An explicite declaration of the testimony of Christ: according to the plain sayings of the Gospel: and therein, of the purposes, promises, and covenants of God, as by Gospel declared. With, a consideration of a question stated about faith. By Thomas Moore, Senior.

CHAP. 7.

Of some usefulness concerning those to whom Promises belong.

THe knowledge of the Purposes of God, and so of the Promises (which are Revealers of the Purposes) in the three several Heads forementioned, will lead us to see to whom the Promises belong; and to whom and in what order they may be proclaimed, preached and applied, without any doubt, or equivocation, or cloak for an evasion, as the Promises under the first Head declared as fulfilled, to be held forth to all Men for good; yea, though they believe not, yet to affirm them true and good, and done for them that they might believe: and the Promises un∣der the second Head held forth to all Men as true and good, even for them, so as they have yet an Interest in them, and he will perform; if in performance of them their eyes are opened, &c. they do in seeing see, &c. they shall be saved, brought out of darkness into light, and so en∣abled to believe, and in believing, receive Remission of sins, Life, Justification: and so these of both sorts may be thus affirmed as Truth, to all Men, to every Man, to sin∣ners;

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yea, to sinners, as sinners; and they hereby be∣seeched to repent, believe, and be reconciled to God, with assurance of Blessing in their believing, Acceptance of, and yielding up to this Grace, praying them to re∣ceive it on that Ground. But the Promises as under the third Head, though to be preached to sinners, and in the hearing of sinners, to allure them to become Be∣lievers, yet not to be applied to any unbelievers, as that in which they have an Interest, though in believ∣ing they might come to have an Interest. But these Promises are in respect of having Interest, to be ap∣plied onely to Believers; and though to them, as yet also in some sense sinners, yet not to them as sin∣ners onely, but as also Believers, and in Christ, and Heirs: of which, enough hath been said, and more needs not; but onely a word to shew the mistakes of some, that would cut off all the Promises of God from appertaining to any but The Elect, The spiritual Seed: alleadging there is an Israel, and an Israel; a People, and a People: and all that are of Israel, are not Israel, (that's not the spiritual Seed,) but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed. All which is very true; but the inference is very false, That all the Promises per∣taining to life, pertain to, are made and belong onely to this choise Israel, and spiritual Seed, and not to the residue of Israel, and people; for Paul speaking of Isra∣el, including them that stood out, for whom he was in great sorrow, saith, That to them were committed the Oracles of God, That they are Israeclites, to whom pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glory, and the giving of the Law, and the Covenants, and the Promises: nor doth he say, That those to whom the Promises are made are counted for the Seed: for then there needed no being born by or of the Promises, to make them so. And Isaac, the Son of the Promise, was conceived and born of a Promise; yea, a Promise made to Abraham, before he had any being, and believed by Abraham and Sarah; so the Promise is surely confirmed in Christ, and believed by the Church, and held forth in the Go∣spel,

even for and to sinners: and when in perfor∣mance of the Promises under the second Head, the eyes and ears of Men are opened, some in seeing see not, &c. and so are not born of the Promise; yet those that in seeing see, the Promise becomes effectual in them, and they are born of it; and being born, they see their be∣nefit in it, and Interest in that Promise to the hope whereof they are born, as Isaac also did: and were there no Promise made for and to sinners, as sinners, e∣ven such as are not yet Children of the Promise, that by the Promise believed and held forth by the Church, they might be won in, conceived, and born of the Promise, how should the free-Woman come to have any more Chil∣dren? which certainly she shall.

True it is, Men may be said to be Children of the Prophets, and so of the Apostles, and so of Abra∣ham, and so of the Church, and so of the Covenant and Promises God hath made with the Fathers and the Church, while they are nurtured and brought up under the Doctrine, Law, and Ordinances given by them, and continue in that Profession: but then so was all the Is∣rael, or Jews, that yet were unbelievers when Paul wrote; yea, cleerly distinct from true Proselytes and Fearers of God, and charged with putting away eternal life from themselves: and in this sense, as all Israel under that Tuition, so all Christians under Gospel-Ministrati∣on and Ordinances, are such Children, and Promises belong to them, and are to be preached to them; and yet still those that are born of the Promise, are the Chil∣dren of the Promise, that are the spiritual Seed, and count∣ed for the Seed, and have the Promises to preach to o∣thers: which known what they are, will direct in the preaching them. And by that hath been said of the Testimony of Christ in his Oblation, Mediation, and coming again, and of the Purposes of God concerning Christ, and concerning Mankinde fallen, and concern∣ing Believers; and lastly, of the Promises of God in the three several Heads or Branches, it appears, That the Love and Free-Grace of God in all appearing, hath

enough in it, to call and draw in the worst of Men and Unbelievers that hear it, to repent and believe, and to confirm the Faith of Believers, and to lead ••em to the assu∣rance of Faith for perseverance.

Oh that Men would believe God more then Men, and not make him a liar to justifie Men! and surely the Covenants of God are suitable to the Gospel of God, and his Purposes and Promises: of which next.

Notes

• Act. 13.32, 39, 47, 48.
• 2 Cor. 5.14, 15, 19 20, 21. & 6.1, 2.
• Rom. 9.2, 9.
• Compare Rom. 9.1, 9. with Gal. 4.23, 26, 28, 31
• Act. 2.39. & 3.19, 25 & 13.26, 38, 39, 46 Rom. 10.1, 2, 3.
• Prov. 1.22, 23. & 9.2, 6. Isa. 55.2, 7.
• Rev. 22.17. Joh. 3.33. Rom. 3.4. 1 Joh. 5.10.