A treatise of election and reprobation in vindication of the universal grace and love of God to mankind by B.L.

The Second Part. Treating more particularly of Election.

CHAP. I.

Containing some Short, but General Arguments: viz. 1. Shewing some further ill Tendencies of the false Notion of Election and Reprobation. 2. The Necessity of Practical Religion. 3. The Mistake in Ʋnderstanding some Words and Sentences in Scripture, always in the same Restricted Sense. 4. That God deals with Mankind in way of Covenant. 5. That God made Man a free Agent, capable to choose for himself either Good or Evil. 6. Of God's Wisdom, Love and Justice, in dealing with Mankind. 7. To what end the Grace of God hath appear'd to all Men.

§. 1. AS the false Notion of the first, leads to Despair; so the false Notion of the second, to Presumption: And both make void all Religious Exercise and Care, concerning the Performance of Di∣vine Worship, and all Holy Duties.

As the Tendency of the Arguments upon the first Part, is to re∣move all ground of Diffidence and Despair; so shall it, on the other hand, be endeavour'd to remove that ground of Presumption and Self∣security, which hath been hurtful to many.

§. 2. And to shew the necessity of Practical Religion unto Salva∣tion; even the Obedience of the Faith and Gospel of Christ; that we may redeem the Time allotted us, working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; and so, through the Mercy and Power of Christ, raising us up, (in our selves, and not without us) we may come to escape all the Evil of Reprobation, and to enjoy all the Good and Blessings of Election; but without this, we can neither avoid the one, nor attain the other.

To save Transciption, I desire the Reader to look over the Scrip∣tures in the Introduction; several of which are spoke to already, and it remains to say something of Fore-knowledge, Predestination, Calling, Election and Justification, &c.

§. 3. And as is shewn in the other Part, concerning Hating, Har∣dening, Reprobation, Vessels of Wrath, &c. the inconvenience of taking them in a primary, strict, positive Sense; and as respecting particular Persons, without regard to their good or evil Deeds; so take these Terms in a strict positive Sense, to respect particular Persons, as words of the first intention, and simply without any regard to their good or evil Deeds, and exclusive of others, &c. and we shall run into great Error and Blindness, and lose the Truth.

§. 4. For, as is in part observed before, all things between God and Man are transacted by way of Covenant, and every Covenant sup∣poseth Terms or Conditions, and a Possibility of Performing or not Performing of those Conditions, and Loss or Benefit, Reward or Pu∣nishment, according as we keep or break Covenant.

Those Terms God proposed to Cain, that Murderer of his Brother, and first Murderer amongst Men,* 1.1 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? But if thou doest evil, sin lieth at the door. And no Man ever had other Terms; all are accepted in well∣doing, but none at all are accepted in evil-doing.

God hath commanded no Man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any Man license to sin; but being Righteous himself, he ordereth all things righteously;* 1.2 thinking it not agreeable with his Power, to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished; for his Power is the beginning of Righteousness, &c.

§. 5. So having made Man a free Agent, capable of adhering either to Good or Evil, having power and understanding to will, distinguish, and choose for himself; and having first propos'd the Good to him, with Promises of Life, and blessed Rewards; and caution'd him against the Evil, with Threats of Death, and Everlasting Punishment and Misery; he then leaves him capable to receive his Counsel. But he doth not forcibly determine him to Good or Evil Actions; for then there would be no Vertue or Vice, well-deserving or ill-deserving, Obe∣dience or Disobedience, Good or Evil, Wisdom or Folly, no Will, Choice, Love or Hatred, &c. So no Rewards or Punishments; which

makes void the State of Man, and the Gospel, and God's Oeconomy, and brings all his Works into Confusion, altering things from that Order of Wisdom he hath placed them in.

Obj. Some object, Seeing God fore-knows all things, to what End is Grace given, and a Day of Visitation, in which they might be saved, to such as come not to be benefitted by it, but reject so great Mercy and Goodness?

Ans. Many think, this and such like, are wise and puzzling Que∣stions, though the very Query convicts a Man of Ignorance; shewing that he neither knows God, nor yet himself, nor God's Oeconomy, (his Order in the Creation) for any of these being known, all such Scruples vanish.

For as God is the most intelligent Being, and free Agent, above all other; so hath he made Man in his Image, an intelligent Being, a free Agent. A Marvellous Work of the great Worker of all things! With respect to which, David said,* 1.3 I am fearfully and won∣derfully made, &c. And concerning the variety of God's Work, he saith, O Lord, how manisold are thy Works! In Wisdom hast thou made them all, &c.

Now it behoves, That He who made all things in Wisdom, should exercise an Order of Wisdom amongst them all; should rule and go∣vern them in Wisdom, every thing according to its Capacity and Creation. Should he do otherwise, it would be contrary to his Work of Creation, in framing Man's Heart, so as it is not ordinarily wrought upon but by Perswasions.

Accordingly he draws Men with Cords of a Man, even with Loving-kindness; and saith, I will instruct thee,* 1.4 and teach thee in the way thou shalt go; I will counsel thee with mine Eye, &c.

§. 6. Here is God's Wisdom exalted, in that he deals with us, as is proper to Creatures of our Frame and Make; voluntary intelli∣gent Beings, that may distinguish and choose for our selves; and if we be chang'd to Good, through Obedience to the Grace of God; or to Evil, through yielding to the Enemy's Temptations; must re∣ceive Rewards or Punishments accordingly: But once pervert this Or∣der of Heaven, and we should let in Confusion amongst God's Works, &c.

Also, The Love and Justice of God is here exalted.

His Love, Because he would have all Men come to the Knowledge of the Truth, and be saved; but Men cannot come to this Knowledge, nor cannot be saved, without this Grace.

And his Justice, that (as saith the Psalmist) He might be Justified when he speaketh, and Clear when he judgeth; for if this Grace were not given,* 1.5 Men should have no Sin; because where there is no Law,* 1.6 there is no Transgression. And con∣cerning the Persecuting World,* 1.7 Christ saith, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sins. So take away this Divine Light, and Grace of God, which is the Standard by which Good and Evil are measured, and there should be neither Vertue nor Vice, Rewards or Punish∣ments.

So this is the Wisdom and Manner of God, his Oeconomy (or Houshould-Order) his Way in the Creation; that having set Life and Death before us, with Exhortations to choose Life, he leaveth us, according to the wise Man, in the hand of his Counsel; (that is, so far as we are left to our own choice, and not forced; for this would be repugnant to our Constitution) For He himself made Man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his Counsel; saying, If thou wilt keep the Commandments,* 1.8 and perform Acceptable Faithfulness: He hath set Water and Fire before thee, stretch out thine hand unto whither thou wilt. Before Man is Life and Death, and whether him liketh, shall be given him. But there had been none of the Life here spoken of, if he had not had Grace, and a Day of Visitation, &c.

§. 7. Having now past this Objection, I would query, To what purpose hath the Grace of God appear'd to all Men? Which the Scri∣pture calls Gratia illa Dei Salutifera, & benignitas Dei servatrix omnium, (the Salvation-bringing Grace of God, the Goodness of God, the Preserver of All) and which those Men call Common Grace. To what purpose, I say, hath it appear'd to all Men? And why is it called, The Preserver of all, if no Man whatsoever obtain Salvation by it? Which is according to their Principle.

Having hitherto, in this Second Part, clear'd up my Passage, by these few more General Arguments: I shall come now to treat more particularly of those Terms under Examination.

CHAP. II.

Treating, 1. Of God's Fore-knowledge. 2. Of Predestination; the Definition thereof, and how to be understood in the Scripture-Sense, which is Conditional; with Two Objections answered, to clear that Point. 3. That Predestination, Calling and Justifica∣tion, may be forfeited, or fallen from. 4. That Predestination is imply'd in Calling, Election and Adoption; all which may be lost, or forfeited.

Of God's Fore-knowledge.

§. 1. IT is granted, That known unto the Lord are all his Works, from the beginning; he knows all things, past, present, and to come; but there is no necessity of Sinning, proceeding from this Fore∣knowledge: This Knowledge in God, how and in what manner things will come to pass that are Evil, is not at all the cause of their coming so to pass; for then the fault would be upon God, when things are so, and issue ill.

If we should charge any fault on God, and make him the Author of Sin, or else that there should be no Sin; we should let in great Blasphemy and Absurdities; as is in part already shewn, in answer to the Objection taken from Jude, &c. in page 24. preceding.

Of Predestination.

§. 2. Predestination, is Fore-appointment, or Ordaining before, what shall come after; which some understand, according to the Praedestinatiani, a kind of Hereticks, that held fatal Predestination of every particular Matter, Person or Action; and that all things came to pass, and fell out necessarily, especially touching the Salvation and Damnation of particular Men; and that Omnia suint salo, &c.

And it is thus defined by Walter Raleigh, in his first Book, folio 16.

We can (saith he) difference Predestination no otherwise from Pro∣vidence and Prescience, than in this, That Prescience only foresees. Providence foresees and cares for, and hath respect to all Creatures, even from the brightest Angels of Heaven, to the unworthiest

Worms of the Earth; and Predestination is only of Men, and yet not of all, to Men belonging, but of their Salvation properly, or Perdition, &c.

So herein these differ; the first hold it, Of every particular Mat∣ter, Person or Action, &c. the latter, Of Man only, and yet not of all to Men belonging, &c. And yet in one thing, they both agree, which is nevertheless a great Error, That Predestination hath respect unto the Damnation and Perdition of Men; which is no where found in the whole Scriptures: But where-ever we read of any being Predesti∣nated, it is unto the Adoption of Sons, unto Salvation, unto Eternal Life, and unto Glory, &c. but never unto Destruction and Misery: So Predestination is not unto Perdition.

And as it respects the Salvation of Men, it is not to be understood simply, or absolutely and positively; but is to be understood secundum quid, according to the Covenant betwixt God and Man, in a condi∣tional Sense: For if otherwise, all would be saved, because all were made to an End of Salvation; which signifies their Fore-appointment unto Glory, or in other terms, their Predestination; for to be Pre∣destinated, or Made, or Ordain'd, or Fore-appointed unto Glory; all import one and the same thing.

Again, If Predestination were absolute, without any respect to the Man's being good or evil, Salvation were unavoidable to such Men, live as they will.

But God's Saved Ones were pluck'd as Brands out of the Fire;* 1.9 and delivered from going down to the Pit; and brought back from the Pit, to be enlightned with the Light of the Living; and were brought up out of an horrible Pit: And being straightned, and seeing this danger, prayed, Deliver me out of the Mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep Waters:* 1.10 Let not the Water-floods overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up; and let not the Pit shut her Mouth up∣on me.

Object. 1. Ay, but say our Opponents, They that are Predestinated unto Salvation, as the end, are also Predestinated unto Righteousness and Ho∣liness, as the means leading to that End.

Answ. If it be thus, and this Predestination soveraign and absolute; then how is this Holiness, or Salvation of Men, effected? It must be either:

• 1. By a Super pondium of the Will and Affection, &c.
• 2. Or by Force.

To the first of these, it would be contrary to God's Work of Creation, in making us free voluntary Agents, so as to will, distin∣guish, and choose for our selves; and it un-Mans us, depriving us of those Powers and Faculties so essential to a Rational Creature.

And as to the second, then Men would be saved Nolens volens, whe∣they will or nay; which is contrary to Seeking, Searching, Inquiry, Supplication, Prayer, Faith, Obedience, Love, &c. And overthrows all Divine Testimonies; so that were it Truth, it would be the most obstinate repugnant Truth that ever was heard of; for it renders all the rest of the holy Scriptures not to be true, and gives the lye to all those inspired Writings; and therefore it is Self-erroneous in the Sense they urge it.

Object. 2. Whom he did Foreknow, them he also did Predestinate; whom he did Predestinate, them he also Called; whom he Called, them he also Ju∣stified; and whom he Justified, them he also Glorified. But it doth not say, He Predestinated any, but whom he foreknew, &c.

Answ. This place indeed speaks only of such as love God, and are foreknown of him as such; and it is, as the foregoing words shew, a Declaration how all things work together for good, unto such a People; but it doth not say, That none else are ever Predestinated or Called, but such as are thus Fore-known. But the contrary ap∣pears:

• 1. From Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, because in that her day, she had not known the things that appertain'd to her Peace, and then they were hid from her Eyes.
• 2. From that, Of the many that are Called, few are Chosen.

§. 3. And speaking on't in a general Sense, Predestination may be forfeited; for if Justification can be fallen from, and forfeited, then may Predestination and Calling, being lower Steps, and in order to it.

But that Justification may be forfeited, appears from that all True Justification is by Grace and Faith, Rom. 3.24, 28. and 5.1. Gal. 2.16. and 3.24. Tit. 3.7. And we read of some, that turn'd the Grace of God into Lasciviousness; and some,* 1.11 that made Ship∣wrack of Faith; and have erred from the Faith; and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows.

So if Justification be by Grace and Faith; and if Grace and Faith, by which we are Justified, may be fallen from and lost; then may Justification also be fallen from and forfeited; and if Justification, then also Predestination and Calling.

This is further manifest, from Ezek. 18.24. which saith, When a righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness, and committeth Iniquity; in his Trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his Sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he dye: Which shews a possibility of falling from Righte∣ousness, and even of a total and final Apostacy from it. And if from Righteousness, then from Justification; for they are equivalent. A righteous or justified Man is the same.

§. 4. Then Predestination is imply'd in Calling, Election and Adop∣tion; so if these can be lost and forfeited, Predestination may, being imply'd in them: And as it is shewn before, concerning Calling, that it may be fallen from, and lost; the same I shall shew concerning Ele∣ction and Adoption.

The first appears from 2 Pet. 1. where we are exhorted, To use all diligence, adding to our Faith, Vertue; to Vertue, Knowledge; to Knowledge, Temperance; to Temperance, Patience; to Patience, Godliness; to Godliness, Brotherly Kindness; to Brotherly Kindness, Charity; for he that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot see afar off; and hath forgot that he was purged from his old Sins: Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure.

Which shews, though they were Called, Elected, and Brethren, &c. yet there was a possibility of their losing that State again, and of for∣feiting what God had done for them, in purging them from their old Sins. and of their falling into Blindness, &c.

On the other hand, If we do these things, we shall never fail: Here's a Conditional Assurance, If we do them, we shall never fail; if we do them not, we shall fail: For what signifies Faith, without Vertue; Re∣ligion, without Holiness? And 'tis plain, this our not failing, or pre∣servation, depends upon something we are to do; but yet not so as of our selves, but by the Grace of God; by and through this Grace, we may do these things; upon which depends our Preservation. And for want of this doing, we fail; so our Destruction is of our selves, and in God is our Help: But he helps us by our selves, not without our selves; if we do these things, it is left upon that, whe∣ther we fail, or never fail.

The second is shewn in the Instance of Israel, to whom appertain'd the Adoption, and the Glory, &c. and yet they would not receive Christ, but crucify'd him, and fell away, and lost the Holy Land, and became Fugitives in all the Earth; Esau answer'd, in the Type, unto this State, he fainted and lost his Birth-right; and Fainting,

spiritually, is understood of Ʋnbelief; and it was through Unbelief those Israelites, whom the Apostle renders as the Natural Branches in Christ, the true Vine, were broken off from him, and fell from the Adoption. So in the Mystery, that which Fainteth is Esau, and this loseth the Adoption, and Spiritual Birth-right.

CHAP. III.

Shewing, 1. That Election and Reprobation are of the Two Seeds; and that Predestination, Election, Adoption, Justification, &c. are all in Christ. 2. That Election (according to Scripture) is not strictly to be understood of particular Persons, without respect to their being Good or Evil; and the same evinc'd by sundry Propositions (with their Affirmative Proofs) laid down, concern∣ing the falling away of some, and not falling away of others, of the Elect, according to Scripture.

§. 1. ELection and Reprobation are of the two Seeds, or Principles, before spoken of; whosoever is Elected, it is in Christ the heavenly Seed, and for his sake, and not otherwise: He is God's Elect, in whom his Soul delighteth; He is God's Oath and Covenant unto Mankind, and them that go out of him, break the Covenant, and lose their State; and none are in Christ otherwise, than as they keep God's Covenant, and perform their Duty to God, in and through his Spirit inabling them.

So Predestination, Election, Adoption, justification, &c. are all in Christ; and import, on the one hand, the Acts of God towards Men; and on the other, Men's Spiritual States and Conditions in him, and are thus to be understood, because the contrary would run us into Confusion. For instance:

§. 2. If we understand Election, strictly and properly, of Persons, without any other respect to Good or Evil, how shall we reconcile these following Passages, deduced from Scripture?

1. That there is a State of Election, from which Men may fall away.

It is clear from Scripture, all Mankind was made Good, was God's Chosen Creature, and his Delight; made to an end of his Glory,

and to enjoy Him for ever; and yet through the Fall, all Mankind suffer'd loss; according to which, the Scripture saith, We have all sin∣ned, and come short of the Glory of God: That in Adam all dy'd; that Man that was in Honour, and abode not therein, became as the Beasts of the Field, that perished.

Adam was thus Elect, and fell; the People of Israel were God's Elect People, and many of them fell.

2. That this State of Election; though Men may fall from it, yet may be restored again.

Israel was a peculiar and chosen People; an Election out of an Ele∣ction, to whom appertained the Adoption, and the Glory, &c. And yet those, the Natural Branches, were some of them broken off through Unbelief;* 1.12 notwithstanding of them it was said, If they abode not in Ʋnbelief, they should be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. This the Apostle cleareth by the fol∣lowing Instance, If thou wert cut out of the Olive-Tree, which is wild by Nature, and wert graffed, contrary to Nature, into a good Olive Tree: How much more shall these, who be the Natural Branches, be graffed into their own Olive-Tree? So here is evinc'd, the possibility of some of the Elect's falling, and of their being restored again.

3. And also, That some who are Elected, may fall away, and cannot be restored again.

It is impossible for those, who were once enlightned, and have tasted of the heavenly Gift,* 1.13 and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come; if they fall away, to renew them again unto Repentance: seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

4. That some Elected may finally and totally fall away.

It is manifest from the above-mentioned Scripture, and from Heb. 10. v. 26, 17. For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the know∣ledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sins; but a certain fearful looking for of Judgmen, and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adversaries. So here's a possibility of the Elect Ones (Graduates in Election) falling away, finally and totally; so as never to be restored again.

5. That there is such a State, or Degree of Election, from which there is no falling away.

Such a State of certainty and fixedness is attainable, from which there is no apostasie, or falling away; because we are exhorted unto

it, To use all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure; wherein we shall never fall: And there is no Spiritual Exhortation in vain, or ill grounded; which this would be, if it could not be made sure. The Apostle Paul was perswaded, concerning himself and some others, That nothing should be able to separate them from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.* 1.14

Now this Perswasion, being of the Truth, makes it evident, That he, and those concerning whom he was so perswaded, had attain'd this State.

And of such he affirms, That they could do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth.* 1.15

And of himself, he saith, I have fought a good Fight,* 1.16 I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith, henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, &c.

So here's the Race run, the Rest enter'd into, the Fight fought, the Victory obtain'd, the Wicked One overcome; and so the Fixation, the durable State, the Assurance for ever.

1. For Christ hath promised, He that overcometh, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,* 1.17 and he shall be my Son; and if he shall inherit all things, he shall inherit this good State, from whence there is no falling.

2. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.* 1.18 So here's no more falling away from this degree; these are God's Sealed Ones, com'd higher than the first Adam before the Fall, into a State in the second Adam, from whence there is no falling.

These are called, The Election that hath obtain'd; and it's said, The rest were blinded: But the reason is evident,* 1.19 they gave not diligence to add to their Faith, Vertue, &c. and he that hath not these things is blind, &c.

And those are called, by way of Pre-eminence, the Very Elect, whom neither false Christ's, nor false Prophets, with all their lying Wonders, shall ever be able to deceive: For to this State must these, and such like Scriptures relate; or else they would contradict those Scriptures which shew the possibility of falling from Grace, Faith, Righteous∣ness, &c.

Thus all these Propositions are expounded and demonstrated from Scripture, and their co-incidence and agreement clearly shewn; which otherwise taken, run into Confusion and Contradiction.

And there is no more ground left, to presume of our being abso∣lutely or unconditionally Elected, than there is to Despair, lest we be Reprobated; because there are things to be done by us, which if we do, we shall never fall; and if we do them not, we shall fall; and through the Spirit of Christ helping us, we are all enabled to do these things, during the time of our Visitation: So if we persevere, we are happy; If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me; and if thou take forth the Precious from the Vile, thou shalt be as my Mouth,* 1.20 &c. So take thy Number O Sion, and shut up those of thine that are clothed in white, which have fulfilled the Law of the Lord.

CHAP. IV.

Containing an Inquiry, touching the Two select and principal Tribes of Israel, to wit, 1. Levi. 2. Judah: Whom, of all the rest, had the Precedence, both in Honour and Favour with God; nevertheless, by their wilful Disobedience, and repeated Provocations, fell under God's great Displeasure and Rejection. 3. Shewing from thence the Nullity of their (or any others) Ele∣ction, when falling short of Honouring God, and Performing Covenant with Him.

HAving spoken of Israel in general, that Elect People, whom the Apostle Paul differs from other People in his Comparisons; as, the true Olive-Tree, from the wild Olive-Tree; and as the Natural Branches, to them that are not Natural Branches of the true Olive-Tree; but, in a way above Nature, might be grafted in.

I shall now say something of the Two Principal Tribes amongst them, and the most Select Families amongst those Tribes; because, if ever any were saved, without any respect to their Walking with God, &c. they would be found here, we should meet with them among these Beloved and Honoured People. And

1. First, of Levi, that Priestly Tribe; in that same Night, in which God slew all the First Born of Egypt, he sanctified to himself all the First Born of Israel; and he made choice of, and accepted this Tribe,

in lieu of them, and separated them unto the Priests Office, and none were to bear the Tabernacle or Ark, or come near to touch the holy things, but them; and their incampment was round about the Taber∣nacle, &c.

And of this Tribe, the Dignity and first Honour fell upon Aaron and his Sons, Eleazer and Ithamar, and they were distinguished in their Consecration, with Water, Oil, Hysop, and Blood; in their Offerings made for them, in their Vestments, Food, Services, their Incamping next the Tabernacle, Eastward; where if any Stranger came, he was to be put to Death.

Now Aaron, the first High Priest, confirmed in his holy Office, against the Contenders for that Dignity, by a great Miracle, the Bud∣ding of his Rod in one Night, its Blossoming, and bringing forth Al∣monds; he died in Mount Hor. And Moses put his Robes upon Elea∣zer, his Son and Successor, in the Honour of the high Priesthood, which was confirmed to him, and Phineas his Son (when he slew Zimri and Cosbi) by way of the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood; yet a period was put to the descent of this Honour, in Eleazer's Line, at the Death of the Fourth High Priest after him; and it appears, it had been of more duration, by the Promises made unto the next Family, had they kept God's Covenant.

For the fourth High Priest from Eleazer being dead, that Dignity devolved upon Eli, the first High Priest of the Line of Ithamar, whose Sons were Sons of Belial, and knew not the Lord, but committed great Wickedness, and their Father restrained them not. And there came a Man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the House of thy Father, when they were in Egypt?* 1.21 &c.— And did choose him out of all the Tribes of Israel to be my Priest? &c. —Wherefore kick ye at my Sacrifices? &c.— And honourest thy Sons above me, &c.—Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy House, and the House of thy Father, should walk before me for ever; but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me: For them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. Behold the days come, that I will cut off thine Arm, and the Arm of thy Father's House, &c.— And the Man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar, shall be to consume thine Eyes, and to grieve thine Heart, &c. Soon after this, Israel was smitten by the Philistines, the Ark of God taken, the two wicked Priests (the Sons of Eli) Hophni and Phinehas, slain in one day; and Eli, upon the News there∣of, falling from his Seat, broke his Neck, and died, &c. Hence it is

plain, the exceeding Love of God to this Family, and how per∣petually Happy they might have been, if they had Honour'd God; and how Wretched and Miserable they made themselves, by provoking him with their Wickedness and Abominations: So as this high Honour was quite remov'd out of their Line, in the time of King Solomon, when he expell'd Abiather from the Priesthood,* 1.22 who was the last of the high Priests of the House of Ithamar; in whose place he constituted Zadock, and in him was again restored the Line of Eleazer, to the possession of that Dignity; to which (as that Prophecy, here fulfilled, teach∣eth) they now ascended by the steps of the Trespass of the other. From whence 'tis clear, that Sin is Sin in the most Beloved People; and that God may be provoked by it to forsake 'em, and instead of the purposed Blessing, to bring a Curse upon them: So there is no continuing Sanctuary in Election, if we make it not sure, after the above-mentioned Gospel-manner; but in Vertue and keeping the Co∣venant, there is Sanctuary; in Faith and Holiness, is an Invincible Shield.

To which agreeth the Prophecy of Malachy, who in his day, told the Priests on this manner, If you will not hear, if you will not lay it to heart,* 1.23 to give Glory to my Name, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even send a Curse upon you, and I will curse your Blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart; I will corrupt your Seed, and spread dung upon your Faces, &c. So here God will be Glorify'd in the House of Eleazer: For want of this, we see Ithamar's House long since rejected and cursed; and now the Curse entering upon the House of Eleazer, for the same cause, of not giving Glory to the mighty Name of God: And they were a select People, and had great Promises; concerning the first, God had said indeed, Thy House, and the House of thy Father, shall walk before me for ever; and to the latter, he had long since given his Covenant of Life and Peace, even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood; but is now beginning to corrupt his Seed, and to spread Dung on his Face; and what's become of their Priesthood, their Tabernacle, their Temple, their Mercy-Seat, Ark, Altar, Sacrifices, and all their holy things? How is Levi this day cast off, scattered, rejected, &c? And as it is Glorious on the one hand, to consider their high Dignity and Honour; so is't on the other hand, Astonishing, to consider their Privation of it, their Debasedness and Misery.

2. I come next to speak of Judah, the most Enobled and Royal Tribe of the whole Earth; if distinction is to be made of Blood, it's to be found here, the most Royal Blood that ever run in Humane Veins; if of Lineage and Families, the World affords us instance of none so Great, so Renowned as this, Honoured with the Birth of Christ; his Name imports Praises, and his Excellency was held forth in his Bles∣sing: Judah, thou art He whom thy Brethren shall Praise; thy Hand shall be on the Neck of thine Enemies, thy Father's Children shall bow down be∣fore thee, &c. Gen. 49.48.

Whence, and from several other Scriptures, may appear, That Judah had the first place in the Love of God, before any other Tribe or Family then upon Earth; yet God would not bear their Wicked∣ness, but was provoked by it, so as he slew Er, the First Born Son of this great Father of the Tribe, and from whom it took its De∣nomination.

And in After-time, when their Kings did wickedly, God was pro∣voked with it, as appears particularly in the Instance of Manasseh, who did evil, above all that the Amorites did, which were before him; for which cause, God said, He would bring such Evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever should hear of it, both his Ears should tingle: And further, I will forsake the Remnant of mine Inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their Enemies, and they shall become a Prey and a Spoil unto all their Enemies, because they have done that which is Evil in my sight, and provoked me to Anger, &c. And notwithstanding the great Reformation soon wrought in Judah, by that good King Josiah, (who was this wicked King's Grand-Child) of whom 'tis Recorded, That like unto him was no King before him, that turned to the Lord with all his Heart; neither after him, arose there any like him: Yet so far was the Lord provoked, upon so great a defection of the People, that he turned not from the Fierceness of his Wrath, wherewith his An∣ger was kindled, &c. but said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel; and I will cast off this City Jerusalem, which I have chosen; and the House, of which I said, My Name shall be there, &c.

§. 3. So 'tis clear, People in great Favour with God, could for∣sake him by Disobedience, and forfeit their share in his Love, and instead thereof, draw down his Displeasure and Wrath upon them; For no Man shall please the Lord, or continue long in his Favour, who does not Love, Honour and Serve him; and it hath been in many Instances observable, That the nearer God takes any People unto himself, the more need they have to be humble, reverent and holy, as they are

nearer the Divine Presence: For the Lord hath said, He will be sancti∣fied in them that come nigh him; which when Moses expounded of the sudden and miraculous Death of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron held his Peace; this high Priest could not deny the Exposition. Levit. 20.1, 2, 3.

So for People to take a greater liberty in their Words, Actions, and Conversation, because of an Opinion of their being more Beloved of God, and his People in a more peculiar manner than others, is exceed∣ing foolish and erroneous; this hath introduc'd that evil Licenciousness with some People, that they could think those things tolerable in themselves, which they condemn in others; and hath found out that hurtful distinction between the Sins of the Saints, and the Sins of the Wicked; and hath brought a strange Species of Sin (for they'll not allow it to be of the common fort) into the Prayers, and best Duties, of the Saints; which many will plead for, as though it were either necessary or unavoidable: Whereas the Man that is thus stated, with respect to the Divine Favour, should rather shew it forth out of a good Conversation, with Holiness of Truth.

Next, Amos the Prophet saith, in God's Name, unto this Select People,* 1.24 You only have I known of all the Fumilies of the Earth; therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities; which hath come to pass on this (once Honourable) Tribe, as well as on the rest of the Jews, whose Government is overturn'd, their Country inhabited by another People, and they under a more visible Dispersion into other Lands, than any other People or Nation under Heaven; and re∣main to this day, as a sort of Vagabonds and Fugitives scattered up and down upon the face of the Earth, having neither King or Nation of their their own; for as Levi hath lost his Dedicate things, so hath Judah his Re∣galia; the Scepter is departed from him, & the Lawgiver from between his knees.

CHAP. V.

Being, 1. An Inquiry into the Infamous Race and Posterity of wicked Ham, whom their Father Noah Cursed, with great Bondage and Servitude; notwithstanding which Curse and Rejection, many good People were found amongst them. 2. That their General Resto∣ration is held forth in Scripture.

§. 1. HAving taken a view of the two most honoured and beloved Families upon Earth; let us next take a view of the most

Accursed and Infamous Family upon Earth; that of Ham's, not Exclu∣ding even those that wear the black Badge of Darkness, in the surface of their Skin; the Posterity of him who blush'd not at his Father's Nakedness, became as it were uncapable of a Blush. Our Saviour himself speaks of this People, in comparison of the afore∣mentioned, as Dogs to Children.* 1.25

So that if there had been such a special Election, according to which some had been sav'd, without any respect to their Faith, Obedience, &c. it would have been found among those; or if there had been such an absolute Reprobation, according to which some had been cast headlong into Perdition, without any respect to their good or evil Deeds, we should find it among these.

But in the trace of the former, it's shewed, how that notwithstand∣ing their special Election, many of them were rejected, and fell away.

So it may appear concerning these, that such of them as walked ac∣cording to the Grace given them, were received and accepted for good. For Instance:

• 1. Ʋriah the Hittite, one of David's Worthies, a Man of great Zeal and Vertue, who was with Israel in their Wars against Ammon; and his Zeal for God was such, as coming on an Errand from the Ar∣my, he refused the King's Order to go home unto his Wife; saying, The Ark and Israel, and Judah, abide in Tents;* 1.26 and my lord Joab, and the Servants of my lord, are incamped in the open Field; shall I then go into mine House, to eat, and to drink, and to lie with my Wife? As thou livest, and as thy Soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
• 2. The Widow of Zarepha, or Sarepta, to whom Elijah the Prophet was sent, after he had prophecy'd against Ahab, King of Israel; and she was a Woman of great Faith, as the following Passages shew.

At that time there was a sore Famine in the Land, and she was run to the last extremity, having left her but an handful of Meal in a Barrel, and a little Oil in a Cruise, and she was gathering Sticks to bake it, for her and her Son, being resign'd unto Death, after that their last Cake was eaten. And yet, even in this extremity, she was perswaded to feed the Prophet with this her Food, and to believe him, contrary to the common course of things, that her Barrel of Meal should not waste, nor her Cruise of Oil fail, till the Lord should send Rain upon the Earth. Great was her Faith, and the Mercy shewn her great; for her Meal and her Oil failed not, so that she with her Son were preserved through the Famine; and her Son be∣ing Dead, was restored to Life again by the Prophet.* 1.27

Christ recounteth this as a special Mercy, even above what was shewn the Widows of Israel; for he saith, There were many Wi∣dows in Israel in the days of Elias, when the Heavens was shut up three Years and six Months,* 1.28 when great Famine was throughout all the Land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sa∣repta, a City of Sidon, unto a Woman that was a Widow.

3. That Woman of Canaan; who, when Jesus departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came out of the same Coasts, and cried unto him, say∣ing, Have Mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David, my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil.* 1.29 But he answer'd her not a Word; and his Disciples besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered, saying, I am not sent, but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel. Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered, It is not meet to take the Children's Bread, and cast it to Dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table. Then Jesus answered, O Woman, great is thy Faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour.

4. The Ethiopian, an Eunuch of great Authority under Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians,* 1.30 read at large his miraculous Conversion, and Confession of Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.

As in our view of those honourable Tribes, we find some wicked People of Levi and Judah; so in the search among these infamous Peo∣ple, we find some good of Ham; and as the evil People of those chosen Families were cast off and rejected, so were the good People of this cursed Family received of God, and accepted.

From whence may appear, that we are not saved in a Life of Sin, by Vertue of any previous Election; nor destroyed in a Life of Ho∣liness, by means of any previous Reprobation.

Whoever perished being Innocent? or where were the Righteous cut off?* 1.31 Who ever found Life in Death? or being guilty, were saved? or perished being Righteous?

That this People were of Ham's Race, is apparent; from that, one of them is called a Woman of Canaan, and the answer of Christ to her; and from that, Sarepta and Tyre belonging to Sidon; which City hath it's Name from Sidon, the first-born Son of Canaan, the youngest Son of Ham; who, as History gives account, invaded the Land of Pro∣mise, called then Phenicia; but from him it was called Canaan; of his Brother Mizraim came Philistine; and of himself came (besides the

Sidonians) the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, the Hittite, &c. and these planted themselves there, in part of Shem's Inheritance; for their Father Noah, as Antiquity mentions, gave Asia to Shem, Europe to Japheth, and Africa to Ham; whence David calls Egypt Ham's Land.

Israel came also into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the Land of Ham. He sent Moses his Servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen;* 1.32 they shewed his Signs among them, and Wonders in the Land of Ham, &c.

§. 2. And tho' Noah their Father cursed this People, and pronounc'd him three times, a Servant, and Servant of Servants, &c. yet we see there arose some good People among them; and their general Resto∣ration seems to be held forth in some Scripture-Prophecies, as these following, &c.

Princes shall come out of Egypt;* 1.33 Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

In that day shall five Cities in the Land of Egypt speak the Language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of Hosts, &c. And there shall be an Altar to the Lord in the midst of the Land of Egypt,* 1.34 and a Pillar at the border thereof to the Lord; and it shall be for a sign, and for a witness unto the Lord of Hosts, in the Land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the Lord, because of the Oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great One, and he shall deliver them. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do Sacrifice and Oblation; yea, they shall vow a Vow unto the Lord, and perform it. The Lord shall smite Egypt, yea, he shall smite and heal it, and they shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assy∣ria, even a Blessing in the midst of the Land; whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my People, and Assyria the Work of mine Hands, and Israel mine Inheritance.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great Trumpet shall be blown,* 1.35 and they shall come which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria, and the out-casts in the Land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mountain of Jerusalem.

So in the Lord's Way, here's Salvation for all People; but out of it, no Salvation: If we walk in the Light, even as he is Light; we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Ʋnrighteousness.* 1.36

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 4.7.
• * 1.2

  Ecclus. 15.20. Wis. 12.15.16.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 139.14.104.24.
• * 1.4

  Hosea 11.4. Psalm 32.8.
• * 1.5

  Psalm 51.4.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 4.15.
• * 1.7

  Iohn 15.22.
• * 1.8

  Ecclus. 15.14, 15, 16, 17.
• * 1.9

  Zach. 3.2. Job 33.
• * 1.10

  Psalm 69.
• * 1.11

  Jude 4. 1 Tim. 1.19.6.10.
• * 1.12

  Rom. 11.
• * 1.13

  Heb. 6.4, 5, 6.
• * 1.14

  Rom 8.38, 39.
• * 1.15

  2 Cor. 13.8.
• * 1.16

  2 Tim. 4.7.
• * 1.17

  Rev. 23.7.
• * 1.18

  Rev. 3.12.
• * 1.19

  Rom. 11.7.
• * 1.20

  Jer. 15.19.
• * 1.21

  1 Sam. 2.33.
• * 1.22

  1 Kings 2.26.
• * 1.23

  Mal. 2.1, 2.
• * 1.24

  Amos 3.2.
• * 1.25

  Mat. 15.
• * 1.26

  2 Sam. 11.11
• * 1.27

  1 Kings 17.
• * 1.28

  Luke 4.25, 26.
• * 1.29

  Mat. 15.21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
• * 1.30

  Acts 8.27.
• * 1.31

  Job 4.7.
• * 1.32

  Psalm 105.23, 26, 27.
• * 1.33

  Psal. 68.31.
• * 1.34

  Isai. 19.18, 19, 20, &c.
• * 1.35

  Isai. 27.13.
• * 1.36

  1 John 1.7.