The great mystery of godlinesse opened being an exposition upon the whole ninth chapter of the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans / by the late pious faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Edward Elton.

For the Scripture said unto Pharaoh, even for this very end have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared through∣out the earth.

IN that the Apostle saith, for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, we see here a strong confirmation of that which we noted out of the 15. verse, That the written Word of God is a speaking Word: And God speaketh to his Church and people by his written Word; and therefore the Scripture is not a dead letter, or dumb Judge, and senceless Juke as the Papists say, (but passe by that) Onely note the Apostle saith, the Scripture speaketh con∣cerning Pharaoh, it speaketh touching the reprobation of Pharaoh, and

touching the hardning of his heart, which was a manifest signe of his repro∣bation, so that we see the Scripture revealeth unto us the point and matter of Reprobation. And we may hence take notice of it, that the Doctrine of Reprobation, is a Doctrine made known unto us in the Scripture, and in the written Word of God; yea the Doctrine of the Reprobation of some par∣ticular persons amongst men, it may, and it ought to be published in the Church of God; It is a part of the holy Word of God, and a portion of Scipture written and revealed in the Word: And we ought to take notice of it, as Moses saith in Deut. 29.29. Things revealed belong to us and to our children, secret things belong to God; so that the Doctrine of Reprobation and casting off of some particular persons amongst men, ought to be taught to the Church and Children of God. Some there be that are of opinion, that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought to be concealed and not to be pub∣lished and made known to the Church and people of God; And why? because of the danger of it say they; for as they conceive and imagine, it driveth some men from God, and it maketh some men to run into despera∣tion; therefore say they, it is to be concealed, and not made known to the Church of God: But these that thus think, they are deceived. For the Alienation and the estranging of mens mind from God, and desperation, are not the fruits properly following the Doctrine of Reprobation, they do not proceed and come from, and by that Doctrine properly, but they are accidental effects commonly following it, and are cursed fruits comming from the hearts of men, and so the fault is in themselves and not in the Do∣ctrine of Reprobation, the Doctrine it self, is holy, good and profitable, if men doe rightly understand it, and savour it aright, it is of excellent use, and very necessarie; For the best Doctrine that is, the most comfortable Doctrine that is, may be perverted and abused sometimes and become sa∣vor of some to their utter destruction; as the Doctrine of saving faith in Christ Jesus and his merits is savoured of some to their utter destruction, and therefore ought it not to be published? It is a weak insufficient argu∣ment, to prove that the Doctrine of Reprobation ought not to be made known because of these accidental effects; because some through their own corruption are caused to run into Alienation from God, and Desperation; whereas the Doctrine of Reprobation is of necessary use; it serveth much to commend and set forth the mercies of God, and the riches of his mercy to his chosen children.

And it stirreth up the Children of God to a great measure of thankful∣ness, for the mercies of God bestowed upon them, when they consider that God hath chosen them, and refused and rejected others; this stirreth them up to magnifie the mercie of God; and then doth the soul of a child of God melt within him for joy. When he considereth the infinite love of God unto him in his election, it maketh his heart to break within him, and espe∣cially when he considereth it together with the rejection of others compa∣ratively, that he poyseth his salvation was so dear and precious to the Lord, that the Lord preferred him before many thousands in the world, equal to him and every way comparable, and in his saving mercy, vouchsafed to choose him to life and salvation, and rejected others. Oh this maketh the heart of a childe of God to break within him for joy: Oh the comfort of this Doctrine is wonderful great to consider it arightly, it stirreth up a child of God by all means possible to magnifie the great and unspeakable good∣ness of God, and therefore the Doctrine of Reprobation, is not to be kept secret, but ought to be taught and published.

Again, The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, for this purpose have I stirred, or raised thee up; That is, (as I shewed you in opening the words,) for this same purpose have I withheld my grace, and hardened thy heart, even in my just Judgment hardened thy rebellious heart, and made thee not to profit by my messages sent unto thee, by the mouth of my servant Moses,

and by my Plagues and Judgments. Now Gods hardening of Pharaoh, it was without question, a manifest sign of Pharaohs Reprobation, that Pha∣raoh was a Reprobate, and a cast-away, and that God hath rejected him: for observe it, and you shall never find in all the Scripture, (read it from the beginning to the end,) never shall you find Gods hardening applyed unto any in Scripture, but unto Reprobates: so then the observation hence is this,

[Doctrine.] That God hardeneth Reprobates; and none but reprobates are harden∣ed by God: As saving faith is proper to Gods elect, and therefore called the faith of Gods elect, in Titus 1.1. So Gods blinding and hardening are things proper, and peculiar to the Reprobate; and whomsoever God doth blind and harden, by the malice of the devil, out of all question those persons are in the state of Reprobation. I meddle not now with the man∣ner of Gods hardening, for that belongeth to the next verse: but onely I point out the subjects of Gods blinding, and hardening; and I say they onely are Reprobates, and none but Reprobates are hardened of God. And hence it is that we find in Scripture, that it is said, that God departed from, and forsook some particular persons, being Reprobates. Indeed the Lord doth many times withdraw himself from his Chosen, withdraw the light of his countenance from his best children, but he doth never depart from them altogether, never forsake them utterly. Now we read in Scripture of some that God departed from finally; in the 1 Sam. 18.12. it is said, that the Lord departed from Saul, and not onely forsook him, but sent an evil spirit, a Devil, to torment him, and gave him up to be tormented of his own vile lusts: to anger and fear, to envy and hatred, to envy David. And thus also we find God gave up the reprobate heathen, unto their own hearts lusts, in Rom. 1.21. God gave them up to their very hearts lusts: and in the 26. verse, he gave them up to vile affections: and in the 28 verse he goeth a step farther, he gave them up reprobate to minds, to do things not comely. And in the 2 Thess. 2.10. the Apostle saith expresly, that those persons whom Satan (by Antichrist) shall seduce, and draw into errours, by his lying wonders, and signes, (who are they?) such as perish, whose come∣ing, saith the Apostle, it is with the working of Satan, and in all power of signes, and lying wonders, and in all powers of the Devil, and shall de∣ceive, whom? those that perish; those that shall be damned, those that shall be strongly deluded, and drawn into the errour of Papisme. Belo∣ved, I will not affirm all Papists shall perish, I doubt not but God hath some of his chosen in Rome, in Babylon, in the chief seat of Antichrist; as it is said in Revel. 18.4. Come out of Babylon my people, you that are there come out: so that I will not say, all that are seduced shall be destroy∣ed, but the living and vital members of Antichrist, such as are relieved by him whom God hath given to be seduced, and to be the peculiar limbs and members of the Devil, and of Antichrist, such as they are shall perish, and utterly be destroyed, in the 2 Corinth. 4.3, 4. If the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish, to them that shall go into hell and be damned, whom the god of this world, the devil, hath blinded their eyes, that they should not see the glorious Gospel undoubtedly; shewing, that such that are blinded by Satan, and are hardened by God, and are given over to a Reprobate sense, they are such that shall perish and be damned.

[Reason 1] Because God never blindeth any, but to this end, that the truth of God, to salvation, might not be seen of them, nor be acknowledged by them And God hardeneth not any, but it is to this end, to deprive them of all possibility of repentance, to remove from them all possibility of amend∣ment; to this end the Lord doth blind, that the means of salvation might not be seen, and to this end the Lord doth harden, that they might not have any amendment, Esay 6.9, 10. saith the Lord to his Prophet, Go and say to this people, you shall see, and not perceive; you shall hear, and not under∣stand;

but your hearts shall be hardened: so this is the cause, why the Lord doth blind and harden, lest they should see, and understand, and so be∣come righteous to salvation, so that the Lord doth harden none but Re∣probates, and whosoever the Lord doth blind and harden, by the malice of the devil, undoubtedly they are in the state of reprobation.

First of all, this being a truth, it discovereth unto us the miserable and [Ʋse 1] fearful estate and condition of all that are given over to blindnesse of mind, and hardnesse of heart, to do whatsoever their own hearts doth lead them unto, without check, or controlement, they are under the heaviest hand, and judgment of God, that can possibly befall man in this world, they are under such a hand of God, that doth point out unto them, to be repro∣bates: Beloved, many please themselves in this, in that they are free from outward plagues and punishments, they are neither sick nor sore, but are well, and wealthy, not under any calamity in the world, and yet they live under a heavy Judgment of God, they are blind and hard-hearted, and do every thing that their minds doth lead them unto; and to follow their lusts they think it is happinesse: whereas herein the hand of God is heavy upon them, in this very particular, in that God sitteth upon them in Judgment already; he doth not stay till the Judgment day, but now they are under the Judgment of God; yea the heaviest Judgment that can be∣fall man in this world, and yet they see it not. Oh here is the hand of God already; they are blind in their minds, and hard in hearts.

And (take notice of it) the Lord doth not now in this latter age of the world, stand over men with his Judgments, and whips, and his sword of vengeance in temporal plagues and punishments, but rather in spiritual plagues and Judgments upon the soules of men, in hardnesse of heart, and blindnesse of mind; and the nearer the general day of Judgment is at hand, wherein the Lord will render to every man, according to his works, the more the Lord doth surcease from temporal Judgments and plagues, and lets them go on, filling the number of their sins, and then he layeth load upon them; so that the nearer the day cometh, the more the Lord surceaseth temporal punishments, and punisheth with blindnesse of mind, and hardnesse of heart: and therefore let none think that they are well, and in good case, as many do, because they are free from temporal plagues and punishments, nor sick, nor molested with these and these troubles, and yet in their soules they lye under the heavy hand of God, in blindnesse and hardnesse, in ignorance and obstinacy; for herein God hath begun to execute his Judgments already: God now sitteth in Judgment upon him, his heavy hand of wrath and vengeance is now over him, and doth now point and mark him out for a cast-away, and seal up unto him his own everlasting damnation, the fearfullest and miserablest estate and condition that can befall a man.

Doth God harden none but Reprobates, and such as are fitted for Re∣probation? [Ʋse 2] Oh learn we then in the fear of God, to take heed of that which provoketh God to give us up to blindnesse of mind, and hardnesse of heart: the ten plaguess of Egypt were not so great unto Pharaoh, as the hardening of his heart: and if we would know what that is, it is this; Custome in sin, continuance in known sins, wittingly and willingly, and a going on in known sins; after many Instructions, many admonitions, ma∣ny exhortations used to the contrary, when men are come to this passe, and to this height of sin, that they are obstinate and wilful, and they will not be reclaimed nor reformed from evil, they will swear and swagger, and be drunk, and run into every idle and new fangled fashion, they will live, and continue in the damnable sin of Usury, in the prophanation of the ho∣ly Sabbath of the Lord, whosoever speaketh against it: surely when men come to this passe, and are thus obstinate in sin, then the Lord cometh in

Justice against them, and giveth them over to blindnesse of mind, and to a filthy life, and so to passe on to their own destruction.

And to presse it a little nearer, take heed whosoever you be, that darest justle with the threatening, and denunciations of the Word of God, that are applyed to your particular sins: as in particular, that are applyed against your pride, and vanity in apparel; you that are so shamelesse and so impudent, that say we have no warrant to speak against it: no, have we no warrant? and if we have no warrant we are false prophets, and deliver visions of our own braines. Oh it grieveth my soul to think, that you of whom we should have better hopes, do speak so wickedly, and so shamelesly: have we no warrant for it? take heed, God is stronger then you, it will be to the confusion of your soules, because you stand in de∣fence of your pride; I will not go so far with you, as to say, that you are already given over to blindnesse of mind, and hardnesse of heart: but take this with you, you are at the very next door, and near unto it, to be given over of God, and blindnesse of mind, and hardnesse of heart, to go on with a full swing, and full wind and tyde to hell: I grant you the best of Gods children may sometimes through the corruption of their minds, cast away wholsome admonition as David did, 2 Sam. 24. yea though he was dutifully admonished by Joab, not to number the people, yet David through the pride of his heart would do it; so the servants of God may refuse, reject, and cast off, wholsome admonitions and counsels: but when men are come to that height, that the Prophet speaketh of, in Zach. 7.11, 12. that they will not hearken, but they will have brazen faces, and whores foreheads, and they dare stand to outface the Preacher, and they will not be reformed, they are swearers, swaggerers, Usurers, Sabbath-breakers, and filthy persons, and they will be so, they do then provoke the Lord to give them over to Reprobation, yea to give it them under the great Seal of Heaven, thou art a Reprobate: which indeed is a condition fearful and miserable, and to be considered with trembling.

[Ʋse 3] Last of all. Is it so, that God hardeneth reprobates; and none but re∣probates are hardened: do not thou whosoever thou art, imagine, or once think, that God will ever give thee up to blindnesse of mind, or hardnesse of heart altogether, that art a Child of God. I grant God doth sometimes withdraw his grace from his dear children but in part; and a child of God may sometimes, in some measure, and in some degree be blinded in his mind, and hardened in his heart; yea a child of God may feel in him the grace of the holy Spirit of God wonderfully decayed, but not utterly ex∣tinct, Psal. 51.10, 11, 12. Oh cast me not away from thy presence, with-hold not thy Spirit from me, &c. What do these prayers argue, but that he felt his heart rotten and corrupt, and yeelding unto lust, and some of his light gone? but yet God never blindeth their minds, and hardens their hearts altogether; for this is proper to Reprobates, and such as belong not to God. It is the complaint of the dear children of God sometimes, Alas, I feel such a deadnesse and dulnesse in my heart and soul, that I doubt God hath left me, forsaken me, and given me up to hardnesse of heart, I can mourn and weep for other things, but I cannot mourn and weep for my sins, that I fear I am given up to hardnesse of heart. Oh take comfort in it, thou that fearest the hardnesse of thy heart; it may be a testimony thou art not altogether given to the hardnesse of heart, because thou feelest it: where there is feeling, there is life; Corruption feeleth not corruption; grace feeleth corruption: and if there be a feeling of hardnesse of heart, and a groaning and a sighing under it, thou art not altogether given up to hardnesse of heart, and blindnesse of mind; therefore comfort thy self.

Notes

• The Doctrine of Reprobation a Doctrine re∣vealed in the written Word.