The Worlds Resurrection, Section 71 – Section 83
When I shall take away their sinnes.
Doct.It is proper to God alone to forgiue and take away sin (as here in this place God taketh from the Iewes security and vnbeleife.Exod. 34, 7 Isa. 45, 25) Math. 6. Mark. 2.7. 2. Sam. 12.10.
The reasons hereof are first, for that sinne is committed only against the maiesty & law of God, and as for the offence or sin committed against any man or creature, it is no more in it selfe but an iniury wrong,Math. 6, v. 14 et 15 or trespasse.
Let herevnto be added that the breach of mans commandment, is no sin, vnlesse it do withal imply & include ye transgression of Gods commandment, that commandeth obedience therevnto in all things where it doth not contradict his law. Secondly God taketh away not onelyonly the punishment, (as men in outward punishments partly can do) but also remoueth ye gilt & corruption of nature which none els can do. Ps. 51. ver. 2. and 7. Thirdly, Gods power and authority is most absolute and altogether independent, & therfore he cannot be hindered or preuented by any other, from granting and giuing pardon vntounto his children, as the lame creple in Iohns Gospell was for 38. yeares.
Vse 1. Seeing that the Lord hath made a promise of forgiuenesse of sins to the Iewes, and to reconcile them by the couenant of grace, we must not despaire of their conuersion, much lesse vex and reuile them, least God when he receiueth them againe into fauor, hee deseruedly exclude and cast out vsus, for our contempt & vnthankfulnes.
Vse 2. Hereby also are checked and confuted al superstitious persons, Idolaters, Hypocrites, proud persons, Pharisies and Papists, who seeke for righteousnes of a sinner before God, and for pardon and remission of sinnes not from Gods mercy alone in Christ, but from humaine satisfactions, indulgences, purgatory and praiers for the dead, and humaine merits.
Vse 3. Seeing that God alone doth take away sinne, & that from them that seeke & sue for it, we must vse al the means to obtaine it, and namely, humbly confesse our sins vntounto God, and cry vntounto Heauen for pardon. For here in ye saying is chiefly verified, spare to speake, spare to speede.
Their sinnes.
The glory of our redemption by Christ,Doctr. and of the testament of God, and the peculiar prerogatiue of the Catholike Church chiefely consisteth in the forgiuenesse of all our sinnes,Isa. 23.24 Psa. 32. v. 12 Ioh. 8, v. 21. & Rom. 4, 7 and when they are not imputed vntounto vsus, and the punishments of them is remoued. Math. 1.21 Luk. 1.77. Act 3.19. Psa. 103. ver. 3. and 12.
1. Re. For it belongeth onelyonly vntounto the beleeuers and repentant. Iohn 3.16. Act. 3.19. but all vnbeleeuers and vnpenite…t persons are excepted,Isa. 62, … 24. for they albeit hee beares long with them (herein delaying their punishment,) yet God pardoneth not them, but they receiue the end of it,Ioh. 3. v. 21 & 24 damnation.
The reason hereof is, because without forgiuenes of sins, we are more miserable then all creatures, for when wee end this miserable life, then we beginne that intolerable torment that shall neuer hauehave end nor ease.
Psa. 32, 1, 2 Psa. 38, 4Secondly of all burthens it is most heauy and most presseth downe the conscience, as Dauid by experience felt: for he pronounceth him blessed, that is eased of the burthen of his sin. Thirdly it is a principal article of faith, and a specia…l prerogatiue of the Chruch, who beleeueth the forgiuenesse of her sinnes and is eased thereof.
Fourthly, it is the cause (onelyonly) of our righteousnesse before God, and the gate of euerlasting happinesse, and therefore they are onelyonly blessed that rely vponupon Gods free mercy for the pardon of their sinnes.
Vse 1. Ministers must learne hence in their sermons not to propound and offer remission of sinnes to all men indifferently, & without condition (as the Papists do, who absolue whore-mongers, murderers, drunkards, traytors, blasphemers whom God doth not absolue,) but only to those that beleeue and truly repent.
Vse 2. They hence are knowne to erre & to be deceiued who thinke that remission of sins, is but the beginning of righteousnes and happines, wheras, seeing that in ye faithfull & deere seruants of God there are so many faults, defects and errors, it sufficeth not once to hauehave entered the way of blessednes, vnlesse the same grace do follow vsus, vntounto the tearme and end of our life.
Vse 3. Here are condemned ye heathen Philosophers, who being ignorant of true blessednes & the means to attaine vntounto it, sought it in honors, pleasures, speculation, authority, morall actions, and not in Christ by faith, of whom they were altogither ignorant. Secondly Iewes, who albeit (in some sort) they apprehended and vnderstood tru… blessednes yet they fought to be partakers of it, by their owne works▪ & by the ceremonies of the law, and not by forgiuenesse of sins through Christ only,Rom. 9, v. 31 and 32 and hence they stumbled at the stumbling stone.
Lastly Papists who wil be saued by their own works and satisfactions and be hereby iustified before God.
Vse. Seeing that the remission of sinnes is so excellent and singular a priuiledge of the Church, wee must (if neede bee) purchase this treasure and this pearle with the losse of all that wee hauehave,Math, 13. V. 44.45. and hauing once obtained it, we must alwaies and from our hearts giuegive God thanks for it.
Vse. Lastly desiring to be assured of the pardon of our sins, we must not willingly and wittingly sin against the light of our conscience and offend ye diuine Maiesty, but hate, leaue & forsake them, otherwise sin vnrepented off, is neuer forgiuen. Iohn 8.21.24. Luke 13. V. 3.5.
As concerning the Gospell they are enemies for your sake, Ver. 28.but as touching the election, they are beloued for the Fathers sakes.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Sense. As concerning the Gospell .i. so farre forth as they resist and persecute it, they are enemies.
1. Hatefull to God, they are enemies vntounto God, and he vntounto them, for your sake .i. you by occasion hereof, may be receiued into their roome, and because they hate, distast and persecute you for the profession of the Gospell. But as touching the election .i. in regard that very many in this nation are chosen for eternall life, they are beloued .i. deare vntounto God: for the fathers sake .i. for by reason of ye promise made to the holy Fathers, Abraham, Isaack and Iacob.
For the gifts of God .i. his free promises which of his grace he doth promise,Ver. 29▪ offer and bestow vponupon men: and calling of God .i. that whereby he already hath and yet doth call …ome of the Iewes, to the knowledge of Christ, & wherby he doth determine in his due time to cal ye rest: are without repentance .i. they are irreuocable, constant, & such as he cannot repēt off, for his decree if vnchāgeable.
Questions.
Enemies for our sake.
Beloued for the fathers sake.
1. Qu. Can one and the same person be an enemy and a friend vntounto God, beloued and hated of him, at one & the same time, especially seeing that the affirmation hereof seemeth to imply a flatte contradiction?
Answ. Yes, thus Paul before his conuersion, was a friend of God in regard of his election, albeit an enemy before; and thus our Sauiour Christ, is said to giuegive his life for his friends. Iohn. 15.13. But in Rom. 5.10. Christ is said to reconcile vsus vntounto his Father by his death, whiles we were yet sinners, & when we were enemies: as that all the Elect are by nature children of wrath, and enemies vntounto God, but they are also friends and beloued euen before their calling and sanctification, because by the grace and mercy of God, they are from all eternitie chosen and beloued in Christ, Rom. 9.11.13 and because God will & doth in time call them to faith, knowledge and obedience.
Secondly, we, for the clearing of the Text answer, that the Iewes in Pauls time, and sithence were and are enemies vntounto God, in regarde that the greatest multitude of them were reprobates & so cast off, but yet both then and euer since, they are beloued of God, so many of them, as are elected, which albeit they then and hitherto hauehave bin but few, yet at their generall calling, it will appeare that they are very many.
Beloued for the Fathers sake.
Quest. If any one be loued (as here we hauehave a particular instance) for his Fathers sake, then a man may bee called and conuerted by reason of and for his fathers merits? and so eueryevery man shall not liue by his owne faith?
Iohn. 1. v. 13.Ans. The argument followeth not. For first, faith and regeneration commeth not by naturall succession, but proceedeth altogether from grace▪ Ezek. 18.20.Secondly the children of the faithfull, are not for their parents faith, accepted to eternall life,Abac. 2. v. 4. but they must beleeue them-selues, and liue and bee saued by their owne faith.
Lastly,2. S…m. 7.14. & 15. in that the Iewes are beloued for their Fathers sake (as Salomon was neuer wholy depriued of Gods spirit and fauour for Dauids sake) it proceedeth not from their workes or persons, but onelyonly from Gods gratious and euerlasting couenant, the fountaine and roote of it.Ier…m. 31.33 The summe of the couenant is, that God will be their God and the God of their seede, and therefore there must be some to whom the couenant must bee made good and fulfilled, and these are loued for the couenant sake.
The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Quèst. Touching the graces of God if they bee neuer taken away, why doth God so often depriue men of them, that formerly had them?
Ans. First▪ Deut. 19.27.28 Isa 3.1.2.3 Deut. 32.21they are common and temporall gifts, either of nature, policie, or else of illumination and outward profession onelyonly, that are common to Gods children with reprobates, these God doth strip and depriue men of many times for their vnthankfulnesse, and to discouer their vnsoundnesse and hypocrisie.
Secondly,Math. 13, 19▪ 25, 2…, …. because men (who are cōmonly Reprobates) alwayes neglect, contemne, and abuse them, & thus they quench and put out the holy spirit, and what light soeuer was offered vntounto them, and whatsoeuer knowledge and grace of God was bestowed vponupon them, it dyeth in them by little and little: for God in his iustice taketh his tallent from them, as hee did from Saul and Iudas. But for those peculiar endowments of Gods elect which are linked and chained vnseperably together, such as are predestination, Rom. ….3….vocation, iustification, and glorification, these are giuen to the Godly in fe… simple, and are neuer taken away from them.
The calling of God without Repentace.
Quest. Why then did God repent that he created man, and that hee made Saul King, and why doth hee many times reuoake his promise and his threarnings?
Ans. This is spoken figuratiuely and vnproperly, for the change is not in his Gods will and decree, but onelyonly in the things or euent, and that as the conditions in men implyed and vnderstood, are changeable.
Secondly, by this kind of speech God would shew how hainous and horrible were mans sinnes, and naturall corruption, proceeding partly from his rebellious will, and partly from the Diuell.
Thirdly, God declareth that he, in respect of the outward worke and act, will doe that which men when they repent, vse to doe, namely destroy his worke: Thus hee drowned the whole world in Noah his time, and in fight caused Saul to be slaine.
Gen. 6.6.7 8. Ier. 18. v. 7.8.9.10.Lastly, God hath purposed and ordained at once, by his stedfast decree, that he will so often ratifie this change of the effects of his anger and mercies, as often as any iust cause commeth betweene, Ezek. 24.25. Math. 18.35. Rom. 2.6. which inter-current cause if it be euill, God decreed the permission and ordering of it onelyonly, but if it be good, God decreed to worke it, and doth in time bring it into act and effect.
As concerning the Gospell they are enemies.
Doctr. Seeing that the Iewes oppugning the preaching of the Gospell, and refusing to admit of it, are said to bee enemies vntounto God, we draw this generall Theoreme, viz. that all men, during the time that they receiue not the word of God,Luk. 19.27. Apoc. 11.7. & 10. but resist and with-stand the course and preaching of it, are Gods enemies and hated of them, Apoc. 12. v. 4. & 17. 1. Thes. 2.15.16. 2. Tim. 4.15.
Reas. The reason hereof is, because the Preaching and ministery of the word is Christs golden Scepter, vnderunder which all his subiects must be ranged, and his easie yoake that all his people must beare, Math. 11. v. 29.30.
1. Vse. This serueth to condemne Iewes, Turkes, Papists, false brethren, and all vnderminers and persecutors of the Church, who, howsoeuer they slatter themselues in their sinnes, errors and Idolatry, and thinke they do God seruice, yet in very truth, they are nothing else then Gods flatte enemies, and they that refuse to be sworne to, and acknowledge his supremacy ouer their soules and bodies.
2. Vse. Secondly we must take heed, that wee make no leagues of amitie, or of vnnecessary traffique, with them, least (in fine) by our ouer-much sociablenes & familiarity with them wee learne their workes and pollute our selues with their sinnes, Psa. 106 35and abhominations. 2. Cor. 6.16.
They are nothing but pitch, poyson and contagious leapers, by whose familiarity we may soone bee defiled and infected.
Vse 3. We must not by our dissimulation, hipocrisie & ill life harden and confirme them in their sins & heresies, but (to the vttermost extent and straine of our ability) endeuor both by life and doctrine, to gaine & win them.
Vse 4. We must remember how God hath for these many hundred years punished their contempt & contumacy both with spiritual & bodily punishment & captiuity, and forasmuch as we professe our selues to be Christs subiects and seruants, to suffer no euil lusts and concupiscences to rule and raigne in vsus, but to permit Christ by his word and his spirit to guide & gouerne vsus, otherwise we shalbe bruised with an Iron rod, slaine before Christ his face, and shall neuer enter into his rest, the heauenly Canaan and the heauenly Ierusalem. Ps. 2. v. 9. Lu. 19.27. Heb. 3. v. 18. & 19.
But they are beloued for the Fathers sake.
God in his elect doth not consider what they deserue, nor alwaies respect thē according to their present vnbeliefe, but regardeth what he hath promised to Abraham and his seed, and therefore he wil not change his purpose, but in time vouchsafeth them his sauor, albeit for the present (by reason of their vnbeleife, and impenitency) hee frowne vponupon them and seeme to disfauor and renounce them. The reason hereof is first, because God is good & ful of goodnes, mercy and truth, vponupon the communication of which, he (vponupon mens conuersion) expecteth and requireth all the praise, honor & glory to be yeelded and ascribed vntounto him only. Secondly God by shewing mercy to ye degenerate Iewes, wil at length get him far greater glory and renown of his mercy & power then before.
Vse 1. Let vsus not our selues dispaire of Gods mercy by reason of our former & present errors and enormities (be they neuer so many & mighty,) for our saluation dependeth not vponupon our owne workes and deserts, but onelyonly vponupon Gods vnchaungeable decree, but let vsus truely and vnfainedly repent of them & forsake them, and then vndoubtedly we shall liue and die in the louelove and fauour of God.
2. VseLet vsus not dispise the Iewes, nor doubt of their conuersiō and saluation, but in respect of Gods couenant, wish well vntounto them, pray for them, and further their saluation.
3. Vse. If God louelove the Iewes for their Fathers sake and for his couenant made with them, and not for any thinge wherein they could pleasure or profit him, we must herein follow and imitate the Lords example, and not louelove true Christians in by respects, namely because they be our kindred onelyonly,1. Pet. 3 8. 2. Iohn 1. Rom. 12.9 or because we reape some commodity by them, or that they serue our turne, but in the spirit and for the truth sake onelyonly, for this is right louelove and that which God requireth, commendeth and rewardeth.
The calling and gifts of God are without repentance.
From the perpetuity and constancy of Gods calling and his sauing giftes and promises in his elect, I gather that none of Gods elect can wholy or finally fall or possibly be damned.Doctr. Rom. 8.1.2. Tim. 2.19.
For first God is without change and alteration in his nature,Ioh. 5.24. Lam. 3 22. decree, couenant, promises, and neuer wholy reuoketh and abolisheth his worke in them.
Secondly his mercies towards them faile not, but alwaies streame forth to their continuall comfort; for God is truth and will alwaies performe his promises.
Lastly, God is almighty and cannot be hindred (much lesse ouer ruled by any creature) neither can any disanull that which God hath ratified, or condemne those whom he will saue. Rom. 8.33.34.
This doctrine checketh the corrupt and presumptuous opinion of the Papists, that teach constancy and saluation to reside in our owne power and potency, wheras it consisteth wholy in the couenant and promises of God.
2. Vse. The second vse is, for comfort, and that is if we once perceiue and find in our selues some pawnes and Printes of Gods louelove and fauour,Phil. 1.6. we may and must assure our selues,Luk. 14.29.30 of the perpetuity of it, without doubting, for God is constant in his giftes and neuer retracteth them though men doe often) and hauing begun a good worke, he wil finish and perfect it, he is not like him that in vsus, beginneth to build a goodly house and cannot finish it, but he will make eueryevery one of his Saints an holy and perfect temple in the Lord Ephe. 2.21.
3. Vse. Seeing that God is no changeling vntounto vsus, but his bounty alwaies continueth, and his promises are in their time duly accomplished, let vsus first learne hence to cleaue fast vntounto him, and sincerely and incessantly to serue and feare him all the daies of our life. Secondly let vsus (in our words, deeds, couenants and promises) not deale hollowly and deceiptfully with men, but truly, iustly and simply, for he that halteth with men, is no better then an Hipocrite before God, and his religion is onelyonly formall and fruitlesse Psa. 15.2.
30. Vers. For euen as ye in times hauehave not beleued God yet hauehave now obtained mercy through their vnbeleefe.
31. Vers. Euen so now hauehave they not beleeued, that by your mercy they may also obtaine mercy.
32. Vers. For GOD hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe that hee might hauehave mercy on all.
Sense: For euen as yee in times past .i. before Christ his incarnation, hauehave not beleeued in .i. obeied the word of God and his commandements nor acknowledged Christ Iesus for the sonne of GOD and your redeemer, yet hauehave now obtained mercy, i. God hath called you effectually, and endewed you with the true and sauing knowledge of God and his Gospell, through their vnbeleefe .i. by the occasion that the Iewes would not receaue the Gospell, nor the Messias offered vntounto them, but refuse both the one and the other.
Euen so now they .i. the Iewes hauehave not, beleeued viz. the Gospel, that by your mercy .i. by the mercy of God offered vntounto you in your effectuall calling and in your sincere profession and intertainment of the Gospell may be prouoked and inflamed by an holy emulation to follow and affect you.
They may also obtaine merciemercy.
That is through Gods merciemercy, may be partakers of faith, remission of sins and saluation, that so it may bee apparant both to the Iewes and Gentiles that both are saued by his mercy and grace onelyonly. For God hath shut vp .i. tyed bound and imprisoned together: all .i. all his elect both of Iewes and Gentiles, vnderunder vnbeliefe .i. sinne and hath kept them vnderunder his power and custody like a number and sort of malefactors shutte vp into one prison, and so conuinced them, that they can by no meanes escape & finde ease and inlargement, that he might hauehave merciemercy .i. hauehave an occasion to inlighten and saue, all .i. all his chosen, whether Iewes or Gentiles, and so might actually and perfectly saue them by his merciemercy and fauor, and not for any merite or worth of theirs.
Ver. 30. HaueHave obtained merciemercy through their vnbeliefe.
Ques. Can euill be cause of good, and one mans vnbeliefe be cause of an other mans beleeuing & conuersion?
Ans. No (to speake properly) for like cause, like effect, but it may be indirectly and by accident, as we see how that of euil manners are made good lawes. Now euill manners and enormities are no causes of enacting wholsome lawes, but onelyonly occasions and accidentall motiues.
Secondly no sinne doth more kindle Gods indignation, and enrage his maiesty against vsus, then infidellitie, & therefore it can be ye working cause of no good, but God who by his omnipotent wisdome draweth light out of darkenesse, knoweth how to direct ye vnbeleefe of some, to be a meanes and way for mercy to be shewed vponupon others. And thus when one Nation, Citty or Towne, refuseth the Gospell of Christ, and will not suffer them-selues to bee ranged vnderunder it, God taketh it from them and bestoweth (by occasion) vponupon others that will bring forth more and better fruite in their season.
God hath shut vp all vnderunder vnbeleefe.
Verse 32.Qu. Is mans incredulitie and vnbeliefe to be assigned to God, or is he the cause, author, or worke of it?
A. No: God is not the efficient cause of it, but the accuser and condemner of it, he doth not infuse Infidelity, but finding men in it, doth leaue and forsake them, so that he is rather deficiens quàm efficiens causa.
Secondly, God doth by the ministery of the lawe and by his iudgements, so conuince and attaint men of sinne, that they shall (or may) see and acknowledge, that there is no meane, merite, or cause to iustifie and saue them, but his mercy in Christ onelyonly.
Thirdly, God would hauehave all men subiect to his iudgment, and that they laying aside and disclaiming all conceit of their owne merits and worthinesse, should expect saluation from him alone.
All, that is, Iewes and Gentiles vnderunder vnbeleefe.
Qu. Are all men by nature, both Iewes and Gentiles, equall in sinne and alike guiltie in Gods sight?
Ans. Yes, there is no difference, for all hauehave sinned and are depriued of the glory of God.Psal. 51. v. 5. Rom. 3.23. There is none that (naturally) doth good, no not one, and wee are all borne and conceiued in iniquitie.
Secondly, there is no merite, or desert, either in Iew or Gentile,Rom. 3. v. 23. why one should be preferred before an other: for they all are alike guilty of damnation, Eph. 2.3.
Qu. If one man by nature be not better then another, how then do they differ?
A. In men meere naturall and vnconuerted, God, for the vpholding and preseruing of Common-wealths and humaine societies, bestoweth generall and restraining grace more vponupon one then another.
Secondly,Rom. 3.1.2. they doe or may differ in outward dignitie and priuiledges, as the Iewes much excelled the Gentiles; but otherwise the speciall grace and mercy of our God, maketh the maine difference betweene the Elect and the Reprobate.
For the one hath in time renuing and sauing grace communicated vntounto him; but the other is vtterly denied it.
That hee might hauehave mercy one all.
Quest. Is there then no particular election, or is it only vniuersall?Math. 22.14. Rom. 9 22.
Ans. Election is not of all, but of some, for hee that maketh choise of any thing, singleth out some, and leaueth the rest.
Secondly, many be called, but few are chosen.
Thirdly, there bee vessels of wrath whom God hath prepared to destruction, as well as there be vessels of mercy, whom he hath prepared for glory.
Lastly, either all should bee saued, which the Scripture in many places refelleth, or else Gods predestination, which is a sure and certaine foundation should be shaken and alterable.