A door of salvation opened unto all men

CHAP. V. How the opinion of enforcing Faith and Re∣pentance in men, opposeth the Wisdome of God.

IF that Repentance, Faith, &c. were through necessi∣ty, and not attainable; only by the improvement of the means afforded, (viz.) the workes and Word of God; it would not stand with the Wisdome of God, to expect and wait for the Repentance of men, as the Scriptures declare he doth: Because that herein hee should not looke for Figs of a Fig-Tree, according to the practice of Christ; But for Figs of Thornes, and

Grapes of Thistles, which is much below the wis∣dome of men; and therefore much more of God.

That God doth expect and wait for Repentance from men, is plainly taught in the Scriptures, Isai. 5.1, 2, My beloved (saith the Prophet, speaking of God) hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hil; and he fenced it; and gathered out the stones thereof; and planted it with the choicest Vine, and built a Tower in the midst of it; and also made a Wine-presse therein, and he looked that it should bring forth Grapes, and it brought forth wilde Grapes.

Luke 13.6. And Jesus spake also this parable: A certaine man had a Fig-Tree planted in his Vine∣yard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none; Then said he to the dresser of the Vineyard, Be∣hold these three years I come seeking fruit on this Fig-Tree, and finde none; cut it down, why cumbreth. it the ground. Jer. 13.27. O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made cleane, when shall it once be?

Now forasmuch as wisdome doth prohibite a man to expect the effect without the cause, or more from any cause, then can be effected thereby, or to wait for a plentiful harvest in Summer, without plough∣ing and sowing in the Winter; who can conceive that Almighty God the fountaine of all wisdome, yea, who is wisdome it self, should expect and wait for repent∣ance from men, without vouchsafing unto them means sufficient to answer his expectation therein! No man seeketh Figs of Thorns, or Grapes of Thistles, and shall God that maketh men wise, be conceived to be so far inferiour unto him in wisdome, as to seek and expect repentance of man, it being no lesse impossible to be found? Surely nothing can be lesse imaginable;

And yet for the further prevention of such dishonour able thoughts concerning the God of all Wisdome, the Scriptures before cited, note unto us these two things: First, the ground upon which God doth ex∣pect repentance from men, demonstrated to us under the similitude of a man planting his Vineyard in a fruitfull Hill, planting it with the choicest Vine, fen∣cing it, gathering out the stones, &c. As also under the similitude of a Husband-man, dressing and digging about his Fig-Tree. Secondly, the time in which God expecteth repentance from men, which by Christ; in Mat. 21.34. (in which Parable he alludeth to Isai. 5.1) is declared to be not untill the time of Vintage, and the more plainly to declare, how farre he is from ex∣pecting from men that which is unreasonable: in Luke 13.7. he useth these words, These three years have I come seeking fruit and finde none, &c. Under which formes of speech, the Lord doth instruct us, That as a wise Husband-man doth not expect to receive fruit from his Vineyard, without the use of all necessary means required thereunto, nor untill the season of the year wherein his expectation may be answered; so neither doth he himself look for any thing more from men, then what he affordeth unto them sufficient means and opportunity to effect.

And seeing then that if repentance, &c. were no otherwise attainable then through the irresistable ope∣ration of the Spirit: that all impenitent wicked and ungodly persons from whom he expecteth repentance, should neither have means nor any opportunity afford∣ed unto them for that purpose, (for if that the means thereof doe necessarily accomplish the same; then all those that have that means must needs be enforced to

repentance thereby.) Therefore repentance must be acknowledged to be obtained only thorow the im∣provement of such means which God vouchsafeth unto all, and the nature thereof be acknowledged to be such, that possibly may be neglected by those to whom it is granted, and from whence (repentance) the end thereof is expected, Revel. 2.21. I gave her space (saith the spirit) to repent, and she repented not.