his friends thought shame of him. 1. But this was but the lying estimation of unbelieving men, who could not see his glory; but the repenting Thiefe, when they render him most shamefull and abased by faith, saw him a King who had the keyes of Paradise at his girdle, when he prayed, Lord Page 558 remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome; and he was most un-King-like at that time; and he had as much shame on him, as he was able to bear; he was branded as the greatest Thiefe of the three, dying a Thiefes death, going out at the ports of life, bleeding, pained, cursed, shamed, forsaken, des∣pised, mocked; all his glory was now under the ashes, and covered with shame; the Sunne seemed to be ashamed to see the Creator of the Sun in so painfull and so shamefull a condition, and therefore the Sunne runnes away and hides it selfe, and is not able to behold the Lord of glory hanged on a tree; the Rocks and Mountaines, the stones and faire Tem∣ple, as if they would burst for sorrow, cannot indure so base a condition as the Creator was in now. And as if death and the graves were grieved and male content to serve the justice of God, for the sinne of man, they will lodge their prisoners the dead no longer; but the graves are opened: 2. Shame is but an opinion, and men can bestow their opinion amisse, and so did the world on Christ; there was glory and fulnesse, yea, infinite glory in Christ, but they saw it not; few see the worth, fewer can weigh the weight of Christs excellency; Mens glory is but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a meere opinion, and often but a lie; and it took nothing of reall glory from Christ, whatever they esteemed him;* say that the sense of a man would judge the Sunne no better then a two penny candle, this takes no∣thing from the excellency of the Sunne. 3. The Sunne is the Sunne when it hides its beames and rayes of light and heat; Christ was the Lord of glory, when he drew in all his majesty and caused the Rayes of glory and honour retire and hid themselves under all the shame, basenesse and disgrace that men could lay on him; a voluntary condiscension of Christ was all here.

3. A Curse.

The third Character engraven on Christs death, is the curse of God, in which consider

1. What a curse was on Christ dying.
2. How he was a curse, and the causes of it.

To curse in both languages, is to pray evill, to devote to destruction either in word or deed; now the curse that Christ was made: 1. Was the Lords pronouncing him a curse: 2. The setting of him a part, as appointed for wrath and judgement. Page 559 3. The dishonor done to him, the nothinging or dispising of Christ, was a part of his curse; now in the first of these three, we know, Deut. 21.23. The Lord pronounceth him accursed that hangeth on a tree. Paul in Gal. 3.10.13. applies it to Christ;* it was a Ceremoniall curse, I grant, Deut. 21. but had a speci∣all relation to Christ, who was under a reall and morall cu•se, for such a curse is upon the sinner for Idolatry, and the highest breaches of the morall Law, Deut. 27. as to s•t light by Father and Mother, to remove the neighbours land-mark, and by fraud or rapine, to take his Lands from him; such a curse was laid on Christ; an higher curse then to be hanged on a tree; to be hanged was a note of a temporall curse, but except the man dyed in sinne, no mark of the eternall displea∣sure of God, but as typicall and relative to Christ, for whose sake only this cu•se was put on the death of the Crosse, it was in equivalency an eternall vengeance, and that wrath which all the Elect were for ever to suffer in hell; the Apostle saith,*Gal. 3.10, 11, 12, 13. Such a curse as is due to these that abide not in all that is written in the Law of God to doe it, was upon Christ; now this was a reall and morall curse; because first, due to the Gentiles who were not obliged to the Law of Ceremonies; and was, secondly, due to thousands that dyed not on the tree.

2. Christ was devoted and set apart, in the eternall coun∣sell of God for suffering the punishment of sinne; when God first purposed (if there be order of first and second in the eter∣nall decrees of God) the Lord devoted and set apart this Lamb, before the foundation of the world was laid, to bee a bloudy sacrifice for sinne; He was separated from the flock to be killed, and for our sakes he devoted vowed and sancti∣fied himself for that work; Christ was of all mankinde se∣parated to be an atonement and an expiation for sinne; he was dieted for the race to runne, through death and hell, hee was fitted; to suffer,* no man so furnished to undergoe the wrath of God, as hee.

3. As to be accursed comes under the third notion, to wit, to be dishonou•ed, so was Christ under a curse, Psal. 22.7. no man, Esa. 53.3. the last of men; the contempt and the refuse of men, Act. 4.11. the stone rejected by you builders (saith Peter) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that Nothinged stone, not so much Page 560 esteemed as an errand murtherer Barrabas; and this death of the Crosse, now especially in the Christian world, is become most base; as the buriall of an Asse, Ier. 22. was a sign of Gods displeasure, so is hanging, N•tions having not without Gods providence, casten their consent together, that it should be the death of the poore and basest of men; so Peter, as if it had been only of mens chusing, Act. 5.30. The God of our Fathers raised up Iesus whom yee slew, and hanged on a tree; And Act. 2.23. whom by wicked hands ye have crucified and slain; hanging on a ••ee is more then slaying; to kill a man is all yee can doe, but to put him to a base death▪ that is cursed both of God and man, is farre worse, its more then the wo•st; and that a King lineally discended of Kings and of the blood Royall, the Kingly Tribe of Iudah, the man on earth that only by birth, and law, had Title to the Crown of Iudea, should be put to so base a death, is the worst that wicked men and devils could doe.

I may adde yet a fourth consideration, Gen. 3.17. Al• the creatu•es are put under the curse of mans sinnes: Christ dyed such a death as took the creatures off the cu•se, and Col. 1.20. Christ having made peace through the blood of his crosse re∣conciled all things to himself, whither they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 2. Now how Christ could be a curse is harder; there is a thing intrinsecally and fundamentally cursed; and there is a thing extrinsecally and effectively cursed; none, but he that sinneth, is intrinsecally and fundamentally cursed; for in this regard its a personall ev•ll. Christ was not intrinsecally abhominable, hatefull and an execrable thing to God.

Obj•ct. But if Christ suffered all that we was to suffer for our sinnes, then as God must in •ustice abhorre and hate with a ha∣tred of abhomination the sinner, and the sinner is such an one as God must let out his displeasure against him, so must God hate and abhorre his person, therefore Gods displeasure not only per∣sued Christ by way of punishment, that extrinsecally he was cursed, but also the Lord in justice behoved to hate and abho•re the per∣son of the Son of God with the hatred of abhomination, that he in∣trinsecally should be a curse, as well as the sinner, in whose person he stands.*

Ans. Christ the surety behoved to suffer all and every punishment due to the Elect, either in the same kinde and Page 561 coyne, as death, or in the equivalency and in as good; for there were some punishments that may be well changed the one in the other: as death naturall, or by violence was chan∣ged in the death of the crosse; we have no ground to think, if Christ had never come to die for us, that the death of all mankinde must have been the death of the crosse; so Gods hating and abominating the sinner must bee and was changed in Gods forsaking of Christ, when he complained, My God, my God, &c. in regard this was all as penall and sad to Christ, as the other, to wit, to be abominated and hated in our per∣sons as cursed of God,, not to say that it was not congruous to the condition of him who is the Son of the eternall God by nature, and by an unspeakable generation, to be in his person abominated and abhorred of God, as a man intrinsecally cur∣sed, as the sinner who sinneth in person is, and not to adde also (which may be said▪ the kinde of punishment; this, not this is arbitrary to the Law-giver, now the Apostle saith not Christ was cursed, but Gal. 3.10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he was made a curse for us, extrinsecally a curse, as 2 Cor. 5.21. God made him sinne for us, that is, what was penall in the curse and sinne, and whatever was congruous and sutable to his holy person, that the Lord Iesus came under; sure as Christ took on him our nature, so he changed persons and names with us legally; he was made the sinner, and the sinner made the Sonne; there was reciprocation of imputation here. Christ was you legally and by law, and yee are Sonnes in him. The Law was a bloudy bond and our names and soules were inked with the blood of the eternall curse;*but blot out (saith Christ) my brethrens names out of the bloody bond, and writ in my name, for blood and the curse of God, and there was a white Gospel-bond drawn up and the Elects names there∣in. Then the two writs runne this in the new Covenant; Christ was made a curse and lyable to pay all our debts and law-penalties to the blood and death, and the poore sinner eternally blessed in Iesus Christ even to perfect imputed righ∣teousnesse and everlasting life. Christ changed your bleed∣ing even to the second death, and made it blessings for ever∣more to new and everlasting life.

Vse 1. If Christ dyed such a violent and painfull death; then death violent or naturall is not much up or down.

Page 562(1) Sweet Iesus had it to his choice, hee would choose the sowerest of deaths,* to go to the grave in blood; Christs win∣ding-sheet was blooded; a good prince, a reformer of the house of God Iosiah dyed in blood: Many of the worthiest that dyed in faith, dyed not in their beds, were (Heb. 11.35.36.37.) tortured, had tryall of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawne asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword. The first witnesse in the Christian Church after the Lords ascension, Steven a man full of the holy Ghost and of faith, was stoned to death: Psal. 79.2 The bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the foules of the heaven, the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth: Many thousand Martyrs have been burnt quick, extreamly tormented with new devised most exquisite torments, as to be rosted on a bran∣der, to be devoured with Lyons and wilde beasts.

2. Violence more or lesse is an accident of death, as it is the same hand folded in, or the fingers stretched out; violent death is but death on horse-back, and with wings, or a stroak with the fist, as the other death is a blow with the palmes of the hand; Naturall death is death going on foot, and creep∣ing with a slower pace; violent death unites all its forces at once, and takes the Citty by storme, and comes with sowrer and blacker visage; Death naturall divides it selfe in many se∣verall bits of deaths; old age being a long spun out death, and nature seemes to render the Citty more willingly, and death comes with a whiter and a milder visage; the one has a salter bite, and teeth of steele and yron; the other has softer fingers, and takes asunder the boards of the clay-tabernacle more lea∣surely, softly, tenderly and with lesse din, as not willing that death should appeare death, but a sleep; the violent death is as when apples greene and raw are plucked off the tree, or when flowres in the budde, and young, are plucked up by the rootes; the other way of dying is, as when apples are ripened and are filled with well boyld summer-sap, and fall off the tree of their own accord in the eaters mouth: or when flowers wither on the stalk:* Some dying full of days have like banquetters, a surfet of time, others are suddenly plucked away when they are greene; but which of •he wayes you die, not to d•e in the Lord is terrible; yee may know yee shall dye by the fields yee grow on, while ye live; a beleever on Christ, breaths in Christ, Page 563 speaks, walks, prayes, beleeves, eateth, drinketh, sickens, dies in Christ; Christ is the soyl he is planted in, hee groweth on the banks of the paradise of God; when hee falleth, hee cannot fall wrong; some are trees growing on the banks of the river of fire and brimstone; when God h•ws downe the tree, and death fells them, the tree can fall no otherwise then in hell; O how sweet to be in Christ, and to grow as a tree planted on the banks of the river of life, when such dye they fall in Christs lap and in his bosome; be the death violent or naturall! its all one whether a strong gale and a rough stormie shoar the childe of God on the new Ierusalems dry land, or if a small calme blast even with rowing of oars bring the passenger to heaven, if once he be in that goodly land.

2. To dye in faith, (the righteous has hope in his death) is the essentiall qualification to be most regarded, that is the all and sum of well dying; make sure work of heaven, and let the way or manner, violent or naturall, be as God will, its amongst the indifferents of death; Saints have dy•d either way; to dye in Christ, in the hope of the resurection is the fair and good death: to die in sinne, Ioh. 8.21. that is the ill death, and the black death.

3. To dye ripened for eternity is all and some, its said of some, they dyed full of dayes.

Object. How is a man full and ripe for death?

Answ. In these respects, 1. When the man is mortified to time, and is satisfied with dayes, he desires no more life, he lies at the water side, near by death, waiting for winde and tide, like a passenger who would fain be over the water; so dy∣ing Iacob in the midst of his testament, Gen. 49.18. Lord I have waited for thy salvation, Lord, when shall I have fair pas∣sage? Iob saith, chap. 14.14. All the time I am on the sentinell, or the time of my warfare, I will wait till my las• change come. So Paul saith, Phil. 1.2•. having a desire to be dissolved, and to bee with Christ, which is farre better, the man desires not to stay here any longer.

2. He would goe to Sea, when all his land-busines is end∣ed, the Courts are closed, and if the Sunne bee low and near his setting, loe the way ends with the day, see the lodging hard at hand, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, 8. henceforth is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse: Page 564 Sweet Iesus ere he dyed, said It is finished, all is done, hee is on the skaffold▪ and nods on his executioner Death, friend, come doe your office, I pray you see your task be ended.

3. The man seeth the crowne, hee is come to the stone wall or the hedge of Paradise, and seeth the apples of life hanging on the tree, and hears the musick of heaven: Steven Acts 7.50. I saw heaven opened.

4. He goes not away pulled by the hair, but willingly, glad∣ly, Heb. 11.8.15. They desire a better country, Iob 5.26. Like a shock of corne in his season; it would bee the losse of the corne to bee longer out of the barne; death shall not come while it be welcome, Iob. 7.3. As the hired servant panteth for the shaddow, so hee for death. All these four were in Iesus Christ.

Had Christ so much pain in his death, that his death and the crosse were all one,* so as hee had five deaths on him at once, foure on his body, death on every hand, death on every foot, and a death on his soule, ten thousand millions of pounds weightier and sadder? then let us correct all our errours, and mis-judgings touching the crosse.

Errour 1. We love to go to Paradise through a Paradise of roses, and a land-way to heaven, and a dry fair white death; wee would have Christ and the crosse changed,* which saith who ever would follow Christ let him take up his crosse〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉dayly and follow him, Luke 9.23.

2. We forget that heaven is fenced with a huge great wood of thornes, we must croud through, though our skinne be scratched even to blood and death; life eternall is like a faire pleasant, rich and glorious Citie in the midst of a waste wil∣dernesse, and there lies round about this City, at all the cor∣ners of it, a Wood of Briats and Thorns, Scorpions and Ser∣pents and Lyons abounding in it,* and the Wood is ten thousand miles of bounds on all hands, of a journey of threescore years at some parts, there no high road-way in the Wood, no back entry about; wise Professors seek away about the crosse; God has given wings to none to flie over the wood; or its like a fair Kings Pallace in an Iland of the Sea; its a most pleasant Isle for all kinde of delights, but there is no way to it by dry land. Would yee have valley ground, Summer me∣dows, fields and gardens of flowers and roses all your way? Page 565 and how is it that the Lord will not give peace to his Church? nay, but there is not a way to heaven on this side of the crosse, or on that side of the crosse, but directly, straight through we must goe; when the Apostles went through the Churches confirming the brethren, Act. 14.22. they preached that the crosse was Gospel; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, through the midst of affliction, or under flailing and threshing we must goe, there is not a way about to shift the crosse, but we must enter into the Kingdome of God, this very way and no other.

3. The blood was not dryed off Christs hands and feet, and his winding sheet,* till he was in the flower of the higher Pallace of his Fathers Kingdome and within the walls, and so his Church must not think hard of it, if she goe not a dry death to heaven.

Error 2. We tacitely condemn the wisdome of God in our murmuring under the crosse; cannot Christ lead his people to heaven a better way, then through the swords, speares and teeth of malignants, and must new Armies of Irish murtherers land on us againe? these would bee considered: 1. Paul en∣couraging the Thessalonians, saith, 2 Thess. 3.3. no man should be moved by these afflictions; why, for your selves know we are ap∣pointed thereunto from eternity, the wise Lord did brew a cup of bloody sufferings for his Church, and did mould and shape every Saints crosse in length and breadth for him; our afflicti∣ons are not of yesterdayes date and standing; before the Lord set up the world, as it now is, he had all the wheels, pinnes, wedges, works and every materiall by him, in his eternall minde; all your teares, your blood, all the ounces and pounds of gall and worm-wood yee now drink, they were an eter∣nall design and plot of Gods wise decree before the world was, they were the lot God did appoint for your back, they are no sourer, no heavier this day, then they were in the Lords pur∣pose before time; your grave, O Saints, is no deeper then of old the Lord digged it, your wound no nearer the bone then mercy made it; your death is no blacker, no more thorny and devouring then Christs soft hands framed it; ere God gave you flesh and skinne and heat in your blood, Christs doome and the Churches doome of the black crosse was writ∣ten Page 566 in Heaven: So Christ smiles and drinks with this word, Ioh. 18.11. shall I not drink the cup that my Father hath given me? 2. Rom. 8. Predestination is the first act of free-grace, and ver. 29. in that act a communion with Christ in his crosse is passed, this we consider not: will ye not think good to set your shoulders and bones under the same burthen that was on Christs back? we fear the crosse lesse at our heels and behind our back, then when its in our bosome; the Lord Iesus speaks of his suffering often afore-hand▪ and its wisdome to make it lesse, by antidated patience & submission, before we s•ffer; it were good, would we give our thoughts and lende some words to death, as Christ here doth ere it come: Opinion which is the pencill that drawes the face, armes and legges of death and sufferings, might honey our gall; if a Martyr judge a Prison a Pallace, and his Iron chaines golden bracelets, sure his bonds are as good as liberty; if a Saint count death Christs master-usher to make way to him for heaven, then death cannot be a Mill to grind the mans life to powder; faith can oyl and sugar our worm-wood; and if Christ come with the crosse, it has no strength; the believer has two skinnes on his face against the s•ittings of storme and haile-stones; Christ can make a Saint sing in hell, as impatient unbeliefe could cause a man sigh and weep in heaven. 3. We forget that the Church is the Vine-yard of the Lord of hoasts, and that the owner of the Farm must hire Satan and wicked men to be his Vine-dressers and his Reapers; but the crop is the Lords, not theirs, they are plowers; but they neither know the soyl, nor the husband-man, Psal. 129.2.

Error 3. When we see we must suffer, we tacitely are offended that Christ will not give us the first vote in our own jury, and that he would not seek our own advise in this kinde of crosse, not this; except to one man, David, God never referred the choise of a crosse, but then grace made the choyse; sure Scot∣land would have chosen famine or the Pestilence, rather then the sword of a barbarous▪ unnaturall enemy; but it must not bee referred to the wisdome of the sick, what should be his physick; we often say any crosse but this; especially if there be any letter of reproach on the crosse, a shamefull death, or di∣straction of mind; but the Lord seeth nothing out of heaven, or hell so good for you as that; that, and no other. 2. We would Page 567 have the pound weights of affliction weighted in our bal∣lance: oh this is too heavie, hence Davids, and Iobs over-com∣plaining, Oh my calamity is heavier then the sand of the Sea, Iob 6.3, and am I a Sea or a Whale, that thou setest a watch over me? chap. 7.12. Should God deale with a man as with a fish, or a beast?* 3. Wee desire to be creators of such and such circumstances of our own griefe: So wee storme often at the circumstances, as at the very poyson of the crosse, as if God had through forgetfulnesse, and a slip of wisdom, left that cir∣cumstance out of his decree,* as the Painter that draws the whole body exactly, but forgetteth to draw one of the five fingers, and in the mean while, that circumstance which we wrestle most against in our thoughts, was specially intended of God: how often doth this fire our thoughts and burn them up with fretting? Had I done this, I might have eschewed this heaviest and saddest calamity: Had I gone to Sea when the winde and Sailers called me, but the fourth part of an houre sooner, I had not been in dry land, where I am now butchered to death; so had I but spoken a word, I might have saved all this losse and labour; had not this man come in with an ill counsell and one unhappy word, many hundreth thousands had not been killed in battell; and Martha, Ioh. 11.21. is upon this distemper, for she saith to Iesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not dyed: She would say, it was an ill hap, Christ was unluckily in another place when my brother dyed; but the wise decree of God had carved these circum∣stances so; that Christs absence was especially decreed in that affli•tion, ver. 15. Iesus said plainly, Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there, (to the intent that yee may believe,) &c. Look up in the affliction to the sadest and blackest circum••ance in the crosse, infinite wisdome was not sleeping, but from eternity with understanding and counsell; the Lo•d decreed and fr•med that sadest circumstance, even that Shemei a subject should curse David his Prince; and that he should harge him with blood again•t Saul of which he was m•st free, and at that time, and no other time, when he was flying, for his life from his Son Absolom; but all these sad circumstances, were moulded and framed on the wheels of the decree of him who deviseth all, shapes our woes, accor∣ding to the counsell of his will. We would have our Lord to Page 568 remove the gall, the worm-wood, and the fire-edge out of our crosse, and we lust for some more honey and sugar of consola∣tion to be mixed with it; it were good if we could by grace, de∣sire three ills to be removed from our crosse:* 1. That of its nature, it be not sinfull; such as hardnesse of heart; we may in our election and choyce, pray that it be not both a sinfull plague of God on the soule and a judgement to us: 1. We may pray that the affliction may be circumstanced, and honeyed with the consolations of Christ, and with faith and patience, and a spirituall use of the affliction: 3. We may pray, it may not be a burthen above our back, and such as we are not able to bear; and this we may as lawfully chuse and pray, as say, Lord lead us not into temptation.

*Vse 3. Was there shame and reproach on Christs crosse? fie on all the glory of the world; let us not think 1. too much of this peece, airy, windy, vaine opinion of mens esteem and the applause; its but a short living, hungry Hosanna, when your name is carried through a spot or bit of this clay-stage, for a day or two, they'll wonder at you but nine nights. Christs fame spread abroad through all the countrey, and now hee is shamed and a reproached man; now the whole people cry out away with him, away with him, crucifie him; the ground of mans glory is his goodlinesse or graciousnesse, his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all his endowments and brave parts, and all this glory, Esai. 40.6. is as the flower of the field, his glory has a moneth, and lives the poore twelfth part of a year, and Herod is gone to the worms, and his silks rotten and gone, and Shebna is tossed like a ball in a large place, and must hear this, Esai. 22.18. Thou shall die (in a strange land) and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy Lords house: its an earthly thing, Phil. 3.19. Whose glory is their shame, who minde earthly things, Hos. 4.7. I'le change their glory into shame; and when Epharim glories in children, God sews wings to that glory, and it flies away, Hos. 9.11. As for Ephraim, their glory shall flie away as a bird. The tenne Tribes boasted of their strength and multitude; but the Lord saith, Esai. 17.4. The glory of Iacob shall be made thin: 2. God in a speciall manner sets himself in person against this glory; Esa. 23.9. The Lord of Hoasts has purposed to staine the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth, Esai. 10.12. I'le punish the glory Page 569 of the high looks of the King of Assyria; Habac. 2.16. The Lord layes a right curse on Chaldees glory; the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned into thee, and shamefull sp•ing shall be on thy glory: 3. Its the sweet fruit of Christs death and abasement that we learn to lay down our credit under the Lords feet, Phil. 2. Let the same minde be in you, that was in Christ Iesus: O that must be a high and an aspiring mind, for he was the high and lofty one; n•, he teaches all his to be aba∣sed, ver. 6. who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equall with God, ver. 7. but he emptied himselfe; he was full of majesty and glory, but he made himselfe of no repu∣tation, & an empty thing, and took upon him the form of servant, and was made in the likenesse of men— and humbled himself: ah let never man go with high sailes, nor count much of worlds glory, after Iesus Christ: ah our reputation & name is as tender to us as paiper, as our skin; a scratch in it, or a rub is a provo∣cation cannot be expiated; as if we minded, in the airy cloud of mens fame, to fly up to heaven, and frothy fame were as good to lay hold on Christ as fervent faith; breach of our pri∣viledges of State is more now then blasphemy against God.

Vse. 4. Now if Christ was made a curse for us, that we might be delivered from the curse, we are comforted in Christs being made a curse for us in regard of,

1. Extream love.
2. Perfection of blessednesse.

For this act of love; we are assured he that will be made the curse of God for us, will be any thing; four great steps of love were here, every one of them greater then another:*

1. To be a man.
2. To be a dying man.
3. To be as a sinning man.
4. To be a cursed man.

Consider these foure as they grow out of the root of love;* A Spirit sinlesse, and holy is a happy thing; the Sonne of God being God, is a Spirit, and so in another condition then man, he was above bones and clay, and the motion of hot ayr going in and out at the nostrils; its a sort of cumber to carry about a piece of dust of more then a hundreth and fifty bits of clay organs, five senses, two hands, two legges, head, tongue, lips, throat, shoulders, breast, back, so many fingers, toes, lithes, Page 570 joynts. veines, muscles, then belly, stomack, heart, liver, bowels, and a number of cumbersome vessels, let them be a hundreth and fifty fragments of warm, red and bloody clay, they require more then a hundreth and fifty servants of clay, of meat, ray∣ment, medicine, to serve them, and the more needy a creature is, the more miserable; a Spirit is above all these, and needs not senses, nor servants to serve the senses and life; O but Christ was happy from eternity, and consider what a low lowp of love was this, the Word made flesh? God manifested in the flesh, is the greatest mystery of love in the world: here God an infinite Spirit made man, has need of two eyes of clay, two eares, two legs, two hands, he must come under the necessities of all these hundreth and fifty organs; can ye tell what se∣crets of love are here? God looks out at two clay windows, the two eyes of a Man; God walks with the two clay legges of a man, Hee dwelt amongst us (saith Ioh. 1.14) hee pitched his clay-tent with us,*full of grace and glory; grace and glory dwelling in clay is one of the deep wonders of the World.

But 2. We would accept to be men; but if it were referred to our choise, we must die in paine and be tumbled in a cold hole of clay in the earth and see the Sunne no more it may be,* we would take it to our advisement, ere we chused life: Christ knew on such terms, if he should be made a creature of clay, and if the high and lofty God should be cloathed with such ragges, a coat of clay, so farre below his beauty, he must die; yet he would bee a man a dying man; and we know what sad and soure accidents were in his death.

But 3. Yee will kill an honest hearted and ingenuous in∣nocent man, ere yee move him to take with a fault, when he has done no fault:*Iob was called an hypocrite by his friends, but he would never take with it, hee would maintaine his own righteousnesse, till hee dyed; the Martyrs, ere they would take sinne on them by acting it, and deny Iesus Christ, they would rather chuse the gallous, torture, the teeth of Li∣ons, burning quick or any thing: but Christ Iesus takes it patiently to stand as the thiefe, the bloudy man, the false man, and as all the wicked men of the world; he could not act sin; but he said, Father, make me the sinner; I never stole, but let my face be blacked with theft, I never shed innocent blood, but Page 571 let the staine, and blot off the murtherer be upon me; I never lied, but let me be as a lyar and stand so before justice; and God made him sin; 2 Cor. 5.21. when a man willingly goeth to pri∣son for a broken man, its a reall acknowledgement that he takes on him the broken mans debts: Its as good as if he had said, crave me for him; a morall blot to be put on an honest, holy, harmlesse man, is a high measure of selfe-denyall and love; Christ said, here am I, crave me Lord.

But this is nothing, Christ was a ma•: 2. A dying man: 3. Made as a sinner, and as a wicked and unhonest man;* but God blessed him, he was made a blessing of God, and that is comfort enough; No, it was not so, God made him a curse, an execrable thing, all the broad curses written in the book of the Law, came on him; see Christ made clay, dying clay, as sinning clay, cursed clay; what would yee have more; Christ is as if his Father abhorred him, and would not once give him on cast of his eye.

2. All perfection of blessednesse comes to us by this that Christ was made a curse for us, Gal. 3.14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, through Iesus Christ: that we might receive the promise ef the Spirit, through faith: This is the true freedome from the Law, to be freed from the curse thereof, in believing Christ was made a curse for you, accor∣ding to that Rom. 6.14. For sinne shall not have dominion over you, for yee are not under the Law, but under grace, which doctrine is cleare, Rom. 7. where expresly we are said to bee freed from the dominion of the Law, as the wife is freed from the Law of subjection to her husband, if the husband be dead, which is a comparison, and holdeth not in all, but only in so farre as the two husbands, the Law and Christ, stand in opposition the one to the other; now the opposition is that the Law has dominion to justifie the legall observers of it, and guide the wife to life eternall; but the conditions are hard, and now because of the flesh unpossible; Christ againe, the better husband, leadeth his Bride to heaven in sweeter termes, by be∣lieving in him that justifieth the ungodly, who has satisfied for our breach of the Law.

2. The Law hath dominion over the wife that is in subjecti∣on to it, to condem her, if she break to this spirituall husband, in thought, word, or deed; but the two husbands both agree Page 572 in this, that both command holy walking; as the Apostle ex∣cellently sheweth, 1 Cor. 9.20. to them that are under the Law, I am as under the Law, that I might gaine them that are urder Law, ver. 21. to them that are without Law, as without Law (being not without Law to God, but under the Law to Christ) that I might gaine them that are without Law: Hence we teach that the believer married to the second and better husband Christ, is not freed from the rule and directing power of the Law to lead us in the wayes of sanctification and holinesse, but we are freed from the dominion of the Law that it cannot justifie us, nor condem us, because in Christ we are justified by his imputed righteousnesse laid hold on by faith, and sa∣ved freely in him by his blood, hence give me leave to vindi∣cate our doctrine in this, from the wicked aspersions cast on it, by Antinomians especially by Mr Town.

Mr Towne's assertion of grace against Doctor Taylor, Pag. 3.

When its said, we are not under the Law, but under grace, Rom. 6. by the word (Law) I understand the morall Law or decalogue, with all its authority, dominion, offices and effects; and by grace is understood the Gospel of Christ; if yee were (saith he) under the power and teaching of the Law,*its true, sin would, then lord it over you, in that the Law is the strength of sinne, 1 Cor. 15. But yee are translated unto another Kingdome, where the enemy yee so feare, is spoyled of all its armor, and power whereon it dependeth; and your King you now live under, doth freely communicate abundant and effectuall grace of justification and sanctification, so to fortifie you, that yee shall be more then Conquerours; therefore feare not, only be strong in the faith thereof.

Answ. 1. Not to minde Mr Town that else-where he meaneth by the Law, that we are not under, not the Morall Law only, but the Ceremoniall also; if we be freed from all authority of the Law,* then hath the sixth command no authority from God to teach that murthering of our brother 〈◊〉 sinne, that Idolatry is contrary to the second command 〈◊〉 acts of holinesse and worship performed by 〈…〉 wil-service and wil-worship; for if 〈…〉 and direct us, what is holy walking 〈…〉Page 573 by the Antinomian way, doth not teach any such thing in the letter; then its all unwritten wil-walking, that a believer doth; this is licence, not holinesse wee are cal∣led unto.

2. Then is it not the Lawes office to reveale sinne to us? Paul saith contrary, Rom. 3.20. for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne, Rom. 7.7. I had not known lust, except the Law had said, thou shalt not covet; free a believer from all the offices of the Law; Then the believer when he lies and whores, and murthers, is not obliged, to know or open his eyes, and see from the light of the Law that these be sins; for Mr Town looseth him from all the offices of the Law: Paul mis-judged himself, when in his be∣lieving condition, he saith; Rom. 7.14.15. for we know that the Law is spirituall•, but I am carnall sold under sinne.

3. From the Lawes teaching of believers, to inferre that the Law lordeth it over a beliver, is a great fallacy

4. If the enemy sinne be spoyled of all power, even of indwelling and lusting against the Spirit, then the believer cannot faile against a Law; then he may say, he has no sin, which Iohn saith is a lie.

5. If Christ communicate abundant effectuall grace of sanctification, then is sanctification perfect; but the Scripture saith the contrary, in many things we offend all; and we are not perfect in this life, nor are we more then Conquerours in every act of sanct•fication, nor is that Pauls meaning, Rom. 8. that we are never foiled, and that lusts in some particular acts have not the better of us too often, but that finally in the strength of Christ, the Saints are so farre forth more then Con∣querors, that nothing can work the Apostacy and separation of the Saints from the love God in Christ.

Mr Towne's assertion of Grace, Pag. 4.5.

Mark three grounds of mistakes: 1. That justification and sanctification are separable, if not in the person, yet in regard of time and word of Ministration, as if the Gospel revealed justification; the Law were now become an effectuall instru∣ment of sanctification: 2. That to ease men of the Laws yoak, is to suffer them to range after the course of the world, and 〈…〉 lu•s not considering that the righteousn•sse of 〈…〉 to Christ their Lord, head and Governour, Page 574 that they may be led by his free Spirit, and swayd by the Scepter of his Kingdome: 3. That all zealous and strict conformity to the Law of works, though but in the letter, is right sancti∣fication.

Answ. 1. Not any of these are owned by Protestant Di∣vines; they are Mr. Townes forged calumnies; to the first, I cannot see that sanctification is any thing at all by Antinomian grounds but meere justification, and that he is an Antinomian saint that believeth Christ satisfied,* and performed the Law for him, but no letter of Law or Gospel layeth any obligation on him to walk in holinesse. But the Gospel only revealeth engraffting of the branch, in Christ the Vine-tree and stock of life, and the bringing forth fruits, by the faith of Christ to be the only true sanctification; but if the apples be not of the right seed, & conforme to the derecting rule of all righteousnesse the Law of God, they are but wilde grapes, we never made the Law the effectuall instrument of sanctification; a help it is, being preached with the Gospel; but neither is the Gospel of it selfe the effectuall instrument of sanctification, except the spirit of grace accompany it, nor the law of it selfe.

2. The second is a calumny also; But we would desire to know how Antinomians can free themselves of it, for the righte∣ousnesse of faith doth not so unite believers to Christ as to their Governour, so as Christ governeth them by the Spirit and the Word, for the letter of the whole Word both Law and Gospel (say (a)they) holdeth forth nothing but a covenant of works, to search the Scripture (b)either Law or Gospel, is not a sure way of searching and finding of Christ; and Mr Towne passeth in silence all guidance of the Saints,* by commande∣ments of either Law or Gospel, and tells us of a leading by a free Spirit only. So that by Antinomians, we are no more under the Gospel as a directing and commanding rule, then we are under the Law; what hindereth then but Antinomian justi∣fication bids us live as we list; we think the Gospel comman∣deth every duty, and forbiddeth every sin as the Law doth, under damnation; what is sinne to the one, is to the other. But the Gospel forbiddeth nothing to a justified believer under the paine of damnation, more then to Iesus Christ. 2. A dead l•r•er forbiddeth no sinne, commandeth no duty; but the Gospel of it selfe without the Spirit, is a dead letter, as well Page 575 as the Law; the major is the Antinomian doctrine, the assump∣tion is undeniable.

3. Pharisaicall conformity to the Law we disclaime, but if any could be strictly and perfectly conforme to the Law of works, as Christ was, we should think such a man perfectly sanctified; but, through the weaknesse of the flesh, that is un∣possible; I know not what Mr Towne meanes by a confor∣mity to the Law though but in the Letter; if he meanes that the literall meaning and sense of the Law requireth no spirituall, inward•, and compleatly perfect obedience; he is no good Doctor of the Law; and if it be not such an obedience,* it is not zealous and strict obedience; but its ordinary to Antino∣mians now to tearm these whom the Prelaticall party of late called Puritans and strict Precisians, because they strove to walk closely with God, Pharisies, and out-side Professors, who think to be justified and saved by their own righteousnesse, so farre are they at odds with sanctification; if by conformity to the Law in the Letter. Mr Towne meanes externall obedience without faith in Iesus Christ, or union with him; he knows Protestant Divines acknowledge no •ound sanctification, but that which is the naturall issue and fruit of justification,* and flowes from faith which purifieth the heart; and such strict conformity to the Law as floweth from saving faith, we hold to be true sanctification, though all enemies to holy walking cry out against it, such as mockers of all religion, the Prelati∣call and Antinomian party who mock strict walking, and long prayer, and humble confession of sinnes, and smiting of conscience for sinne.

Towne, Page 5.

Blinde and sinister suspition, and causeless fear inclined Doctor Taylor to this exposition, to say our Apostle looseth no Christian from obedience and rule of the Law, but he dares not trust a be∣liever to walk without his keeper, as if he judged no otherwise of him then of a Malector of New-gate, who would runne away, rob, kill, and play his former Pranks, if the jaylor, or his man be not with him, when he is abroad.

Answ. 1. There is a twofold keeping in of sinners, one meerely legall, such as that of wicked men, Psal. 32.9. Who are like the horse or mule and have no understanding,*whose mouth must be held in with bite and bridle, least they come neare unto Page 576 you; The Law hath not power over wicked men ever with terrors of hell and the curse of God, because often they bee given up to a hard heart, and what cared Pharoah, who was under the Law, for this keeper? and to a reprobate minde, and to any that commit sin with greedinesse, having the conscience burnt with a hot Iron, and being passed feeling, Rom. 1.28.29. E•hes. 4.17, 18, 19. 1 Tim. 4.2. The Law is no keeper; they care no more for Mr Towns goale, that a Lyon doth for the crying of a shepheard, he will not abase himselfe for it: all the restraint that Law layes on a naturall man, is when the conscience is wakened or some great plague is on Pharaoh, then he dare not keep the people captive; but Antinomians have a good opinion of slaves of Satan, who judge them to be civill and externally honest Devils, and make lims of hell of a good sweet calme nature, who stand naturally in awe of Gods Law, but Rom. 3.9, 10, 11. among the whole Tribe and race of mankinde, Iewes and Gentiles see what they care for the Antinomian Goaler, the law, they believe not one word of the Law saith, ver. 11. there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh God,* ver. 12. They are all gone out of the way (where is the keeper, now and his sword, and speare?) they are altogether become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one, ver. 13. their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poyson of Asps is under their lips, &c. The law layeth not naturally a bridle on the outer man; but observe that the conscience be restrained and awed by the Law, and under any naturall remorse for sinne committed or to bee committed, is a sinfull bondage that Christ must deliver us us from. 1. Then stupefaction and deadnesse of conscience not to care for the law of God, more then a prisoner who has broken goale, and now is in hedges and high-wayes robbing and murthering, cares for his old keeper, is to Antinomians mortification, and a crucifying of old Adam. 2. So Iobs not da∣ring to lift his arme against the fatherlesse, chap. 31. must be the power of old Adam in him; Davids bones broken for his adultery and murther, must be the power of old lusts in him. 3. Then the lesse tendernesse of conscience and feare for sinne as sinne, the more mortification of lust. 4. Grace as grace stupifieth and deadeth conscience, so Antinomians must teach.

2. Men naturally doe more good for the prayse of men, and Page 577 are more affraid to doe ill, for the Axe and the Gibbet of the Magistrate, then for any feare of Hell or Iudgement of the Law of God. Towne cannot speak of this keeper, there is a se∣cond restraint that the Law mixt with the love of Christ layeth on the godly and believer; and he has need of this keeper; so Ioseph saith. Gen. 42 18. this doe and live for I feare God: There was a keeper over Iob, that he durst not lift up his hand against the Fatherlesse, cap. 31. why, ver. 27. For destruction from God was a terrour to me, and by reason of his highnesse I could not en∣dure: and this keeper in the conscience, smites Davids heart, when he renteth but the lap of Sauls garment, and keeps him that hee dare not kill him; this was not legall bondage; for Christ commandeth (Math. 10.28, 29. Luk. 12 5.) us to feare him that can cast both soule and body in Hell, rather ere we deny him before men who can but kill the body, & 1 Pet. 2.17. Col. 3.22. Act. 9.31. Act. 13.16. it is commanded to us: I grant the object of this feare is not so much Hell, as the offend∣ing of God, but it is commanded in the Law of God; but Mr Town will have the believer so free, so perfect, as the Law needeth not to teach and direct him in one step, he doth all without a keeper or one letter of a command, by the free im∣pulsion of a Spirit separated from Scripture; that is right down, a believer is neither under Law nor Gospel; but a Spi∣rit separated from the Gospel and all letter of it, and from the Law, guides him.

Towne, Pag. 5.6.

But I muse why you omit to show what it is to be under gra•e, which is the member opposite to being under the Law. Paul treat•th of sanctification, and yet maketh this contrariety of being under the Law, and under grace, the Law must be •aken comprehensively, with all his offices and authority, and that the reason is firme that sinne shall not have dominion over him who liveth under the grace of the Gospel, because it hath a sancti∣fying v•rtue and power in it to subdue sinne.

Answ. Dr Taylor did not omit to expound what it is to be under grace, if you had not omitted to read his words, he is cleare to any unpartiall Reader; but let your exposion stand; sin shall have no dominion over you, for yee are not under the Law, as teaching, directing regulating believers in the way of righte∣ousnesse, but under grace, that is, under the Gospel which giveth Page 578 power to subdue sinne, without any ruling, teaching or directing power of the Law: but what is the power of subduing sinne to Antinomions, I pray you? not sanctification, as in words they say, but justification, that is a power to believe Christ by doing and suffering has fulfilled and obeyed the Law for you, but yee are under no command to walk according to the rule of righteousnesse in the Law;* so that to be under the Law is just contrary to personall and reall sanctification and walking in love and in Evangelick duties, even as to be under the Law, and to be under grace, are opposed by the Apostle; then as we are obliged, not to be under the Law, but under grace, so are we obliged to no personall sanctification or holy walking, but to objective and imputative sanctification only, that is, only to believe in Christ as made our righteousnesse and san∣ctification; now as we are not obliged to bee inherently righteous, so are we not obliged to be inherently and personal∣ly sanctified and holy, for that is to be under the Law, as the rule of righteousnesse; now we are freed from the Law as our rule of righteousnesse and from the Law with all its offices and authority, saith Mr Towne; and to remaine under the Law as a rule of rightenesse and to walk holily as being ob∣liged from the conscience of any command either of Law or Gospel, is legall bondage from which Christ has set us free; as to be circumcised is a part of the Law-yoke so they teach; then to be inherently holy is unlawfull to Antinomians.

Mr Town, Pag. 6.

Yet I wish that I be not mis-taken, for I never deny the Law to be an eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse: But yet af∣firm that its the grace of the Gospel which effectually and truly conformeth us therunto.

Answ. 1. I wish Mr Towne doe mistake, for hee that teacheth that believers are freed from the Law,*as a rule teach∣ing, directing, and from the Law with all its offices and authori∣ty; he denyeth the Law to believers to be an eternall and invio∣lable rule of righteousnesse, or then he must speak contradicti∣ons, to wit, that the believer is not under the Law as a rule of righteousnesse, for so (saith Towne) he should not be under grace, which is contrary to the Apostle, Rom. 6.14. and yet he is un∣der the Law as an eternall and inviolable rule of righteous∣nesse; for I ask to whom is the Law an eternall and inviolable Page 579 rule of justice? to the believer, or no? If to the believer, then he must be under it; but Antinomians say, that is Pharisaicall and Popish; that is to put Christs free-man (saith Twone) under his old keeper the Law, as if he were a malefactor; if the Law be no eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse, why doth Mr Towne say so?

2. That rule to the which the grace of the Gospel doth con∣forme us, that rule we must be under; but Mr Towne saith The grace of the Gospel truly conformeth us to the eternall and inviolable rule of righteousnesse, Ergo, &c.

3. An inviolable rule of justice cannot be violated and con∣travened by these to whom it is a rule without sinne, else its not an unviolable rule; then if believers cannot violate the Law, and murther, and commit adultery, but they must sinne, by violating the rule, then as believers are obliged not to murther, not to commit adultery, so must they be under the inviolable rule of righteousnesse, contrary to which Antinomians teach. All that Mr Towne can say against us in this argument is a calumny, that we make the Law, not the Gospel to give power to subdue sinne; but the truth is neither Law nor Gospel giveth grace, but the God of grace hath promised in the Gospel grace and a new heart and a new spirit to the Elect, and grace goeth not along with the Gospel,* as a favour of equall extension with the preached Gospel, but millions heare the Gospel who remaine voide of grace, and have no right to any promise or grace; the Law leaveth not off to be the rule of tighreousnesse, though it cannot effectually make its disciples holy and conforme to the rule, no more then the Gospel should not be the Law and rule of faith, because without the influence of the Spirit of grace it can make no Disciples conforme to Iesus Christ and his image; for many Elect for a long time, heare the Gospel and have no grace to obey, while the time of conversion come, and many are more blinded and hardned that the Gospel is preached to them, and it were better they had never heard nor known the way of truth.

Towne pag. 6.7.

Rom. 7.6. The meaning is, through faith is bred assured con∣fidence, lively hope, pure love toward God, invocation of his name, without all wavering or doubting or questioning his good-will, audience and acceptance, which could never be attained by all the Page 580 zeal and conscience towards God according to the Law of workes. — and the knowledge of the glory of God, is given according to a covenant of meere grace, without addition or mixture of works — and the opposition is plaine to be not so much b•tweene the grosse hypocrite (who is only brought to outward subjection, and correspondency to the Law) as betweene him that in good earnest and in downe uprightnesse of heart, giveth over himself wholly to the Law of God, Rom. 10.2. (as the wife to the husband and guid of her youth) to be ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God therein, according to his legal conscience, which is never pacified with works, and the man who knoweth and worshippeth God alone according to the Gospel of Grace.

Answ. This is a close perverting of the word of truth. 1. The Antinomian faith may here be smelled, that by faith is bred assured confidence, without all wavering, feare or doubt∣ing, &c. Then whoever once doubt or waver, are yet un∣der the Law of works; a doctrine of dispaire to broken reeds, who are not und•r the •aw, but married to a new husband Christ, and yet cry, Lord, I beleeve, help my unbelief: Why feare yee, O yee of little faith, is there not doubting here and a broken faith which Christ softly bindeth up?

2. The Covenant of Grace and Gospel commandeth faith, and also good works as witnesses of our faith; but Towne will have good works in any notion of an evangelick com∣mand to stand at defiance with a covenant of meere grace: when Grace is the fountaine and cause of our walking in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.10. by the grace of God, wee had our conver∣sation in tht world, in simplicitie and godly sincerity, 1 Cor. 15.10. I laboured more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, that is in mee. Its true, Holy walking by the grace of God, and Christs righteousnesse in justification, is a wicked mixture, which we detest.

3. The opposition. Rom. 7. is betweene any unconverted man under the Law, be he hypocrite, or a civill devill, or be he any other man on the one part, and a beleever married to Christ, and dead to the Law on the other; for that which is common not to grosse hypo•rites only, but to all naturall men out of Christ, is ascribed to the man that is under the Law, by the Apostle, as 1. He is under the Lawes dominion and con∣demnation, vers. 1. 2. The Law has power over him, as Page 581 the living husband over the wife, vers. 2.3. The poor man can∣not look to Iesus to another lover and husband,* the Law as a hard husband leads him, and cries, obey perfectly, or be eter∣nally damned. (3) He is a man in the flesh, in whose mem∣bers concupiscence and lust rageth, as a young vigorus mother bringeth forth children, lusts of the flesh to death, as married to hell and the second death, vers. 5. (4) He serves God according to the oldnesse of the letter, that is carnally, hypocritically, like an out-side of a rotten Pharisee, and not according to the new∣nesse of the Spirit, that is in a Spirituall maner.

Yet Mr. Towne extolls him, as one that in good earnest and downe-rightnesse of heart yeeldeth and giveth over himselfe to the Law of God,*(as the wife to the husband) to be instructed and ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God; but no unconverted man can bee said so to doe, except Antinomians be grosse Pelagians; But I think Antinomians, with Mr. Crispe think the person under the Law in all this chapter to bee the beleever personating or acting the person of a scrupulous beleever under a temptation of doubting: but cleare it is, Paul speaks of a man under the Law, in the flesh, and in opposition to him, of one under grace, of one married to the Law, and of one married to Christ; in the first part of the chapter, of one in the flesh, and so unrenewed, vers. 5. For when wee was in the flesh, &c. and of one that is dead to the Law, married to Christ, and serves the Lord spiritually; and its clear that the Apostle counteth it a part of deliverance from the Law, and a fruit of our marriage to God, that (vers. 4) we• bring forth fruits to God, and walk holily. 2. That the mo∣tions of sinnes bring forth wicked works, as children to the second death, vers. 5. (3) that wee serve the Lord (vers. 6.) in newnesse of Spirit, and walk in Christ.

Now Mr. Towne as setting himselfe to contradict Paul, saith pag. 6. This is an addition and mixture of works and faith, and cannot stand with a covenant of meere grace.

Towne pag. 8.

How can Christ red•eme us f•om the Law, being under the Law, for us▪ except beleevers be redeemed from the Law in that same very sence, and extent that Christ was under it as a media∣tor? But was not Christ under the Rule and obedience also as well Page 582 as under the Raigne to death, seeing he came to doe the will of his father, and fulfill all righteousnesse, Mat. 3.15.

Answ. 1. Wee cannot every way be said to be redeemed from the Law, in that same sence that Christ was under it: For Christ was under the Law of Ceremonies to free the Iewes from observing that Law; I hope we Gentiles are not that way freed from the Law of Ceremonies; for that Law did never oblige the Gentiles except the Gentiles had adjoyned them∣selves in some profession, to the then visible Church.

2. If Christ was under the Law as the rule, to free us from the Law as the rule, then why did Christ command us to imitate him in doing his fathers will, and submitting to that same Ru•e, that hee submitted to, as is clear, Matth. 11.29. learne of mee that am meek, Ioh. 15.10. If yee keepe my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my fathers commandments, and abide in his love, Ioh. 14.15. If yee love me, keep my commandments, Ioh. 13.15. For I have given you example, that yee should doe as I have done unto you, Ephes. 5.1.2. Rev. 3.21. Heb. 12.1. 1 Pet. 2.21.22. Ioh. 15.23. but Antinomians (a) say that these that be in Christ are not under the Law, or commands of the word, (even of the letter of the Gospel) as the rule of life, and that Christians are not bound to conforme themselves in their life to the directions of the word, contrary to Psal. 119.9. Esai. 8.20. and contrary to all the gospel-exhortations given in the New Testament by Christ and his Apostles; and they say (b) that the example of Christs life, (even in subjecting himselfe to the law as a rule of righteousnesse) is not a paterne according to which we are to act and live: In a word, they will have the Spirit separated from the word, and from the example of Christ, and all the cloud of witnesses to be no rule to us; to which I oppose that one precious word of the beloved disciple, 1 Ioh. 2.26.*He that saith he abideth in him, ought so to walke even as he hath walked. But observe, 1. All means that doe not efficaciously bow the will to obedience to God, and con∣vert the soule, are rejected by them, as not obliging the conscience, such as are the Law, the letter of the Gospel, all the promises, exhor••tions and precepts of the Gospel, the example of the Lord, who commandeth us, 1 Pet. 1. to be holy as he is holy, the example of Christ, of all the Pro∣phets, Page 583 Apostles, Martyrs and Saints, because all these are some other thing then grace, and may prove ineffectuall: hence

1. The Gospel as contradistinguished from the Law, is not the Gospel written or preached,* but the grace that resi∣deth no where but in God and in Iesus Christ, is the Go∣spel; so say they (c)The faith that justifieth us is in Iesus Christ, and never had any actuall beeing out of Christ. 2. There i• no habituall grace inherent in beleevers, all such must bee a created thing, Grace is an uncreated favour only in God: for all that which is called habituall grace in us is in effectuall to act graciously, and cannot produce supernaturall acts, except the holy Ghost act and move it: Hence they say (d)that the new creature or the man, (or the new heart, or new Spirit, the circumcised, the opened heart, the Law in the inward parts, the one heart, the renewed minde, the inner man, the Law of the mind, Christ dwelling in the heart by faith) mentioned in the Gospel, is not meant of Grace, but of Christ, and therefore (e)we must not pray for gifts and graces, but only for Christ: and (f)so a man may have all graces and poverty of Spirit, and yet want Christ.

2. We are patients in justification, Sanctification, beleeving in Christ, and we are blocks all the way to heaven; minde, will, affection, memory, love, desir•, joy, feare and all in us act nothing in supernaturall acts; there is not such a thing as grace, in any of the Saints, but Grace is nothing but Christ without us drawing us as blocks, as dead stones, in the way to heaven, having no activitie, but to sin,(g) even after we be∣leeve in Christ: and (h) Christ works in the regenerate as in deadmen.

3. Omissions of duties commanded in the Gospel are no sins, for none are, (i)to be exhorted to beleeve, but such whom we know to be the elect of God, or to have his Spirit in them effectually, and (k)a man may not bee exhorted to any dutie, because he hath no power to do it; then Law, Gospel, exhorta∣tions, commands, promises, threatning•, are to no purpose: these that want grace to obey, are not lyable to obey, nor guilty, nor under wrath, because they beleeve not in the Son of God, and these that are under grace are under obligation to no commands at all, and farewell all Scripture from henceforth; Yea, Mr. Town is frequent in this, we are not under the Law, as Page 584 our rule; Why? because, (saith he) it cannot effectually work obe∣dience in us; but so all the word of God, the Gospel without the Spirit must be no rule of obedience at all, because the Scripture, the Gospel and all the promises without the Spirit are just alike and uneffectuall to work us to obedience.*

But not one word of old or new Testament frees us f•om the Law as our rule of righteousnesse, and all the scriptures that speake of our freedome from the Law, doe directly speak of our freedome from the curse and condemnation of it, because we cannot be justified thereby, as Gal. 3.10. For as many as are of the work of the Law, are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are writ∣ten in the book of the Law to doe them: this must be to doe them in a legall way, 1. Hee must doe them all in thought, inclinations, motions of the heart, and all the strength of the soule, in all his actions, in all his words, and in a spirituall manner as the law charges, otherwise hee is cursed; then all mankinde, both such as are in Christ, or out of Christ are cur∣sed; now if the simple doing of the things of the law, as its a rule of our life, did involve us in a curse, then to honour Father and mother which Paul certainly commandeth as a Gospel-dutie, Ephes. 6.1.2. and the loving of our brother to which Iohn. 1. Epist. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. exhorteth us unto, should involve us in a curse;* which is absurd.

2. He must continue to the end in doing all the Law; if ever he fail, he is under a curse: Now thus it is clea•Paul saith wee are freed in Christ, from a necessitie of justification by the works of the law: For Paul addeth in the next words, vers. 11. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, is evi∣dent, for the just shall live by faith; if the living by faith did exclude work•, and keeping of the law in an• respect at all, as the keeping of the law is a witnesse of the life of faith: then to doe the things of the law, as its an eternall rule of righte∣ousnesse,* should also involve us in the curse, and argue that we seeke to be justified by the law, and so that we are fallen from Christ, even as to be circumcised doth involve a man to bee a debtor to the whole law, and argueth a falling from Christ and the grace of the Gospel; for Antinomians contend that we are the same way freed from the morall law, as it is a rule of Righteousnesse, that we are freed from the Ceremoniall law; Page 585 But wee are freed, under the paine of a curse, and of falling from Chri•t, and the gr•ce of the Gospel, from the literall ob∣serving of circumcision, Act. 15. & Gal.•.1, 2, •, 4. as the Cere∣moniall Law is a rule of righteousnesse; and if any should pretend the impulsion and leading of the Spirit, not any letter of the Law, and thereupon be circumcised, and should re∣nounce the law of •eremonies as a rule of righteous walk∣ing as Antinomians professe they obey father and mother and love their brother, and abstaine from Idolatry, not be∣cause the Law is their rule, or the letter of the Law swayeth their conscience, but because the Spirit of Christ leadeth them; if (I say) any upon this Spirit would be circumcised, and eat the passeover, and sacrifice Lambs and blood to God now, this Spirit is no Gospel S•irit, but the spirit of Sathan lead∣ing such from Christ: If then we are not to obey the Morall Law, as a rule of life and righteousnesse; but are f••ed from it the same way, that we are freed from the Ceremoniall Law; then to love God and our brethren in any notion should bee sinne, as to be c•rcumcised in any notion is to fall from Christ, Act. 15. Gal. 5.

Mr Towne has a strange evasion for this, Page 138.

The Spirit is free, why will yee controule and rule it by the Law, whereas the nature of the Spirit is freely to conforme the heart and life to the outward rule of the Law without the help of the Law, as a crooked thing is made straight according to the line and square, and not by th•m; and thus while a believer ser∣veth in newnesse of the Spirit, the Spirit freely and cheerefully moving him and inclining him to keep the Law which is meerely passive, herein they doe wickedly who hence take liberty to sinne.

Answ. 1. To doe the will of God meerely as commanded from the power of an outward commandement or precept in the word is but legall, and brings forth but mixt obedience or finer hypoc•isie (saith (a)Saltmarsh) and Mr Town saith that it is to controule the free Spirit, and to rule it by a Law; and Fami∣lists of new England (as the old Libertines) say all (b)verball Covenants or covenants expressed in words are covenants of works and such as strike men off from Christ; and (c)the whole let∣ter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works; and (d)its dangerous to close with Christ in a promise of the Gospel; Page 586 because the promise is an externall created letter,* and the Spirit is all; this is to make a battell and contrariety between the Word of God and the Gospel as written or preached, and the Spirit, whereas 1. that which the Scripture saith, the Spirit of God saith; the command and Gospel promise is the sense and minde of the holy Spirit; for that the Scripture is q•ickned by the Spirit, 2 Tim. 3.16. and the Word is the seed of God, and of the new birth, 1 Pet. 1.23. and mighty in operation, and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword, Hebr. 8.12. nor is it possible that any can believe the report of the Gospel, because it is the Gospel-report, but the arme of the Lord and the power of God in the Gospel must be revealed to them; Esai. 53.1. Ioh. 12.37.38.39. For Iohn saith, the not receiving the report of the Gospel is judiciall blindnesse and unbeliefe; when Ioseph dare not oppresse his brethren, and Iob dare not lift his arme against the Fatherlesse, because the sixth com∣mand saith, thou shalt not murther; this is but finer hypocrisie in Ioseph and Iob, and a controuling of the free Spirit; better be∣lieve David, Psal. 119.6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have a respect to all thy Commandements; no doubt the Lord concurred freely with Adam in the act of obeying God in abstaining from the fruit of the forbidden tree, if therefore Adam should obey God out of conscience to Gods command (eat not) he should either controule the free Lord in his work∣ing, which none in conscience can say, or then Adam must have been loosed from obedience to that command, if yee eat, yee shall die, as we are now loosed from the Law and the second death, though we break the Law, according to the Antinomian way; yea, its unconceivable how these that are under grace, doe obey the Gospel enjoyning faith, because the Lord •esus commandeth them, but they must sin in so doing because they controule the free Spirit of God, in not obeying for the free impulsion of the Spirit, ▪but for the literall command ▪of God; for sure to controule the free Spirit is sin, and to obey for the letter of the command, to Antinomians, is to controule the free Spirit; but its blasphemy to say that there is a contraiety between the letter of the Lords command either in Law or Gospel, and the free impulsion of the Spirit working •in us by grace to will, doe, and obey the command: •or to obey the voyce of the Lord in his Prophets and Apostles, and to obey Page 587 the Lord himselfe are all one, in the word; but this is the er∣ror of old Anabaptists and Enthysiasts, to reject the word, and all teaching by men and the word, and to leane to the only immediate inspirations and free motions of the Holy Ghost; and to doe or obey, for any other teaching is the way of le∣gall and law-men led by the letter, not by the Spirit. If any obey or doe Gods will out of by respects, or for feare of pu∣nishment or hope of reward, they doe not Gods will, nor obey they from the power of an outward command, nor doe they controule the free Spirit, because the very letter and outward commandement enjoyneth inward, spiri•uall sincere obedience farre from hypocrisie, and forbiddeth in the sense of the let∣ter of it, all servile respects and service of God for hire. Antinomians believe that the Law as the law doth ommand men to obey for fear of hell, as a servant for beating obeyeth his Master, or that it commandeth perfect obedience for hire of life eternall. I do•bt not to say this is not far from blasphe∣my; for the Law is spirituall and holy, and good, and most just, its a cleane and undefiled Law, Psal. 119. & Rom. 7. is the ex∣presse and image of th•good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, Rom. 12.2. then the Law as the Law can command no finer hypocrisie, no servile, no mercenary obedience for hire, for the Law cannot command sin; its true Luther saith, that the Law compelleth men to obey God, but he speaketh of the accidental ope∣ration & fruit of the Law, because of our sinfull disposition, and of the condemning Law as it works on our corruption, the holy Law commandeth no man to obey God wickedly.

2. The letter of the Gospel carrieth to us and holdeth forth free grace, openeth the bowels and heart of Christ, calleth on the weary and loaden, to come to Christ, speaketh heaven, glory, and the promise in the wombe of it; though it be but the foolish∣nesse of preaching of men, yet its the power o• God to salvation, and there is such a Majesty, so much of heaven, in the womb and bowels of the word, that as I never read or heard the like of it, so I shall hate that Religion that joyns with popery, to call it Ink-divinity, and a letter, and a legall servile thing; so did the Libertines, in Calvines time.

3. All tendeth to this, that we despise prophecying, neglect the word, commands, promises, covenant of grace and all these inferiour meanes, and so praying, experience, conference, Page 588 hearing, reading, Sacraments, because without the Spirit these are livelesse and dead; for (saith Towne) the meanes are pas∣sive, shall be also many restraints laid on the free Spirit of God. But so we should not saile nor traffi•k, we should not plew, nor eare, we should not watch the City, nor build houses, because all these are fruitlesse without the influence of a blessing from heaven; if their meaning be that we are not to trust or rest on the meanes, the word, promises, covenant of grace, but to seek Christ hims•lfe in all these, its good, but then to seek Christ in his own way, is not to controule his spirit, as Mr Town phancieth.

Now what Town doth meane in saying that the Spirit freely conformeth the heart and life to the outward rule of the law, without the help of the Law, is heard to conjecture; for •f the meaning be that the Spirit needeth the he•p of the Law to make us know our sinnes, to humble us and chase us to him who is the end of the Law: then surely the Spirit by the help of the Law worketh these in us, as God maketh cornes to grow by husbandry, raine, good soile and by nature his hand∣maide, no man can say God works here without the help of the Law; if the meaning be that the law of it selfe cannot con∣vert a man to God, Antinomians father most falsely such a dream on us, nay, the Gospel of it selfe cannot effectuate this without the Spirit: But if the Spirit conforme us to the outward rule of the law; then must the law be yet a rule of our obedience: how are we then freed from the law as a rule of our obedience, if the Spirit led us back to this rule?

And Rom. 3. Rom. 7. Gal. 3. & 2 Cor. 3. where the Apostle speaketh of our freedome from the law, he ever speaketh of our freedome from the law as it condemneth, as it worketh wrath, as it involveth us in a curse, as it can justifie us, or give life; never as it doth regulate, direct, teach, and lead us in the way of righteousnesse.

Mr Towne, Pag. 9.

What freeth a believer from the curse, but because he is a new creature in Christ and is made personally, perfectly and everlast∣ingly righteous? and the principall debt is obedience, the failing wherein bindeth •ver to the curse and death.*

Answ. That new creature is sanctification not justificati∣fication, 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, that is, if he Page 589 be justified, h• is a new creature, that is, he is sanctified; else by the Antinomian glosse the meaning must be (if any man be justified in Christ, he is justified in Christ) Paul speaketh not so non sense.

2. It is true, we owe active obedience to the law as a debt, but that is the d•bt of absolute•y perfect ob•dience; how shall it follow that Christ has loosed us from all debt of active obe∣dience,* because he has loosed us from a necessity of perfect active obedience under the paine of damnation; but the Law as in the hand of Iesus the Mediator, or the law 〈◊〉 spiritua∣lized and lustered with Gospel law and free-grace, and drawn downe to a Covenant of free-grace, req•ireth not exact perfect obedience under paine of losing salvation; yea, it requireth obedience as the poore man is able to give it, by the grace of God that the man enter in the possession of life eternall; but that he may have ransome-right by merit and conquest to heaven, or to free justification in Christ, the law cannot crave either legall or Evangelick obedience: This then is no more a good consequence, then to say Christ has by his death freed us from death and suffering as they are caused by the Law, and satisfactory to justice, therefore Christ hath freed us from death and sufferings in any respect.

Yea, Paul showeth what Law it is that we are freed from Rom. 8.2. it is the Law condemning and killing called the law of sinne and death, and he saith expressely Christ dyed for this end,*ver. 4. that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Hen•e I argue, these that ought to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law, by walking after the Spirit, and mortifying the deeds of the flesh, are not freed from the Law as a rule of right•ousnesse, but are obliged by vertue of command, to this rule; for Paul proveth that there is a commanding power enjoyning rightous walking, above us, even when we are led by the Spirit. 1. Because wee are obliged to minde the things of the Spirit, not of the flesh, ver. 5. 2. To be spiritually minded is life▪ as to be carnally minded is death eternall, ver. 6. 3. We are to be subject to the Law; then we must be spiri∣tually, not carnally minded; for the carnall minde cannot come under such subjection, ver. 7. 4. We are to please God in our walking; then wee cannot walk in the flesh, ver. 8. Page 590 5. Because we are dead to sinne, v. 9.10. We are not debters, nor owe we to the flesh any service, v. 10. But sure by a com∣mandement, we owe service to Christ; againe the Apostle, Gal. 5. treating of that common place of Christian liberty, especially moveth the Antinomian doubt, and saith ver. 13. Christian liberty is not licentiousnesse, nor an occasion to the flesh; and commandeth, that we serve on another in love, ver. 13. Now here was a fit place, if Paul had been an An∣tinomian to say, but ye are freed from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse, and if I command you to love one another, I bring you back to bondage againe, I clap you up in goale againe and deliver you to your old keeper; no saith he, But 1. this is Liberty to serve one anot•er in love; and its an Evangel•ck fulfilling of the law; for all the Law (saith he ver. 14.) is fulfilled in this one word, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe, and ver. 16. There is an expresse com∣mand walk in the Spirit: and ver. 18. It might be said then we may live as we list, we are free from all Lords; its true (saith the Apostle, ver. 18. yee are not under the Law to con∣demne you, but yet yee are not lawlesse, yee must be led by the Spirit, and ver. 19. flie the wo•ks of the flesh, ver. 19. such as adultery, fornication, &c. now the law expresly forbid∣deth the works of the flesh.* And Rom. 7. the very Antinomian doctrine is obviated for ver. 6. But now we are delivered from the Law; O then might some say, then we are free men; he answers not so; we are delivered from the Law that wee should serve God in a Spirituall manner: But againe, ver. 7. Paul proponeth the speciall objection of the Carnall Liber∣tine, if we be freed from the Law, what shall we say then? is the Law sinne? this doubt ariseth both from ver 5. & ver. 6. ver. 5. he said the motions of sinne that were by the Law, did work in our members sinfull motions; he inferres then it may appeare to some that the Law is a factor and ag•nt for sinne; is the Law sinne? b• way of sollici•ation, ver. 6. Wee are not under the Law: then it would appeare that the rem•ved Law is not a dispens•tion to sinne, and so the law is sinne; if we be freed from it, we may sinne; Paul saith the Law is not so removed and dead, but t•ere is a good and holy •se of the law; it remaineth as a rule of righteousnesse touching what we should flie, and what we should follow, thus the law is Page 591 neither a factor for sinne nor a dispensation to sinne; be∣cause it discovereth and forbiddeth sinne; for (saith he) I had not known lust to be sinne, but by the Law: and this the Anti∣nomi•n now moveth; we are freed from the law being once justified; what ever we doe, it is not against a law nor a rule, for we are under no law as a rule; and what we doe, though to our sense and feeling it be adultery and a debt ag•inst the seventh command, yet truly in the sight of God, it is no more sinne, then any thing Christ doth, is sinne, we are as cleane of it, ere we commit, it as Christ or the glorified Spirits in hea∣ven, and therefore the law gives us a dispensation to doe these things being justified, which the unjustified cannot doe, but they must in doing it, sinne, because the unjustified man is under the law as a rule of justice, which we are not under; and so we have a dispensation and an an•idated one to sinne, before hand, but because we are under no rule of righteousnesse it is to us no sinne. Take two servants, the master comman∣deth one of them, eat all fruit of the garden; but I forbid you, the fellow servant, under a paine, eat not of this tree in the east end of the garden; to the other he giveth no such charge or command; the former servant eating of the tree in the east transgresseth not his masters command, because he is under no law forbidding, the other cating of that same tree is a trans∣gressor, because he is under a forbidding command; so here, if the justified be not under the tenne Commandements as a rule of life, though they swerve from all the tenne, yet they sinne not; for Saltmarsh saith, where there is no law, there is no sinne.

Mr Towne saith, Although the Spirit bring forth in the Saints the fruits of holinesse according to the law, Gal. 5.22. Ephes. 5.9. Yet without Christ we can doe nothing,*unlesse as the imp or branch we suck, and derive life and sap from him which is the Spirit of faith; what if it be affirmed even in true sanctification the law of works is a meere passive thing, as the Kings high way, which a Christian freely walketh in, you have not a face to deny it, Psal. 119.31.*

Answ. If the Spirit of Grace bring forth in the Saints fruits of holinesse according to the law, then is the law to the Saints a rule of their walking, which the Antinomians deny: Its true, It may be the law to the holy Spirit in his person Page 592 acting immediately in the Saints, is passive, for the law can∣not work on the holy Spirit; but that the •aints are meere pa∣tients, and blocks in all their holy walking, is grosse Lib•r∣tinis•e, and maketh God the Author of sin, as before is said, and this way also the Saints are freed from the Gospel, and the command of faith and all the promises no lesse then from the law; because neither law nor Gospel can be a rule to the person of the holy Ghost, in his immediate actions; the Spirit is free in his operations, and subjecteth both law and Gospel to his gracious breathings, but is subject to none.

2. Mr. Towne and Antinomians would lay upon Prote∣stant Divines, that they teach the Saints may walk in holines without the grace of Christ, because they will have the Saints under the law ruling and directing, and this law-ruling of it selfe giveth no grace to obey; bu• this is a calumnious conse∣quence; the promises of the Gospel in the letter giveth no grace to obey; the Spirit bloweth when and whe•e •e listeth, and gi∣veth grace freely to the gospel preached: yet we reach not that any can beleeve and obey the gospel without the grace of Christ.

3. The law so is passive of it selfe to Christ, to Adam in the s•ate of innocency, in this sence, that the law, as the law, commandeth obedience to both, but containeth not any le∣gall promise of giving grace to obey to either Adam or Christ, As the Gospel containeth a promise of bestowing grace to be∣leeve in all the elect. Now if this be the cause why the justifi∣ed are freed from the law as a rule of Righteousnesse, because there is no legall promise made to them by which they a•e in∣abled to keep the law: then was Christ Ie•us and Adam in his innocency freed from the law as a rule of R•ghteousn•sse, which is most absurd; for the law as the law, commanded Christ to fu•fill all righteousnesse, Matth. 3.15. but so did it Adam; •u• show a legall promise made to Christ, by the law, that he should have grace to obey the law; indeed the Lord prom•sed hi• the Spirit above measure, but this was no law-promise: So God created Adam according to his own image, with perfect conc•eated strength and power to keep the law; but the law, as the law, made no promise to Adam, that h•e should be k•pt in obedience, But if this be called action, or activitie in the law, to rule, guide, direct and command obe∣dience Page 593 as a rule, then the law is no wise passive; its more then the Kings high-way; No way cryeth to the conscience of the traveler, this is the way, no Kings way showeth the traveller his errour, as the law, in its directing, ruling and teaching pow∣er, breaketh in upon the conscience, and declareth to the justi∣fied man the way he should walk in, and convinceth him of his unrighteousnesse, and dayly faults.

Towne pag. 10.

The Law wrappeth every man in sinne, for the least transgres∣sion; so that while a man remaineth a sinner, hee necessarily abi∣deth under this fearfull curse.

Answ. Still Antinomians bewray their engine; If wee say, even being justified we have no sinne, we lye; and who can say I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from sinne? and There is not a just man on earth, that sinneth not: 1 Ioh. 1.10. Prov. 20.9. Eccles. 7.20. Then there cannot bee a man on earth, but he is under the curse of God, but Antinomians say, and that truly, that the justified persons are freed from the curse, then they have no sinne, nay they cannot sinne, by their argu∣ing, for they will have the curse essentially and unseparably to follow sinne, which is most false, sinne dwelleth in all the justified so long as they are here, but they are here delivered from the curse.

Our deliverance from misery and the bondage of the law is two fold, as our misery is twofold. 1. There is a guilt of sin,* or our obligation to eternall wrath, and all the punishments of sinne according to the order of justice by the law of God; The other misery is the blot of internall guilt of sin, by which sin dwelleth in us by nature, as a King and lord, Tyrant, awing us by the law of sinne.

In regard of the former Christ is our Saviour, meritò by the merrit of his death; in regard of the latter Christ is our Saviour, efficacia, by giving us the holy Ghost, and faith to lay hold on Righteousnesse in Christ, and grace to walk ho∣lily before him.

In regard of the former, wee are freely and perfectly ju∣stified and pardoned at once, from all sinnes, in our person and state, through the sence of this, and in regard of delive∣rance from temporall judgements and doubtings, and fears of Page 594 eternall wrath, eve•y day while we seeke dayly bread, we de∣s••e •hat our sinnes may be forgiven; nor is this prayer a tem∣por•rie pattern that perished with Christ, as some perve•sly 〈◊〉; for Peter a•ter the Lords ascention saith to Simo• Magus, Act. 8.22. pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may •e forgiven th••.

In regard 〈…〉 are sa•ctified by d•g•ees n•ver 〈…〉 sin is removed in 〈…〉 th•reof, in justification; only sin •welle•h in us, while we a•• here.

In regard of the •ormer miserie, faith in Christ is the on∣ly 〈◊〉, and way to g•t out of our bondage and misery; in •ega•d of the •••ter, R•pentance and the whole trace of our new obedience, are the the means to escape out of this miserie; nor do we make acts of sanctification compartners and joynt causes or conditions in the work of justification; for this is from Christ alone, solely, immediately; as by looking on the brazen serpent onely, the stung Israelites were cured: Nor doth weeping or acts of mens obedience move the Lord to wash, justifie and pardon our sinnes, but repentance and new obedience are means tending to our escaping out of the latter bondage; as the rising of the sunne is a way to the full noone-light day; though we can attaine to no Meridian nor full noone day of sanctifications, while the body of sin keep∣eth lodging in us, in this life; but the Law of works is not so enwrapt and entwined together (as Mr. Towne dreameth) that if a man lay hands on any,*even the least linke, he inevitably pulleth the whole chaine on himselfe, as hee that is circumcised, Gal. 5. made himselfe debter to the whole Law; For circumcision, not only in the matter of justification, but also of sanctifica∣tion is now unlawfull; So to repent and love the brethren, to obey our parents, as looking thereby for remission of sinnes, should be unlawfull and a falling from Christ, but in the mat∣ter of Sanctification, and of testifying our thankfullnesse to Christ for the work of our redemption, and as the way to the possession of the kingdome, they are no• unlawfull, but com∣manded as necessary duties, by which an entrance is ministered to us into the heavenly kingdome.

*Yea our holy walking, since it is no merit, but a fruit of grace, and a condition required in such as are saved, and have oppor∣tunitie Page 595 to honour Christ that w•y, taketh not away the free∣dome of Grace, for where the Scripture saith, wee are s•∣ved by Grace, without works, as Tit. 3 Ephes. 2. salvation is spoken of there in regard of the title, right, jus, or claim the Saints have to heaven excluding all merits of works; our obe∣dience is not full, compleat and perfect; only they are counted so, and accepted in Christ, Phil. 4.18. Heb. 13.15, 16. Col. 3.17.

Mr Towne answereth with other Antinomians; The just and wise God who accepteth every thing by due weight and mea∣sure▪ as it is found to bee, hee doth not,*nay cannot account that which is but inchoat and partiall for full and compleat obedience; nor can it stand with justice to accept any thing which is not first perfect, seeing that perfection and absolutenesse is the ground of acceptance, both of our persons and performances; yee must make both the tree and the fruit perfectly good before God.

2. What God (saith he) hath manifested to be detestable and accursed, that he cannot accept: but hee hath manifested by scri∣pture, that what ever is not absolutely perfect,*is detestable and accursed, Gal. 3.10. Hab. 1.13. Rom. 1.18. The proposition is grounded on the immutablenesse of Gods nature, who cannot deny himselfe, Iam. 1.18 and his exact justice, who will not suffer the losse of the least title of his righteousnesse, Mat. 5.18. God is no respecter of persons, his Law inviolable, and can suffer no a∣batement.*

Answ. God in justification accounts us righteous in Christ, and positively guiltlesse, as freed from obligation to eternall wrath, and cloathed with Christs righteousnesse; but hee ac∣counts not us non-sinnets and free from indwelling s•nne, that should be an unjust account, for wee are not so; but God ac∣counteth our works perfect only negatively, that is, such they are before God, as he will not enter in judgement with us for them▪ but graciously pardoneth the sinnes of th•se works, but God doth not account these works positively worthy of life eternall, even in Christ, as he accounteth our persons, far lesse doth he judge them meritorious: hence there is a twofold ac∣c•eptation; one of Good will to our persons in Christ; that is that Good will of free election, by which he render••h us accept∣ed in his beloved: there is another acceptance of complacencie, Page 596 according to which God is said to love and reward our good works, even to a cup of cold water, Ioh. 14.21.23. Matth. 10.42. 2. Thess. 1.7. Heb. 6.10. and that of free-grace, they are called perfect as perfection is opposed to hypocriticall; but not perfect simply, Phil. 3.12. but the acceptance of our works in Christ is an acceptance inferior to the acceptance of our persons in justification; hence God takes pleasure in th•se that feare him, because they feare him, not as though his love quoad affectum, in it selfe had a cause in the creature, or can wax or encrease, or can admit of a change, but because he bestoweth the fruits of his love out of free-grace and a gratious promise, to our sincere walking, and this is rather the fruit of his love, amor quoad effectum, then Gods love it selfe; all this proceedeth from a grosse mistake of the nature of justification.

I answer, 2. to that: That which is inchoat sinfully defective, and imcompleat, that the righteous and unchangeable God can∣not account perfect and compleat, or that which is sinfully de∣fective, or that which is sinfull, God cannot account not sin∣full; It is true, it were an erroneous and unjust account; now the proposition is true; but the assumption most false; the good works of the regenerate and justified are sinfull. But Gods accounting of them perfect▪ putteth no contradiction on them to account them not sinfull: God accounts not Davids adultery to bee an act of chastity; This is the Papists ar∣gument against the imputed righteousnesse of Christ, which Antinomians being▪ utterly ignorant of the nature of justifi∣cation, bring against us; the other part of the distinction is, That which is sinfull and defective in it selfe, and inherently, or really and physically, that God cannot account perfect, that is, God cannot account it and the doer, legally free from obligation to eternall wrath, for the satisfaction of ano∣ther, the surety of sinners, who has payd and suffered for it; that is most false, and should destroy the Protestant justi∣fication, when we say God accounteth the good works of believers good and perfect, so as the imperfection and sinne of them is removed; we meane not by removing of the sinne of these works, the totall annihilation of sinne, in its essence Page 597 root and branch, it dwelleth in us in its compleat essence while we are here, Rom. 7.17.23. Prov. 20.9. 1 Ioh. 1.8.10. only the dominion, by sanctification, is abated, and the guilt or obligation to eternall wrath is removed in justification; and this Argument may well be retorted: Who ever is a sin∣ner, the righteous and immutable God whose judg•ment is ac•or∣ding to verity, and cannot suffer the losse of the least titl• of his righteousnesse, Matth. 5.18. cannot esteeme him just, and per∣fectly righteous: But all men even the regenerate, are sinners: No answer, no distinction can be accommodated to this Ar∣gument, which may not be applyed to their argument; for God is no lesse, just, righteous, immutable, true, no respecter of persons, and his Law inviolable in his accounting of persons righteous and perfect, then in accounting of works righteous and perfect. Now that the fruits and the tree are both good, and simply perfect and all the works of the justified perfect in Christ, is a point of new divinity very contrary, first to Scripture which saith Iam. 3.2. in many things we offend all, 1 Ioh. 1.8. If we say wee have no sinne, we deceive our selves, ver. 10. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a lyar, and his word is not in us▪ Antinomians say, Iohn speaking of a mixt multitude, is to bee meant to speak of the unregenerate mixed with the justified.

Answ. 1. Iohn takes in himselfe. 2. He speaketh of such as confesse their sinnes and are pardoned, ver. 9. (2) of such as have an Advocate in heaven, if they sinne, chap. 2.1. and these are the justified, and regenerate, and Prov. 20.9. Who can say I have made my heart cleane, I am pure from my sinne? hee speaks not there of a mixed multitude, but sendeth a Law-defiance to all mankinde, justified, or not justified; yea, Eccles. 7.20. There is not a just man on earth, that doth good and sinneth, no; these words are so wisely framed, that they exclude not the justified in Christ, who undoubtly do good, but they do not so good (saith Salomon) but they sinne; so Paul complaineth, of sinne dwelling in him, Rom. 7. (2) Sinne originall after justification, to Antinomians must be no sinne, as to Papists its no sinne, after baptisme; (3) If our works bee perfect in the sight of God, Page 598 then wee may be justified by our works; for Antinomians say if Christ esteeme our works perfect, he may account us righteous for them and we may bee said to be justified both by works and by grace, because its free grace that the Lord accounts our works Righteous: (4) Wee constantly deny that Christ by his death, hath given to our good works a power of meriting heaven, but if God in Christ, count then simply perfect, there is no reason to deny this, be∣cause our works are simply perfect by Antinomi∣ans way; this is more Pharisaicall then Popish justification.

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