Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 34
CHAP. 34. Gods reconciling [the World] to himſelf, cannot be meant of every individual man; proved by Scripture: And Three Reaſons.
BUt for the opening of this. That God is reconciling himſelf unto the world; that is, unto man-kind, to humane nature, though not to every individuall perſon that is in humane nature. I ſhal ſhew you.
Firſt, That it cannot be meant of every individual. And then.
Secondly, Why it is expreſſed in ſuch a large tearm as the World.
Firſt, I ſhal make it appear, That it cannot be meant of every particular man, or woman in the world: Nay, indeed, the truth is, that there is a great part in the world and ſuch a part as the world may receive denomination from too, that Chriſt hath rejected, & ſhal never be reconciled to: and that is cleer in John. 17. where Chriſt ſaith, That he prayed not for the World, ſurely then he died not for the world: there are ſome in the world that Chriſt did not ſo much as pray for; How was God reconciling himſelf to the world then, when as Chriſt profeſſeth, he did not pray for the world? It appears by this, that we are not to underſtand it of every particular man, or woman in the world; there are ſome that are in the world that God was never reconciling himſelf unto.
1. And beſides this Text, it appears from hence. Becauſe if God were reconciling himſelf to al the world, then al ſhould certainly beleeve, and be ſaved; Why? Becauſe that Chriſt ſhould lay down a price for al, and the blood of Chriſt doth as wel pardon the ſin of unbelief as any other ſin. If there be any one that Chriſt hath laid down his life for, he hath purchaſed at the hands of God the Father, that this Soul ſhould be delivered from the power of unbelief; and Faith it is a bleſſing that comes unto us by Chriſt, as wel as any other bleſſing. I appeal to you; Is not Faith a ſpiritual bleſſing, as wel as any other Grace? Eph. 1.3. Bleſſed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt who hath bleſſed us with all Spiritual bleſſings in Heavenly places in Chriſt. So that al ſpiritual bleſſings are in Chriſt; if they are in Chriſt, then Faith is in Chriſt, for Faith is a ſpiritual bleſſing, and then Chriſt hath purchaſed Faith, for whoſoever Chriſt hath died for, they muſt beleeve in time; Chriſt hath not left the work of our ſalvation looſe upon this adventure. I wil lay down my life, and in caſe men beleeve, they ſhal be reconciled; No, Chriſt laid down his Life to purchaſe of God the Father, that men ſhould beleeve, as wel as he hath purchaſed eternal life it ſelf; and therefore if thou beleeveſt, know, it is the fruit of the purchaſe of Chriſt, as wel as Heaven it ſelf is. So then, if God were reconciled to all the world, al ſhould come, and be actually Beleevers; But in that they do not, it is apparent, that Chriſt never intended it. That is one Reaſon.
2. And then. Another argument may be this. If this were ſo, that Chriſt had laid down a price for the world in general, and only thoſe that are left to themſelves to beleeve, or not beleeve, ſhould come to be ſaved: Then the great things that are conteined in theſe great Myſteries of godlineſs, and the great works of God, both in Election, Redemption, Juſtification, & Glorification, muſt rather depend upon mans wil, than upon any work of God; for ſay they; God indeed hath wrought al this; but it is in caſe men beleeve, he hath left it to them to beleeve, or not beleeve, and ſo al the great councels of God muſt depend upon mans wil: No certainly, Chriſt hath not left it ſo, but thoſe that he hath reconciled unto God, he hath ſo reconciled them to him, as that they ſhal beleeve, and this is not al the world.
3. Further: If this were ſo, that Chriſt hath payed a price, and left it to mans free will to beleeve, or not beleeve; the truth is, Judas would have been as much beholding to Chriſt for Salvation, as Peter. But you wil ſay, Judas was never ſaved, Peter was; But according to theſe men, Chriſt did as much for Judas as for Peter, for he ſhed his blood for Judas as wel as for Peter; only Peter by the act of his free wil, beleeved, and the other did not. So that the truth is, according to the doctrine of theſe men, Peter ſhal be no more beholding to Chriſt at the day of judgment, than Judas was. Peter indeed muſt acknowledg that he was ſaved by Chriſt; but if their doctrine be true, he may wel ſay; Lord; thou haſt done no more for me, than for Judas, and what was more, I did that my ſelfe, thou ſhedeſt thy blood a like for us, but I beleeved, and he did not, if he had beleeved he might have been ſaved as wel as I; ſo hereby the grace of God is exceedingly dishonored by theſe men that hold univerſal Redemption by Chriſt, and make it to include al the world. There are many arguments that might be uſed, which becauſe they are not ſo cleer to the ordinary capacities of people, we ſhal leave further mentioning of them at this time; and ſhal only ad; that it is Arminian doctrine, to teach, that there is a price payed by Chriſt for al the world, and it is left unto men to beleeve, or not to beleeve: And that is true evangelical doctrine; That there is a price payed by Chriſt, and God hath reſolved upon ſuch, and ſuch particular ones in the world that he wil be reconciled unto, and that they ſhal beleeve, and be everlaſtingly ſaved.