Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 3 (2 of 3)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 3 (2 of 3)

p. 303Vse 3. Naturall men say this Kingdome is a soure, sad and we…ping Land; here is repentance, sorrow for sin,Object. 1. morti…ication. True; but teares that wash those lovely feet that were pi…rced for sinners, are teares of honey and wine, and the joy of Christs banquetting-house: and mortification,Godii…sse n… sad life. flowing from a loathing and a soule-surfet of the creature, and a tasting of the new wine of Christs Fathers higher palace, is rather a piece of the margin and bor…er of heaven, then a soure and sad life.

Object. 2. But discipline, and the rod, and censures of Christs house, makes the Church terrible as an army with banners. Christs yoke is easie, hee hath not cords and bands to cut the necks of those that follow him.

Answ. 1. Yea but this rod is a rod of love, onelyonly used that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 5.5. p. 304for the gaining of the soule, Mat. 18.15. for building of soules. 2 Cor. 10.8. And Christs cords are silken and soft, and bands of love, every threed twisted out of the love of Christ. Hos. 11.4. I drew them with the cords of men, with the bands of love. But consider, Psal. 48. The Lords mountaine of holinesse is glorious. The d…scipline o… christs house not rough, …ut to naturall … …punc;Vers. 2. Beautifull for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion, the City of the great King. But is it so to all? Vers. 5. No: But loe, the kings were assembled, they passed by together; they saw it, and so they marvelled: they were troubled, and hasted away. Vers. 6. Terror took hold on them, and paine, as a woman in travell. What cause is there here that the kings should be afraid? They see a beautifull Princesse, the daughter of a glorious King, the joy of the whole earth; yet the Lords people works on them 1. a wondering; 2. more, trouble of mind; 3. flying; they haste away, and cannot behold the beauty of God in a Kings daughter: 4. terror takes hold on them, and quaking of conscience: 5. when the Powers of the world, Princes, States, Parliaments, see the convincing glory of another world in the Church, they part with child for paine. It is known, some have such antipathy with a Rose, which is a pleasant creature of God, that the smell of it hath made them fall a swooning. Jerusalem is the rebellious City, Ezr. 4.12. therefore men are unwilling it should be built. Lusts in mens minds, either heresies, or any other fleshly affection, is against the building of the house of God.

Vse 4. A beleever is a rich man, and an honourable, say hee were a beggar on the dung-hill: Christ cannot be poore, and hee is a fellow-heire with Christ, Rom. 8.17. We must think the father of a rich heire hath bowels of iron, and sucked a Tyger when hee was young, who suffereth the heire, remaining an heire, to starve. As the naturall man is but a fragment of clay, so hee hath a life like an house let for money; and the rent and in-come that the house payes to the Lord of the land, is but hungring clay, a dead rent, and some new-borne vanities of homage and service; but the promise, the Magna Charta, and the Charter of food and raiment that is an article of the Covenant of grace, is a full assurance that the Saints are the Noblemen Pensioners of the Prince of the kings of the earth: And Christ hath so broad a board, that hee doth pay all his Pensioners. And the Saints are truly honourable, being come of the p. 305bloud-royall, of the Princely seed, Joh. 1.13. 1 Joh. 3.1, 9. And the Church is a spirituall Monarchy: The Plant of renowne, their Head, said of her, Isai. 62.3. Thou shalt be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royall diadem in the hand of thy God.

Asser. 6. The other particular manner of drawing sinners to Christ, is reall: In which wee are to consider these two.The manner of the Lords drawing the will.

1. Gods fit application of his drawing of the will.

2. His irresistible pull of omnipotency.

In the former way of working, I desire that notice be taken (for Doctrines cause, rather then for Art of Logicall method) of these foure wayes:

1. God worketh by measure and proportion.

2. By condiscension.

3. By fit internall application.

4. By externall, providentiall accommodation of outward meanes.

1. In works of omnipotency without God, we see hee keeps proportion with that which hee works upon:The Lord worketh by proportion in drawing the will. When God waters the earth, hee opens not all the windowes of heaven, as hee did in the Deluge, to poure on mountaines and valleyes all his waters in one heap; for hee should then not refresh, but drown the earth: therefore hee makes the clouds like a sieve, and divides the raine in hoasts and millions of drops of dew, that every single flower, and inch of earth may receive moistening, according to its proportion. If the sun were as low down as the c…ouds, it should, with heat, burn up every green herb, tree, rose, flower, and our bodies; and if it were the highest of Planets, all vegetables on earth should perish through extreme cold. It may be a question, though the omnipotent power of God move the will invincibly and irresistibly, Whether Omnipotency puts forth all its strength on the will; or, whether the will be able to beare the swing of Omnipotency in its full strength? If the Fowler should apply all his force and strength to catch the bird alive, hee should strangle and kill it. Divines say, that Christs dominion in turning the will, is, Dominium forte, sed suave; strong, but sweet and alluring: No wonder, if hee carry the lambs in his bosome, Isai. 40.11. the warmnesse and heat of his bosome must sweetly allure the will▪ Drive a p. 306Chariot as swiftly as an Eagle flieth, and yee fire and break the wheels: Knock Chrystall glasses with hammers, as if yee were cleaving wood, and yee can make no vessels of them. This is not to deny that Gods omnipotent power must turne the will, but to shew how sweetly hee leadeth the inclinations.

The Lord by holy wiles and art draweth the will.2. The Lord by wiles and art works upon the will: Hos. 2.14. I will allure her, and bring her to the wildernesse, and speak to her heart. The word of alluring is foreign seductus, deceptus fuit; to be beguiled; and the Hebrew is, I will beguile, or deceive her;The learned Gentleman M. Ed. Liegh in Critica Sacra on the old Test. thinketh, not without good reason, that the Greek word foreign, to perswade, comes from this. as Deut▪ 11.26. Take heed to your selves that your heart be not deceived. So Pethi is the simple man, that is facile and easily perswaded. Psal. 116.6. The Lord preserveth the simple. Then hee saith hee will speak to her heart, foreign super, secundum, hee will speak friendly to her; not according to the renewed heart, for it was not yet renewed; not according to the corrupt and unrenewed heart, for nothing that the Lord speaketh according to sinners, is sutable, but contrary to the renewed heart, and to internall perswading; but hee speaketh all reason, according to the temper and naturall frame of the heart, to convince and perswade that there is more reason in turning to God, then that the wit or engine of man can speak against it. Grace is pia fraus, a holy deceit, that ere the soule be aware, it is catched: and though that be spoken of Christ, Cant. 6.12. Ere ever I was aware, my soule made me like the chariots of Amminadab; yet it hath truth in this, that 1. No unconverted man intends to be converted, till God convert him; because spirituall intention is a vitall act of the soule living to God: No living man can put forth a vitall act of life, till the Lord be pleased to give him a new life. 2. That spirituall love alluring the soule, worketh by such art as cannot be resisted: Hence, conversion and being drawn to Christ, is termed by the name of charming;The Lords grace bewitcheth and charmeth the will. even as turning off Christ is a bewitching, or killing with an evill eye, as wee say; Gal. 3.1. And so being drawne to God, is called a charming. And the wicked are rebuked for this, Psal. 58.4, 5. that being strangers to God, they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth her eare, and will not hearken to the voyce of Charmers, (or Singers, who sing as Witches and Inchanters doe) charming wisely. There be two p. 307words that signifie…inchanting; the former is to **foreign mussi…are, submissa voce loqui, quod occul…um velis. 2 S…m. 12 19. So Isai. 3.3. the prudent and wise man h…th such a name, as to charme and bewitch as …loquent Orators doe, or Exorcists and Con…urers of Spirits. foreign conjungere, sociare, by enchanting. Deut. 18.11. Isai. 47.9. Septuaginta. foreign.Isa 3:3Deut 18:11Isa 47:9mutter with a low voyce, as they doe to serpents, to take and kill them: the other is to conjoyne and associate in one, as Witches doe, things most contrary. Conversion to God, is to be allured, bewitched, overcome with the art of heaven, that changeth the heart. And the Lord made Peter and the Apostles fishers of men. Christ layeth out hooks and lines in the Gospel, Luk. 5.10. to catch men with hope, as fishes are taken. Christ so condiscendeth to work upon the will, as with art, and unawares the will is taken, and made sick of love for Christ, and the man intended no such thing; as sicknesse cometh on men beside their knowledge or intention: So Christ maketh himselfe and heaven so lovely, and such a proportion and similitude between the soule and his beauty, as hee app…ares most desirable, taking and alluring. Gal. 4.20. I desire to be present among you (saith Paul) and to change my voyce: I desire not to speak roughly, and with asperity, as I have written; but as a mother speaketh to her children, to allure you. The word of God is an arrow that kills afarre off, and ere yee see it. There is a great difficulty to perswade a man who is in another element, and without the sphere of the Gospels activity; as Christ and the naturall man are in two contrary elements: There is required art for a man on the earth, to take a bird flying in the aire; or for a man in a ship, or on the bank of the river, to catch a fish swimming in the element of the water. Christ layes out the wit, the art, and the wiles of free grace to charme the sinner; but the sinner stops his eare: there is need of the witch-craft of heaven to doe this. The love of Christ, and his tongue is a great Inchantresse; Ezek. 16.8. I said unto thee, when thou wast dying in thy bloud, Live.

3. Christ knoweth how to apply himselfe internally to the will. Suppose one were to perswade a stiffe and inexorable man,Christ worketh on the w…ll by internall application. and knew what argument would win his heart, hee would use that. The will is like a great curious engine of a water-work, consisting of an hundred wheels, of which one being moved, it moveth all the ninety nine beside; because this is the Master wheele, that stirreth all the rest. Now the Lord knoweth how to reach down his hand to the bottome of the elective faculty, and that wheele being moved, without more adoe, it drawes all the affections, as subordinate wheels. If the key be not so fitted p. 308in the work, wards and turnings of it, as to remove the crosse-barre, it cannot open the doore. Omnipotency of grace is so framed and accommodated by infinite wisdome, as that it can shoot aside the dissenting power, without any violence, and get open the doore.God cannot be the Creator of the will but hee must effectually turne it whither soever hee pleaseth. If free will be the workmanship of God, as wee must confesse, it is a needlesse arguing of Arminians and Jesuites to say, that free will is essentially a power absolutely loosed from predeterminating Providence; so as whatever God doth on the contrary, it may doe, or not doe; it may nill, will, chuse, refuse or suspend its action; for such a creature, so absolute, so soveraigne and independent, as hee that made it cannot without violence to nature, turn, move, bow, determine and master it in all its elective power for his own ends, and as seemeth good to the Potter, for the manifestation of mercy and justice, is to say, Hee that made the free will, cannot have mercy on it; hee that framed the clay-vessel, cannot use it for honour or dishonour, as hee pleaseth; hee that moulded and created the horologe, and all the pins, pieces and parts, hath not power to turn the wheels as hee pleaseth.

4. Christ in externall meanes accommodates himselfe so, in the revealing of himselfe, as hee thinks good.

1. In accommodating his influence with his word.

2. With externalls of providence.

The breathings of the Holy Ghost goe so along with the word,The word and the Spirit. as the word and the Spirit are united, as if they were one Agent; as sweet smells are carried through the aire to the nose. The word is the chariot, the vehiculum, the horse; the Spirit the Rider. The word the arrow, the Spirit steeleth and sharpeneth the arrow. The word the sword, the Spirit the steel-mouth and edge that cutteth and divideth asunder the soule and the spirit, the marrow and the joynts, Heb. 4.12. It is the same Christ in all his lovelinesse and sweetnesse that is preached in the word, and conveyed to the soule; not God or Christ as abstracted from the word, as Enthusiasts dreame. And though the Preacher adde a Ministeriall spirit to the word, to cause Felix tremble; yet hee is not Master of the saving and converting Spirit. Golden words, though all Gospel, and honeyed with heaven and glory, planting and watering, without the Spirit are nothing.

p. 309In externals of providence, God chuseth,

1. Meanes.

2. Time.

3. Disposition.

4. Anticipation of the sinners intention.

5. Fit words.

1. In meanes. God appeares to Moses, Meanes are accommodated to conversion.acquainted with mountaines, and woods, in a bush which burnt with fire; to the Wisemen, skilled in the motions of the heaven, in a new starre; to Peter a fisher, in a draught of fishes.

2. He setteth a time, and takes the sinner in his month, Time sitted of God for conversion.Jer. 2.24. In his time of love. Ezech. 16.8. When he is ripe, like the first ripe in the figge-tree, Hos. 9.10.

3. Often he chuseth in the furnace, Hos. 5. Last verse, I will returne to my place. Hebrew, till they make defection, or be guilty; for the most part, man is not guilty in his owne eyes, while hee bee as Manasseh was in the bryars; the fire melting the silver portrait of a horse causes it losse the figure of head, feet, leggs, and turnes all in liquid white water, and then the metall is ready to receive a farre other shape, of a man, or any other thing, the man is ductill, and bowable, and …npartiall, when God seales and stamps the rodd; he is not so wedded to himselfe as before; it may be also, that mercies, and great deliverances, and favours, melt the man, and bring him to some gracious capacity to be wrought on by Christ.

4. Christ anticipates the current of the heart and intention. When Saul is on a banquet of blood, Christ out-runnes him,God converts every man beside his intension. and turnes him; all men are converted, contrary to their intentions, thousands are in a channell and current of high provocations, and they are in the fury of swelling over the banks, and Christ gets before them, to turne the current to another channell. Christ is swift, and they are all chased men that are converted. Sure, Mathew that morning he came to the receipt of custome, minded nothing, but money, and his count book, and had not a forset purpose of Christ; and because, intentions, purposes, counsels, are as it were, essentiall to rationall men, as men, and the refined'st acts of reason, and their noblest, and most Angel-like works; and Christ catcheth sinners contrary to their intentions; and in this sense, saves the sinner, blesses him, and gives him Christ, and heaven, against his will, whether he will or p. 310not, that is, whether he spiritually will or no▪ or whether he savingly intend his owne conversion, or not.

5. There is one golden word, (and God is in the word) one good word that is fit,A fit word must be in conversion. and dexterous, hic & nunc, Prov. 25.11. A word fitly spoken, Heb. a word spoken on his wheeles, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Sure Christs words to a sinner ripe for conversion,foreign a wheele moves on wheeles, that is, in such order,Prov▪ 20.26Prov 20:26 as two wheeles in one cart, they answer most friendly one to another in their motion, because Christ observeth due circumstances, of time, place, person, congruency with the will and disposition; As Hos. 2.14. and Salomons Ecoles. 12.10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, Hebr. words of will, or of good will; Christ was greater then Salomon, and is a higher Preacher then he, and seeks out words to the heart, that burns the heart, Luk. 24.32. Sure, there is more of heaven, more life, and fire, in these words to Mathew, Follow me; and to dying Jerusalem, Live; then in ordinary words, the Hebrews call vaine words. Esai 36.5. A word of lips. Prov. 14.23. foreign these be words of winde, that are empty, and have no fruit; the words of the Lord fitted for converting, are words of the heart, and words of power which want not the effect, they are words fit for the heart, Esai 40.2. Hos. 2.14. Such words as teach the heart, Esai 54.13. Joh. 6.45. there is an uncreated word sutable for the heart, that goes along with the word spoken, and that meets with all the byases, turnings, and contradictions of the heart, and takes the man; and no word, but that onelyonly can doe the businesse, there is a word that is with child of love; a word commeth from God, and its a coale from the Altar, that is before the Lords throne, and it fires up all yron locks in the soule, that the will must yeeld. The woman of Samaria, heareth but these words, I am he that talketh with thee, and her will is burnt with a strong necessity of love; shee must leave her water-pot, and for joy, goe and tell tydings in the Citie, Come and see, I have found the Messiah. Christ maketh a short preaching to Magdalen, and in his owne way sayeth, but, Mary; and Christ himselfe is in that word, her will is fettered with love. Peter makes a Sermon, Acts 2. and there bee such coales of Paradice in his words, that three thousand hearts must p. 311be captives to Christ, and cry, what shall we doe to bee saved? Every key is not proportioned to every lock, nor every word fit to open the heart.

But though Christ speake to men in the Grammar of their owne heart and calling,What congruous vocation, or the new calling and conversion of sinners, devised by Je…uits, the Pelagians living ag…in, is. I am farre from defending the congruous vocation of Jesuits, once maintained by Arminius, and his disciples, at the conference at Hage; but now, for shame, forsaken by Arminians. For the Jesuits take this way; asking the Question. How commeth it to passe, that of two men equally called, and drawen to Christ, and as they dreame (but it is but a dreame) affected and instructed with habituall and prevening grace of foure degrees; the one man beleeves, and is converted; the other beleeves not, but resists the calling of God. They answer, Christ calleth, and draweth the one man, when he foresees he is better disposed, and shall obey; as his free will being in good blood, after sleep, and a good banquet, and fitter to weigh reasons, and compare the way of godlinesse with the other way: and he calleth the other, though both in regard of grace and nature, equall to him that is converted, when he foresees he is in that order of providence, and accidentall indisposition, of sadnesse, sleepinesse, hunger, and extrinsecall dispositions of minde, that he shall certainely resist, and both these callings, are ordered and regulated by the two absolute decrees of Election and Reprobation, from eternity.

The Arminians answer right downe, the one is converted, because he wills, and consents; whereas he might,The Arminian calling and conversion. if it pleased him, dissent and refuse the calling of God; and the other is not converted, because he will not be converted but refuses, whereas he hath as much grace as the other, and may, if he will, draw the actuall co-operaton of grace (the habituall he hath equally, in as large a measure as the other) and be converted, and beleeve; nor is there any cause of this disparity in the man converted, and the man not converted in God, in his decree, in his free grace, but in the wil of the one, and the not-willing of the other.

Our Divines say,The conversion of Protestant Divines 1. There never were two men equall in all degrees, as touching the measure and ounces of habituall saving internall grace; yea, that the never converted man had never any such grace.

2. That the culpable and morall cause, why the one is not converted rather then the other, is his actuall resistance, and corruption p. 312of nature, never cured by saving grace, but the adequate, Physicall, and onelyonly separating cause, is 1. The decree of free election drawing the one effectually, not the other. 2. Habituall saving grace, seconded with the Lords efficacious actuall working in the one, and the Lords denying of habituall and actuall grace to the other; not because the will of the creature casts the ballance, but because the Lord hath merciemercy on the one, because he will, and leaves the other to his owne hardnesse,Rom. 9.17.18.Rom 9:17Rom 9:18 because he will, and that the separting cause is not from the running, willing, and sweating of the one, and the not-running, and not-willing of the other; but from the free unhired, independent absolute grace of Christ.

But the Jesuites congruous calling we utterly reject. 1. Because this is the Pelagian way,Reasons against the Iesuites congruous conversion of sinners drawing one not another. sacrilegiously robbing the grace of God, for the Lord fore-seeth this man placed in such circumstances and course of providence will beleeve, the other will not, because he will do so, and the other will not do so; and both the placing of the one in such an opportunity, and his willing beleeving, and the other mans nilling not beleeving is in order before the fore-knowledge and far more before the decree of God and his actuall grace, and therefore free-will is the cause why the one is converted, not the other, for both had equall habituall grace, and the one is not to give thanks for his conversion comparatively, more then the non-converted, but to thank his owne free-will. 2. The object of their fancy of their new middle science, is a foreseen providence, of the conversion of all that are willing to be converted, and voluntary perseverance in grace, and the non-conversion and finall impenitency of all the wicked that are willing to refuse Christ, and these two goe before the prescience, before the decrees of election and reprobation, so as God is necessitated to chuse these and no other; and to passe by these, and no other what ever hath a future being before any decree of God cannot by any decree be altered or otherwise disposed of then it is to be: So the Lord in all things decreed, and that come to passe contingently,The middle science fancied by Iesuites and Arminians to be in God. Refuted. must have nothing but an after-consent, and an after-will to approve them, when they were now all future before his decree; this is to spoile God of all free will, free decrees, liberty and soveraignty in his decrees, and that mens free will may be free and Independent, to lay Gods freedome of Election and Reprobation under the creatures p. 313feet. 3. Jesuites dream that Christ cannot conquer the will to a free consent, except he lie in wait to catch the man when he hath been at a fat banquet after cups, hath slept well, is merry, and when he sees the man is in a good blood, then he drawes and invites and so catches the man; and when he seeth the reprobate in a contrary ill blood, though he seriously will and intend their salvation, and gave his son to die for them, yet then he draws, when he foresees they by the dominion of free-will shall refuse, and he drawes neither after, nor before, but at the time when he knowes free will is under such an ill houre, as it freely came under, without any act of Gods providence and free decree, and in the which the called and drawn man shall certainly spit on Christ, and resist the calling of God. But this resolves heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, into such good or ill humours, and orders of providence, as a banquet, no banquet, a crabbed disposition, or a merrie; whereas grace, which by an omnipotent and insuperable power removes the stony heart, can more easily remove these humours and win the consent, when the man is decreed for glory, and besides that all men unconverted and in their own Element of corrupt nature are ill to speak to, and in a sinfull blood of resisting, except Christ tread upon their iron neck and subdue it, and he spreads the skirts of his love over Jerusalem at the worst, Ezek. 16.6.8. Scripture is silent of such a manner of drawing, and the grace of Christ and his decree lyes under no such hazard or lotterie, as such imaginary dispositions o… good humours, thousands being brought in to Christ in chaines, in saddest afflictions: Nor is grace being a plant of heaven, a flower that grows out of such clay ground.

Asser. 7. Christ drawes by such a power (and this is the last point in the drawing) That it is not in the power of man to resist him.

1. He drawes by the pull of that same arme and power by which he commanded light to shine out of darknesse, The omnipotency of Christ in drawing sinners.2 Cor. 4.6. by which he raised the dead out of the graves, Ephes. 1.18▪ 19. by the exceeding greatnes of his power, and the mighty power by which he raised Christ from the death. Arminians answer, this was omnipotency of working miracles, but what was it to the salvation of the Ephesians, and to the hope of their glory to know with opened eyes such a power as Judas knew? and can the dead chuse p. 314but be quickned and come out of the grave, when God raiseth them, Joh. 5.25. That Vaga necessitas, the strong morall necessity talked of by Jesuites, when strong morall motives work, is a dream there,Did Ruiz to. de provid. & predefinitionibus per totum. The Vaga necessit…s, the confused, indefinite morall necessity of late devised by Jesuites is not sufficient to conversion. The Lord removeth resisting power. for it may come short; a man quickned in the grave and put to his feet as Lazarus was, of necessity must come out, he will not lie down in the grave again and kill himselfe. A man starving for hunger when meat is set before him on any termes he desires, if he be in his right wits will necessarily eat, and not kill himself, but the necessity of saving soules in the tender and loving mind of God in Christ is much stronger, and if we consider the corruption of will, this fancied vaging necessity cannot so bow the will, but it is necessary that corrupt will dissent, rather then consent to Christ.

2. God taketh away all resisting, and the vitious and wicked power of resisting, hee removeth the stony heart, openeth blind eyes, removeth the vail that is over the heart in hearing or reading the Scriptures, Ezek. 36.26. 2 Cor. ….16, 17. Deut. 30.6. Col. 2.11. takes the mans sword, and armour from him, cuts off his armes, so as he cannot fight or resist you. It is true, Christ taketh not from David, Abraham, Prophet, Apostle, or from any Men or Angels that are to be saved the natural created power of nilling and willing, purum foreign posse nolle, Christo trahente, but he taketh away the morall wicked, and godlesse power hic & nunc, and vitious and corrupt disposition of resisting.

3. God layeth bonds on himself by 1. Promise, 2. Covenant. 3,Gods promise and covenant leadeth to draw iresistibly. Oath, to circumcise the heart of his chosen ones, Deut. 30.6. to put his Law in their inward parts, Jer. 31.32, 33. To give them one heart to fear God for ever, not to depart from God. Jer. 32.39, 40. Heb. 8.6, 7, &c. to blesse them, Heb. 6.16, 17, 18. Gen. 22.16, 17. Psal. 89.33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Heb. 1.5, 6. We cannot imagine that God will keep Covenant, promise, and oath, upon a condition, and with a reserve that we give him leave so to doe; that is as much as the Creator will be faithfull, if the creature will be faithfull: And there is nothing glorious in the Gospel and second Covenant above the Law and first Covenant, if God promise not to remove the power of resisting, for if God doe not promise to work our obedience absolutely, without any condition depending on our free will, then must free will be so absolutely indifferent as it p. 315can suspend God from fulfilling his oath. Now the Law had a promise of life, If yee doe this, ye live eternally, but God neither did work, nor was tyed by the tenour of that Covenant, to work in us to doe, to will, to continue, to abide in all written in the Law of God to the end, and therefore it was a broken Covenant. Nor can Arminians make the Covenant, Gospel-promise, and oath of God so conditionall, as the Law of works, or as the promise of giving the holy Land to the seed of Abraham upon condition of faith, because many could not enter in, because of unbeliefe, except Arminians and Jesuites prove, 1. That all that entred in to the holy Land, yong and old, did beleeve and were elected to salvation, redeemed and saved, as Caleb and Joshua were, as all that enter in to the true promised Land are beleevers; otherwise they die, are condemned,Conditionall promis…s of conversion cannot help Arminians here. and can never see God, John 3.18.36. v. 16. Joh. 11.26. and 5.24. Mark. 16.16. Acts 15.11. Acts 11.17.18. but the former is most evidently false in the History of Joshua and Judges, multitudes entred in who never beleeved; as multitudes entred not in who beleeved, as Moses and many others. And therefore from this, that many entred not in, because of unbeliefe; The Arminians shall never prove, that as God makes a promise of life eternall, that beleevers infallibly and only shall be saved, and unbeleevers excluded; so God made a covenant and promise that all these of Abrahams seed infallibly, and all these onelyonly should enter into the holy Land, who should beleeve as did Caleb and Ioshua. I put all Arminians and Papists and Patrons of universall atonement to prove any such covenant or promise. 2. Let Arminians prove that faith and a new heart was promised to all Abrahams seed who were to enter in t… the holy Land, as it is promised to all the Elect who are saved, and to enter in the Kingdome of Heaven, Ezek. 36.26. Jer. 31.32, 3…. Jer. 32.39, 40. 3. That the promise of eternall rest in heaven was typified by conversion to Christ, and conversion upon condition of faith, as they say, but without ground; the holy Land was promised to all Abrahams seed upon condition of Faith, the like we say to all o…her conditionall promises of God made in Scripture, that are as the legs of the lame unequally paraleld with the Covenant of Grace. Because this is the only answer Adversaries can give, though it be as a parable in a fooles mouth. Let it be considered, 1. The difference p. 316between the first Covenant which was broken, Jer. 31, 32, 33, 34. and the better Covenant which is everlasting and cannot be broken,The immutability of the Covenant of Grace a strong argument for invincible dr…wing of a sinner. Jer. 31.35, 36, 37. and 32.39, 40. Isai. 54.10, 11. Isai. 59.19, 20. Heb. 8.6, 7, &c. is expresly holden forth to make the new Covenant better then the Old; But its close removed, for both are broken Covenants by this reasoning. 2. When God promiseth the removing of an old and stony heart, and to give a new heart; he promiseth to take away resisting in 1us, for nothing can resist Christs drawing, but the stony and old 2heart. 3. The Apostles reason Heb. 6.13, 14, 15, 16. of the 3Lords two immutable things, his oath and promise is, That wee might have strong consolation and hope: Now this makes undeniably the consolation though never so strong, the hope never so sure, to depend on our free will, if the sinner brue well, he drinks well, if he resist not grace, as he may, or accept it as Gods free will thinks good, he is Tutor and Lord of his own hope and consolation. Christ cannot help him to determine his will, if so be he be a bad husband of his own nilling and willing, let him see to 4it. 4. It must be in him that willeth, and runneth, and deserveth well, as on the separating cause that saveth or damneth, not in God that sheweth mercy; by this vain arguing of fast and loose free will, doing and undoing all at its pleasure, let Christ doe his best.

Arg. 4. Whom God predestinateth, them he also calleth and glorifieth, as all the predestinated are indeclinably called and glorified, Rom. 8.30. Acts 13.48. 1 Pet. 1.2. Now by this, multitudes should be predestinate, who are never called and glorified, if they have it in their free and independent choyce to resist the drawing of Christ.

Arg. 5. God (as Augustine saith) hath a greater dominion over our wils, then we have over them our selves; as he is more Master of the beings, so of the operations, (that are created beings) then the creature is, and so he must use the creatures operations at his owne pleasure, otherwise he hath made a creature free-will, which is without the Sphear of his owne power; whereas the freest will of a King the most Soveraigne and Independent on earth, must run in his channell, Pro. 21.1.

Arg. 6. Christs Lordship and Princedome through his resurrection, is in turning of hearts, Acts 5.31. Rom. 11.23. Grace is stronger then Devils, sin, hell and death, Rom. 14.4. Ephes. 3.20. Jude 24.1. John 2.14. 1 John 4.4,

p. 317Arg. 7. If it must lye at our doore more then Christs to apply the purchased Redemption, and actually to be saved, then we share more, if not large, equally with Christ, in the work of our salvation; nor can the Church pray, Draw me, we shall run; why should we pray for that which is in our owne power, saith Augustine, for we are drawn, and may not run. 2. Why should Peter give thanks, rather then Judas or another Peter, both were equally drawne, free will lost the day to the one, and wins it to the other. 3. Christ must but play an after-game, and can doe nothing, though with his soule he would save, but as free will hath first done, so must it bee. 4. Nor am I to trust to omnipotency of grace for conversion, for if I husband well natures hability, the crop is my own. 5. I may ingage the influence of free grace to follow mee, and grace leades not, drawes not my will, I draw free grace.

Arg. 8. If free will bee Lord carver of the sinners being drawne to Christ,The covenant between the Father and the Sonne in making good the articles of the treaty must depend on our free will, if Christ draw not sinners invi…cibly. then the making good of the Articles of the bargaine and covenant between the father and the Sonne must depend on mans free will. Now 1. know, the covenant betweene the Father and the Sonne is expressed first, by simple prophesie or promise. The Father passeth the word of a King, Christ shall be his first borne, the floure of the Family, an Ensigne of the people, nothing can stand good, if the free will of Gentiles refuse to come under this Princes Royall Standart. The Father prophecieth and promiseth, Psalm. 72.8. Christ shall have dominion from Sea to Sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Psal. 89.25.Articles of the covenant between the Father and the Son diversly proposed. The Lord shall set his hand in the Sea, and his right hand in the Rivers, hee shall call God his Father, his God, the Rocke of his salvation. Now there must be a condition in this Royall charter, in Christs Magnâ Chartâ, nothing can be done, even when Christ goes up to a mountaine, and lifts up his Royall Ensigne, and Standart 1of love, and cryes, all mine, come hither; and when the people flocke in about him, except free will, as independent as God say Amen, and yet it farre rather may say, Nay, and refuse the bargaine.

2. The Father bargaineth by asking and giving, Psalm. 2.8. Aske of me, and I will give thee. Christ must be an heire, 2by mans will, not by his Fathers goodnesse; if Christs sutes, and demands, Father, give me the ends of the earth, and Britaine p. 318for my inheritance, Depend upon such an absolute ay, and no of mans free will as may cast the bargaine,Virg. Et penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos. whereas our consent was not sought, nor were wee called to the counsell, when the Father bargained to make us over to his Sonne.

33. The Father bargaines by way of worke, and hire or wages to give a seed to his Sonne, Esai 53.10. When he shall make his soule an offering for sinne, he shall see his seed; this is not a bare sight of his seed, but its an injoying of them, hee shall see his seed, he shall prolong his daies, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. We cannot say, it depends on men, that Christ speed well in having a numerous seed, and that wages be payed to Christ for his sore work of laying downe his life to save his people, except we be more play-maker, then God in this covenant.

Arg. 9. The Scripture right downe determineth this Controversie. Rom. 9. No man hath resisted his will; and It is not in him that willeth. Augustine useth three Adverbs in the Lords manner of turning the heart; Omnipotenter, Indeclinabiliter, Insuperabiliter; Omnipotently, Indeclinably, and without short-coming.

How strongly and with what a sweet nec…ssity Christ draweth us.Vse 1. O how sweet and strong is the grace of Christ; It is a conquering thing, Col. 1.11. Strengthned with all might, according to his glorious power. 2 Cor. 10.4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God. Were they mighty through Angels and Men, that were but one creature storming another. But when Christ besiegeth a soule, who can raise the siege? Vers. 5. We bring downe every height, foreign, They goe not to a counsell of warre, to advise upon quarters. 2. They cannot flee; For every thought is brought captive to the obedience of Christ. Christ riding on his horse of the Gospel, and strength of free grace, is swift and speedy, and hath excellent successe. Revel. 6. He went out foreign, both conquering, and that he might conquer. Christ shoots not at the rovers, to come short, or beside the marke; his arrowes of love are sharp and conquering. The Spouse is out of her owne element, and sicke, and pained with love, when she wants his presence, and cannot dissemble, nor hide it, nor command her selfe, Cant. 3. no more then a sicke person can master death, or a swouning. Cant. 5.6. My p. 319soule departed out of me; drinke once of this strong wine of his love. O death, the Lyons teeth, burning quicke, all these torments are nothing to the love of Christ. O, Christ wee cannot forsake. Davids key is strong to open all hearts, to open hell, and bring in a new heaven of love to the soule. Naturall habits and powers are strong, fire cannot but cast our heat, Lyons cannot but prey upon lambes, wicked habits are strong Devils, and cannot chuse but be destroying Devils. The coales of the fire of Christs love burne not by election. 2 Cor. 5.14. The love of Christ constraineth us; there is a peece of eternitie of heaven in the breasts of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ. Abraham must goe, when he is called. Lydia cannot keepe the doore, when love removes the handles of the barre, and must be in. The Lord casts in fire-workes of love, in at the windowes of the Apostles soules; O! their nets, and callings, and their All become nothing, they must leave all, and follow Christ.

Wee must bee loggish and crabbed timber,Vse 2. that take so much of Omnipotencie, or else we cannot be drawne to the Sonne. Men thinke it but a step to Christ, and Heaven; ah! wee have but a poore and timorous suspition of heaven,We are hardly drawne 1by nature, it is no lesse then a creation to be drawne to Christ. 2. We are needy sinners, and neede as much mercy, as would save the Devils, as may bee gathered from Hebrew. 2.16. 2(3.) We are, by nature, as good clay and mettall to be vessels of revenging justice, and firewood that could burne, as 3kindely in hell, as Devils, or any damned whatsoever. 4. Not onelyonly at our first conversion must wee bee drawne; but the Spouse prayes, Cant. 1. to be drawne; theres need that Christ use violence to save us, while wee be in heaven; for Christ hath said, Matth. 7.14. Straight is the gate, Crispe vol. …. Serm. 4 pag. 110.111. Antinomians reject the narrow way that lead… to life; their exposition of Ma…h. 7.14. rejected as false and fleshly.and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life. I grant Antinomians who loose us from all duties, and say Christ hath done all to our hand, make little necessity of drawing at all. For Crispe saith, The strictnesse of the way, Math. 7.14. is not the strictnesse of the conversation, but all a mans owne righteousnesse must bee cut out of the way, otherwise it is a broader way then Christ allowes of. I confesse, if in this one point all the strictnesse of the way to heaven were; then the way, 1. should bee strait and narrow onelyonly to those that trust in their owne p. 320righteousnesse; but I hope, there is much more strictnesse then in that one point; as in mortifying idol-lusts, loving our enemy, feeding him when he is hungry, suffering for Christ, bearing his Crosse, denying our selves, becomming humble as children, being lowly and mocke, and following Christs way in that.

2. Christ speaks of two wayes, a wide, and a broad way, and 2a narrow way; Now if the narrow way be all in a quitting our owne righteousnesse onelyonly; as Crispe saith, perverting the Text, then all the latitude and easinesse of the broad way, must be that all the world that runne to hell, they follow no sinnes sweet and pleasant to the flesh; no delightfull lusts, contrary to the duties of the first and second Table, their onelyonly sinne is to trust in their owne righteousnesse, which is against both Law and Gospel.

3. Christ commandeth his hearers to enter in this strait 3way: which is clearely a way of holy walking, no lesse then of renouncing our owne righteousnesse. For Christ both in the foregoing, and in the following words, urgeth duties; as not to judge rashly, Vers. 1. to eye our owne faults, rather then our brothers, Vers. 3.4, 5. not to prophane holy Ordinances, Vers. 6. to pray assiduously, Vers. 7.8, 9, 10. to doe to others, as we would they should doe to us. Verse 12. to be good trees, and bring forth good fruit, not to content our selves with an empty dead Faith; as D^r. Crispe, and Libertines doe, but to doe the will of our heavenly Father, to the end of the Chapter.

But let the Reader observe, as we doe detest all confidence in our inherent holynesse, and all merit, and deny that our strictest walking can in any sort justifie us before God; so Libertines in all their writings and conference cast shame upon strict walking, as Popish, Pharisaicall, and Legall; and will have this our Christian liberty, that holy walking is not so much as no part of our justification, which thing wee grant; but (saith Crispe) All our sanctification of life is not a jot of the way of a justified person to heaven;(a)(a)Vol. 1. Ibid. pag. 89. the flat contrary of which Paul saith, Ephes. 2.10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus into good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walke in them. That which we should walk in, must be a jot and more of our way to heaven; and the p. 321same Crispe (b)(b)Serm. 1. pag. …2.Beleevers are kept in holynesse, sincerity, simplicity of heart, but all this hath nothing to doe with the peace of their soule, and the salvation and justification thereof. See, hee confounds salvation and justification. As if sincere walking were no way to salvation, because it is no way to justification, and because its not the meritorious cause of our peace and salvation; for Christ alone is so the cause: But therefore must it be no condition of salvation? It is a prophane and loose consequence. But doe not Libertines teach that no man is saved, but these that walke holyly, and that sanctification is the unseparable fruit and effect of justification?

Answ. They say it in words, but fraudulently.Antinomians reject all sanctification. 1. Because all Sanctification to them, all Repentance, all mortification, all new obedience is but an apprehension, that Christ hath done all these for them, and that is their righteousnesse, and so Christ repented for them, and mortified sinne for them, and performed all active obedience for them. Now this sanctification is Faith, not the personall walking in newnesse of life that Christ requires.

2. This sanctification by their way is not commanded by God, nor are beleevers obliged to it, under danger of sinning against God; for through the imputation of Christs righteousnesse (saith Chrispe) ccSer. 1. p. 18.All our sinnes are so done away from us, that wee stand as Christs owne person did, and doth stand in the sight of God, nor is there a body of sinne in Christ. I assume, but Christ is not obliged to our personall holiness, that were an impossible immagination.

2. All acts of sanctification to the justified person are free, he may doe them; yea, hee may not doe them, and can bee charged with no sinne for the omitting of them; for hee is not under any morall Law, and where there is no Law, there is no sinne, (say Libertines.)

3. Men are kept in holinesse, sincerity, simplicity of heart, saith Crispe. ddCrisp. vol. 1 Ser. 1. p. 21… ▪What is that, kept? They are meere patients in all holy walking, and free will does nothing, but the Spirit immediatly workes all these in us; if therefore we omit them, it must bee the fault of the Spirit, as Crispe speaketh, not our fault, nor ought wee to pray, but when the Spirit moves us, as before you heard; so that this sanctification is not any holyness opposite to the flesh, and to sinne forbidden in p. 322the Law of God, but a sort of free and arbitrary and immediate acting of the Spirit, It was the old error of the Libertines▪ of Antonius Po…quius Priest as Calvine saith, I… struct. ad Libertinos cap 23. in opuscu. pag. 460. so Pocquius existimabam me aliquid intelligere, nec quicquam intelligo: deus enim intellectus meus est, & virtus mea, & salus mea. Calv…ne answers excellently ▪ Homo quidem fidelis, se nihil ex seipso intelligere ceaset; sed an propteria debet …culos c…an…dere, ne quid intueatur, ut vult iste insanus? A man (saith Calvine) in Christ judgeth that he understandeth nothing of himselfe, (and so that he can neither pray nor beleeve, without the Spirit) but shall he therefore close his eyes, that hee may understand nothing at all, as this phrantick man imagines.in the omission of which acts, the justified person no more sinnes against God, then a tree, or a stone, which are creatures under no morall Law of God, when these creatures doe not pray, nor love Christ, nor out of sanctified principles abstaine from these acts of Adultery, Murther, Oppression, which being committed, would make rationall men under guiltinesse, and sin before God.

4. Towne Ass…rtion of Grace, Pag. 56.57. and pag. 58. pag. 156. A beleever is as well saved already, as justified by Christ, and in him. Pag. 159. Divines say, our life and salvation is inchoate; but they speake of life, as it is here subjectivè, pag. 160. Quantum ad nos spectat, Or in respect of our sense and apprehension, here in grace, our faith, knowledge, sanctification is imperfect; but in regard of imputation and donation, (pag. 162.) our righteousnesse is perfect; and (pag. 160. he that beleeveth (foreign) hath life, not he shall have it, or hath it in hope.

Answ. If we have glory really, actually, perfectly, but we want it onelyonly in sense; wee have the resurrection from the dead also, actually, and perfectly, and wee are risen out of the grave already, and we want the resurrection onelyonly in the sense: for sure by merit, and Christs death, we have as really the resurrection from the dead, as wee have glory, and life; and the one we have as really as the other; so we want nothing of the reality of heaven, but sense; but wee are not yet before the throne, nor risen from the dead, nor locally above the visible heavens; except they say as Familists doe, and as Hymeneus and Philetus did, that the Resurrection is a spirituall thing in the minde; and heaven is but a spirituall sense of Christ, and that Christ is heaven, and the life to come is within the precincts of this life; this were to deny a life to come, a heaven, a hell, a resurrection, which Antinomians will be found to doe.

This one speciall ground is much pressed by Master Towne, and the generality of Libertines, to wit, that holy walking before God, is neither way to heaven nor condition, nor meanes of salvation, in regard, we are not onelyonly in hope, but actually p. 323saved, when we are first justified, and as really saved and passed from death to life, when we beleeve, as we are said, Ephes. 2.6. To be raised up with Christ, to sit together with him in heavenly places. And therefore holy walking can be no meanes, no way, no entrance, no condition of our possession of the heavenly kingdome, and therefore no wonder they reject all sanctification, as not necessary, and teach men to loose the raines to all fleshly walking.

But 1. Rom. 8.24. We are saved by hope, then wee are not actually saved, but the jus, the right through Christs merits to life eternall is ours, and purchased to us. The borne heire of a Prince, is in hope a Prince, but he comes not out of the wombe with the crowne on his head. Christ comming out of the grave, which is the wombe and loynes of death, as the first begotten of the dead is borne a king, Acts 5.31. and all that are borne of this father of Ages, Esai 9.6. his seed are heires annexed with Christ the first heire, Rom. 8.17. but heires under non-age, and minors, and waiting for the living and the crowne, they have it not in hand. Rom. 8.24. Hope that is seene, is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth hee yet hope for it. Vers. 25. But if we hope for what we see not, then we doe with patience wait for it. Hence I argue, what wee wait for and see not, that we do not actually injoy. But we hope for salvation, Rom. 5.2. 1 Joh. 3.1, 2, 3. The proposition is Scripture; no man can hope for that which he enjoyes already. 2. We can be no otherwise said to be saved, then the beleever is said to be passed from death to life, and to be risen again with Christ, and to sit with Christ in heavenly places. For as we are saved and glorified in hope onelyonly, not actually, so are we passed from death to life, and sit with Christ in heavenly places, and are partakers of the resurrection in hope onelyonly, or in our flesh, in regard our flesh is in heaven in Christ, who hath infestment of heaven for us, as a man getteth a stone or a twigge in his hand, and that is to get the land, but yet hee may want reall possession. Christs presence in heaven is reall in Law, we are there with him. But it cannot inferre our personall and bodily presence, and reall resurrection, which we hope for and want, not onelyonly in sense, but really. For we are not in this life immortall, beyond death, and sicknesse, and burying and corruption actually, nor yet are we in glory, that which wee shall p. 324be, when Christ our life and head shall appeare, For, 1. wee yet groane as sicke creatures in tabernacles of clay, 2 Cor. 5.1, 2. and carry about with us sicke and dying clay, and Christ promiseth that of all that the Father gives him, he will lose nothing, but raise them from the dead; but that is, not in this life, but at the last day, Joh. 6.39.

3. Such as are really and actually saved, can neither mary, nor be given in mariage, How we are saved in this life.neither can they dye any more, (marying and dying are bloud-friends together) but are as the Angels in heaven, Luk. …2.36, 37, 38. their vile bodies are changed, Henry Nicholas of low Germany taught the same doctrine, a hundred yeares agoe. Cha. 1. Sent. 9 For behold in this present day is the glorious comming of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the many thousands of his Saints, he commeth manifested, which hath set himselfe now upon the seat of his Majestie, for to judge in this same day, which the Lord hath ordained, the whole world with equity: and Chap. 35. Sent. 8. Behold, in this present day is this Scripture fulfilled, Esai 26. Dan. 12▪ 4. Esdras 7. 1 Thess. 4. Matth. 24. and 25. Luke 17. Acts 1. Matth. 24. Revel. 14. according to the testimony of the Scripture, the raising up and resurrection of the Lords dead commeth also to passe presently in this same day, through the appearing of the comming of of Christ in his Majestie, &c. So this man denyeth any life to come, or any Resurrection, to which way Antinomians encline.Isa 26Dan 12:41 Thess 4Matt 24Luke 17Acts 1Rev 14and are fashioned and made like the glorious body of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil. 3.20.21. And shall be heavenly bodies, spirituall, and as the starres of the heaven in glory, 1 Cor. 15.40, 41, 42, 43. But we are not in that condition in this life, this corruptible hath not put on incorruption, nor this mortall immortality. Then as wee are saved in hope, and have jus ad rem, a full right to life eternall, and the Resurrection of our bodies, in regard, that the price is payed for us, a compleat and perfect ransome, even the bloud of the Son of God is given for us, and so we are saved in hope, 2. in Law and jure. But sure we have not actuall possession of the Kingdome, in the full income, rent, and compleat harvest of glory, but onelyonly grapes, and the first fruits of Canaan.

4. It is too evident to halfe an eye, that when Antinomians say we are actually saved, and perfectly freed from sin in this life and as perfectly sinlesse as Christ himselfe; That their meaning is, that which the old Libertines in (a)(a)Calvinus in opuse. in instruc. advers libertinos. Cap. 23. p. 460, 461, and cap. 22. p. 458, 459 Pocquiu… in libello Scriptum est, non tendes ad malum, cavens ne adulteres in verbo, (id est, in litera Scripturae) ficut multi (non justificati) saciunt. Talis …go fui, sed omnia remissa sunt. Nam scriptum est abstinete vos ab adulteratione, ut possitis vas vestrum in sanctificatione & honore possidere, cum simus mortui legi per corpus Christi, ut alter…is simus, qui suscitatus est ex mortuis, ut fructisicemus …Deo viventi, non …giturestis in came.—Calvins time said, p. 3251. That our deliverance from sin in Christ is, in infernali Spiritualitate, (as Calvin speaketh) in such a Divelish and hellish Spirituality; as that wicked Priest Anto Pocquius said, was in judging neither murthers, adulteries, perjurie, lying, oppression,— Quaere re…e…quamus veterem Adamum, id est, arimam nostram viventem, & veniamus ad …em majorem, id est ad Spiritum dictum enim suit. Ad… quod i…or…tur, & revera mortuus est, nunc vivisicati sumus cum sec…ndo Adam, qui est Christus non …ernendo am…lius peccatum, quia est morioum. to be sins, when once the pardoned and justified person committed such villanies, because the Spirit of God was in him, and took sense from him. 2. Because the justified person is made one with Christ, one person, or as Antinomians speak, we are Christed, and made one with Christ, and he one with us, or incarnate and made flesh in us, (b)(b)Hen Nicol. cap. 34. Christ hath annointed me, with his Godly being, he hath Godded me.and the (c)(c)Rise, reign, error 11.new creature or the New man mentioned in the Gospel, is not meant of Grace, but of Christ, and (d)(d)Er. 7.by love 1 Cor. 13.13. and by the armour mentioned Ephes. 6. are meant Christ. So said that vile man Pocquius, that we and Christ are made one, as Evah was formed out of a rib of Adams side, he meaneth one person. 3. Man following his lusts and committing all sin with greedinesse, is made spirituall and mortified by Christs death, so also (e)(e)Er. 8. Pocquius 16. apud Calv. in opus. 463. Obdormivit, (Christus) in cruce, & suit apertum latus ut cesta repertretur que est semina, Ecclesia dicta, & unio (personalis) totius naturae humanae, & fieri omnes in un… membro cujus Christus est caput.Pocquius who said to sin without sense is the Spirituall life we are restored to in Christ: So Antinomians aime at this, that what ever the regenerate do, they are as free of sin before God, as Christ or the Elect Angels, and this is the begun Spirituall Life. 4. Libertines in Calvins time (f)(f)Pocquius 16. pag. 461. Scriptum est omnia munda mundis, qui autem fide purificatus est, totus gratus Deo Calvinus ibid. Putidus este hanc sententiam eò applicat ut latro…mia, scortationes homicidia pro mundis & sanct…s rehus habeantur.said that life eternall was in this life, and that the resurrection was past; as Hymeneus and Phyletus who made shipwrack of the faith, because a man knowes his soule is an immortall Spirit living in the heavens, and because Christ hath taken away the opinion and sense of death, by his death, and so hath restored us to life. Mistris Hutchison and her Disciples, the Familists of (g)(g)Rise, reign, ruine the body of the Story, p. 59, 60, 62.New England denying the immortality of the soule, and the resurrection of these our mortall bodies affirmed all the resurrection they knew, was the union of the soule with Christ in this life. I never could observe any considerable difference between the foule p. 326**Divers Antinomians deny the life to come, and the Resurrection of the dead, as did Hymeneus and PhyletusHeresies of the Familists of New England, and of Old England either by the writings of, or conference with them, nor of either, from the damnable Doctrine of Hymeneus and Phyletus, and the old Libertines who said, The Resurrection was past.

Vse 3. The drawing of sinners to Christ, if he draw so sweetly and with such a loving condiscension, cannot be a violence offered to free will, by which the naturall and concreated liberty of the creature is destroyed, for there remaines a naturall indifferency, by which reason and judgement proposeth to the elective faculty divers objects, that have no naturall connexion with will; so as the will should be bowed to any of them, as the fire casteth out heat, and the Sun light, and the stone falleth downward, its true in drawing of a sinner, Christ is carried into the heart with a greater weight of love, and a stronger sway of grace,Free will free, in being drawn to Christ. then any other object whatsoever, and with so prevailing a sway, as masters the elective power, that it cannot will to refuse, yet it destroyes not the elective power; because this non posse repudiare, impotencie or unwillingnesse to reject Christ, (to speak so) is a most free, vitall, kindly, voluntary, and delighting impotency, and comes from the bowels and innate power of will, and this is the Virgin-liberty and power of will. But againe, because Christs drawing is efficacious and strong and carries the businesse with a heavenly and loving prevalency, the Arminian and Jesuiticall indifferency that New Pelagians ascribes to free will,Arminian indifferency of will loosed from all predetermination of God, blasphemous. as an essentiall property of it, by which when God and the pull and nerves of the right arme of Jesus Christ in his free grace, have done what they can to draw a free Agent, neverthelesse the man may refuse to be drawn, if so it please free will, though it displease God, and crosse his decree and most hearty and naturall desire, is a wicked fancie.

1. Because by this dream God hath not a dominion and soveraign power over the created will of man to determine it for his own ends, and to make use of it for the glory of his grace, though the Lord with his soul desire so to doe, but the creature hath an absolute, free and independent power, to crosse the desire of the Lords soule, for its own destruction and a far other end, which God intends but at the second hand, and contrary to his naturall and essentiall desire (as they teach) to save his creature, to wit, that revenging justice may be declared in the eternall destruction of the most part of mankind; whereas it was his desire that p. 327not only the most part, but that all and every single Man and Angell (the fallen Devils not excepted) should be eternally saved.

2. We beleeve that God the first cause, as he decrees to all things that were from eternity in a state of poor possiblity; so as of themselves they might be, or might not be; a futurition or a shall be, or a non-futurition, or a shall never be: So he is midwife to his own blessed decrees,Gods decree giveth a shall be, or a shall not be, to all things possible. and determines all created causes to bring forth these effects that were in the wombe of his holy decrees, for all things that were to be, and doe fall out in time, were births from eternity that lay in the wombe of the decree of God; evils of punishment, or sins as permitted, Acts 17.30. are not excepted.Zeph. 2.Zeph 2 So Zephaniah willeth the people to flee to God, before the decree that is with child, bring forth the birth: foreign Ante parere decretum.Then God must in time open and unlock free will for all its actions. Isai. 44.7. And who, as I shall call and set it in order for me, since I appointed or decreed the ancient people? and the things that are coming or shall come, let them shew unto them. So God taketh this to him as proper to appoint things to come, and no supposed God, nor power what ever can share with him in it, and let any man answer and give a reason why of ten thousand possible worlds of infinite things, actions of Men and Angels that from eternity of themselves were only possible, and might be, or not be; so many of them, not more, not fewer received a futurition, that they shall come to passe, and so fall out in time, and others remained only possible, and came never further to being, and never fall out, but from the only free decree and will of God, who conceived in that infinite wombe of his eternall counsell and wisedome, such things shall be, such things shall only remaine possible, and shall never be, nor never come to passe? As it was decreed that wicked men should break the legs of the two Theeves crucified with Christ, and that they should not break Christs legs, yet the breaking of Christs legs was in it selfe, and from eternity no lesse possible, then the breaking of the legs of the fellow-sufferers with him; but Gods only decree gave a futurition and an actuall being to the one, not to the other: So are all the actions, the chusings, refusings, …illings, willings of free will determined to be, or not be; and come to passe, or not come to passe, according as they were births conceived in the mother-decree of God from eternity, p. 328Psal. 139.16. In thy booke were all my members written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.

God the f…rst efficient, and last finall cause of all beings and acts of free will3. Hee that works all things according to the counsell of his will, as Ephes. 1.11. Hee of whom, and through whom, and for whom are all things, as Rom. 11.36. Hee that made all things for himselfe, Pro. 16.4. even the wicked for the ill day, and for whose pleasure all things are, Revel. 4.11. must be such an Efficient and Author, such a finall cause of all, as shapeth a particular being to things,foreign actions, and every creature, as their determinate being must be from him. If the being of the actions of free will, rather then their not-being, be from free will, not from God, but in a generall, universall, or disjunctive influence; that is, in such a way as whatever God decreed from eternity, touching Peters acts of willing or nilling,The Remonstrants at the …ynod of Dort, with shame denied that the word foreign was in the Text, an easie way of …l…di…g Scripture. The genera…l, universa…l, and indifferent concurrence and influence of God with second causes, devised by Jesuites and Arminians, a dreame. embracing or repudiating Christ, or what way soever the Lord shape and mould his influence and concurrence in time, either the one or the other may fall out, and Peter may embrace Christ or not embrace him, and so may Judas, and all Men and Angels; then shall I say, The Kings heart, and his nilling and willing, is in the hand of his owne heart; so the King turnes his owne heart, whither soever hee determines his owne will, and not as Solomon saith, Pro. 21.1. in the hands of the Lord: and the creature is master of worke; Angels, Men, free and contingent, necessary and naturall causes are Mint-masters to coyne what actions they will, this or this; election and reprobation, vessels of mercy and of wrath, beleeving or not-beleeving, are in the hands of Angels and Men, the creature shall be both Potter and clay: The great Lord and former of all things, and the vessel for Gods conditionall decree, his collaterall and universall, his disjunctive and dependent influence hath no force to cast the scale of free will to willing, and so to salvation, election, inscription in the book of life, more then to nilling, damnation, and blotting out, or not-inrolling in the book of life;Indifferency of free will loosed from the d… minion of providence, …nthro…es fortune and contingency in Gods roome. but is indifferent to either, is determined and bowed by the free will of man to which of the two shall seeme good to lord will, and the Lord cannot turne the heart whither soever hee will. Which close sets up fortune, independent and absolute contingency, and a supremacy and principality of working every effect and event on both sides of the sun, and above the sun, in order of nature, by the p. 329creature, before and without the efficiency of the cause of causes, and the intention or counsell of God: yea, it involves the Lord in a fatall chaine, hee must either concurre, or the creature disposeth of the militia, lawes, and affaires of heaven and earth without the King of ages. 1. I cannot make prayers to the Lord, to determine my will to his obedience, not to lead me into temptation. 2. I cannot thank his free grace for either. 3. I cannot intrust God with working in me to will and to doe: Nor, 4. comfort my selfe in the Lord: 5. Nor be patiently submissive to God under all my calamities that befall me, by the hand of men, devils, or creatures. Why? The Lord can doe no more then hee can; hee had no more will nor counsell before time, nor hand and disposing of the businesse in time, for all these, then for the just contradicent of these; say the lord-patrones of indifferent and so absolute a free will. 6. How doth Jacob pray that the Lord would give his sonnes favour with the Governour of Egypt, whom hee beleeved to be a heathen; and pray that God would change his brother Esau's heart; and Esther and her maids pray, that God would grant her favour in the eyes of Ahashuerus, if God have not in his hand power to turne their hearts from hatred to favour, as pleaseth him? 7. The Lord takes on him to turne mens free will in mercy or judgement, as pleaseth him: Pro. 3. My sonne, forget not my law, so shalt thou find favour (Vers. 4.) with God and man. The Lord gave Joseph favour in the eyes of Potiphar, Gen. 39.21. God brought Daniel in favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches, Dan. 1.9. The Lord made his people to be pittied of all those that carried them captives, Psal. 106.46. The Lord turned the hearts of the Egyptians, to hate his people, Psal. 105.25. Warre and peace are from the free wills of men, as second causes, yet the Lord saith, according to his absolute dominion, Isai. 45.7. I forme the light and create darknesse; I make peace and create evill. And Isai. 7.8. The Lord shall hisse for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the river of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria, and they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys. Isai. 10.6. I will send the Assyrian against an hypocriticall nation. So Jer. 1.15, 16. Isai. 13.1, 2, 3. Chap. 15.1, 2, …. & 17.1, 2, 3. & 19.1, 2, 3, 4. Now God could not be the Author of warre and peace, as God and Soveraigne all-Disposer, p. 330if it were in the indifferent arbitriment and free election of men, that warre should freely issue from mans free will; so as God could neither decree, command, ordaine it in his providence, threaten it in his justice, fore-see it in his wisdome, and fore-tell it by his Prophets, determine it by his free grace, except the free will of nations and men first passe an act in this poore low Court of clay, in the heads and brests of little lords, free-will-men, and make sure work on earth of its coming to passe; and so the Almighty Soveraigne of all things should have the second conditionall vote of an after-game in heaven, of all actions contingent and managed by free will of Angels and Men, such as peace, warre, honour, infamy, riches, poverty, health, sicknesse, life, or violent death, by sword, gibbet, poyson, &c. hatred, favour, learning, ignorance, faith, unbeleefe, obedience to God, disobedience, salvation, damnation, long, or short life, sailing, selling, buying, eating, speaking, joying, weeping, building, planting, praying, praising, cursing, Christs coming of the seed of David, the use of Prophets, prophecying, &c.

Object. Is it not contrary to the nature of freedome, to be determined by a forraigne and externall agent, and that by a power stronger then the free will can resist or master? If yee with a stronger power tye a sword to my arme, and strongly and irresistibly throw my arme and sword both, to kill a man, can I be the murtherer of this man?

Answ. All the question here is, Whether the Lords freedome and dominion in these actions of clay-vessels or mens must stand?How God determines free-will, and forceth it not. Wee had rather contend for the Lord and grace, than for the creature and free will.

2. It is contrary to the nature of freedome to be determined with one sort of determination, not with another: 1. With such a determination naturall, as is in the stone to fall down, the sun to give light,Two sorts of determinations of wi…l. its true; but now the assumption is false. 2. Should wee suppose that hee who tyes the sword to your arme, so as hee carries along with him in that motion your reason, judgement, elective power, so as you joyne in your arbitrary and free election, yea and with delight and joy, (which is somewhat more then free will) to strike with the sword, and hee that lifts both arme and sword did not thwart, or crosse your internall, vitall, and elective power, as the Lord moves the will in naturall acts, as acts in all sinfull deviations from a Law, p. 331hee should not free you from the guilt of murther: and so yet the assumption is false; for Christ so moves and determines the will to beleeve, as all the in-workes and vitall wheels of will, reason, judgement, freedome, are so moved with such an accommodation and fit and congruous attemperation to free will, as it goes along sweetly, gladly, freely with the grace of Christ in conversion; and too gladly and willingly in acts to which wickednesse and murther are annexed; as there can be no other straining or compulsion here dreamed of, but such as when a Virgin is said to be ravished, who freely and deliberately appointeth time, place, persons, opportunities, and gladly comes to the place in which shee is carried away; which neither Law nor Reason can make a rape. Now, I grant, neither Man nor Angel can so work upon the will; it is proper to the Lord, and communicable to no creature to know what congruous wayes can efficaciously draw the will. And, 2. Its God onelyonly who can attemper irresistible strength, and sweetnesse and delectation of consent together.

Vse 4. Its not a good, nor a comfortable way,Its our happinesse that free will be not the … of our heaven. nor would I love a heaven that is referred to a may be, or a may not be; its not a good heaven that is referred to a venture. 2. Weaknesse left of God turneth wickednesse: It is kindly to our corruption to be uncouth, strange, froward to Christ, and undiscreet to strong love. 3. Free will is now like a bankrupt Merchant, or a young and loose heire, who hath lost all credit; Christ dare not venture a stock in our hand. 4. Christ is a Shepherd who in feeding▪ his flock stands on his feet, Isai. 40.11. and sits not down, to lie and sleep: the fi…st Adam sat down; all his sons lie down: never man on his owne bottome can come to heaven. Let us chuse this sure way, that broken men may be tutored by Jesus Christ.

Vse 5. If hee be a drawing Christ, its a terrible thing to be at holding and drawing with Christ.With drawing … and also a ba…e …. 1. Gods soule loaths with-drawers; Heb. 10.38. If any man draw-backe, my soule shall not be pleased with him. The word foreign, is a word from souldiers that leave their standing out of feare; the feared souldier sends himselfe away out of the Army. But Habac. 2.4. from whence this is cited, seemes a farre contrary word. The soule that is lifted up, foreign towred up, or lifted up as a p. 332high tower, is not upright in him. Isai. 31.14. Feare makes men low and base,The …. Th… reas… of the Apostle▪ word and of the Prophet Habba …'s c. …. given. and pride makes them high and lofty; how then is withdrawing from God, so base and low a word in the Apostles stile, expressed by the Prophet Habbacuc in so high a word, as the towring up the soule? There is a reciprocation of things in the word signified; for unbeleefe, resisting of Christ, and the sinners withdrawing, is an act of the highest pride: hee that will not be converted, and refuseth Christ, thinks hee can fend without Christ, hee hath a stronger Castle to run to then Christ, and imagines that his sinnes and lusts shall shelter him in the ill day: And unbeleefe is a base, timorous, and cowardly thing, when men, for feare of a lesse evill and a poorer losse, steale away from Christ: And both is base or poore pride, and high or lofty beggarlinesse, in stealing away from Christs colours; which the Lord abhorres. 2. Withdrawing looks hell-like: Hee that is not saved in the nick of conversion, is eternally lost. Heb. 10.38. But wee are not of the withdrawing to perdition. Withdrawing hath no home but hell. 3. Its a sign of an obdurate heart. Zech. 7.11. But they have refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eare, lest they should heare. And so judgement-like is withdrawing, and smells so of vengeance, that God plagues withdrawing with withdrawing: Hos. 5.4. They will not frame their doings to turne unto their God. And what is the issue of that? They shall goe with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him; for hee hath withdrawne himselfe from them. Pro. 1.24. I called, and yee refused; Vers. 26. then this must follow, Vers. 28. (as also Joh. 8.21. the like is) they shall call upon me, but I will not answer.

Vse 6. Its a terrible plague of God, which wee would eschew as hell, to wit, provoking of God by such sins as may procure that God should in his judgement marre the lock of the heart, the will, that the doore should neither shut nor open; and cast poyson into the soule, so as Angels and Men, heaven and earth cannot help or cure it: Christ is good at opening hearts, and drawing sinners; and hee is as good at judiciall closing of hearts: If hee but put his finger in the eye, and snap in pieces the optick nerves, all the world cannot restore sight, or open the heart. Hee that is nearest to be drawne to Christ, and yet never drawn, is deepest in hell: An Evangelike-fire p. 333of Gods fury is worse then a Sinai-fire, though it burne up to mid-heaven. 1. Sinning against the light of nature and the known will of God, as Idolatry and the principles of your own Religion, true and known to be so, brings delivering up to judiciall blindnesse, Rom. 1.21. (2.) If yee put your finger in natures eye, and blow out that candle, God will give you up to vile affections, Rom. 1.24. and a reprobate mind, Vers. 26, 27, 28. Some blow out the candle of nature, and God blowes out the sun of the Gospel, that it is to them like sack-cloth of haire, and a moon like bloud. 3. Resisting of the call of God, brings on the plague of hardnesse of heart; Pro. 1.24, 25, 26, 27. Act. 28.23, 24, 25, 26, 27. Joh. 8.21.

Vse 7. Wee are hence taught, to put our heart in Christs hand; hee, and hee onelyonly who makes all things new, We are to await Christs work of conversion.hath a singular faculty in making old hearts new hearts. Now there is no such way as to lie at the tyde, and wait on a full sea and a faire wind, and ship in with Christ; attend the ordinances, watch at the posts of the doore of Wisdome

Object. I have been a hearer thirty, fourty yeares, I am as farre from being drawn this day, as the first day.

Answ. 1. Such a soule would not be oyled at the first with the perswaded assurance of an everlasting love of election, How to deale with any that are troubled for non-conversion.as Libertines cure poore soules; but would be brought to see sin, and be humbled and plowed, that Christ may sow.

2. They would be taken off their owne bottome, and discharged to confide and rest on humiliation, or any thing in themselves.

3. The manner, motives, and grounds of their complaining would be examined. Seldome or never is it seen that a reprobate man can be in sad earnest heavie in heart, touching his deadnesse of heart, and fruitlesse hearing of the word of God thirty or fourty yeares: and withall, if there be a dram of sincerity, the least graine of Christ, as if the soule doe but look afarre-off, with halfe an eye, yet greedily after the Lord Jesus, its a sweet beginning. Its true,Its no Gospel-truth, that God loves no man lesse for sin, or more for inherent righteousnesse. a talent weight of iron or sand is as weighty as a talent weight of gold, but in a Saint an ounce weight of grace hath more weight then a pound of corruption. It is no Gospel-truth that Antinomians teach, That God loves no man lesse for sin, or no man more for inherent holinesse. Its true of the love of election and reconciliation, in the work of p. 334justification; but most false of the love of divine manifestation, in the work of sanctification; as is cleare, Joh. 14.21, 23. Nor are men by this taught to seek righteousnesse in themselves; because they are commanded to try and examine themselves, as 1 Cor. 11.28. 2 Cor. 13.5.

4. Such soules would upon any termes be brought to reason and debate the question with Christ, that as the Law may stop their mouth before God, so mercy may stop the mouth of the Law and sin, and it may convincingly be cleared, that though scarlet or crimson can by no art be made white, yet Christ, who is above art, can make them white, Isai. 1.18. as wooll and snow. And therefore such would be brought in an high esteeme and deep judgement of Christs fairnesse, beauty, excellency, incompatable and transcendent worth: and though a soule have a too high esteeme of his sins, yet say that hee dies with an high esteeme of Jesus Chri…t, hee is in no danger; for faith is but a swelled, an high and broad opinion and thought of the incomparable excellency and sweetnesse of Jesus Christ.

Vse 8. This powerfull drawing teacheth humble thankefulnesse.Christs gra…e in …, in …. (1.) The most harmelesse and innocent sinner must bee in Christs book for the debt of ten thousand Talents. (2.) The sense of drawing grace is mighty ingaging, every act of thankfull obedience should come out of this wombe, as the birth and child of the felt love of God. Christ did bid such a man battell. 2. He was Christs enemy when he took him. (3.) It cost Christ blood he died to conquer an enemie, Rom. 5.10. (4.) He kept the taken enemy alive, he might have killed him, he gave him more then quarters, he made a captive a King, Rev. 1.6. Suppose we, Christ should in his own person come locally down to hell, and look upon so many thousands scorching and flaming in that unsufferable lake of fire and brimstone, if he should cull out by the head and name; so many thousands of them, even while they were spitting on Christ, blaspheming his name, and scratching his face, and should loose off the fetters of everlasting vengeance, and draw them from amongst millions of damned Spirits, lay them in his bosome, carry them to heaven, set them on Thrones of glory, crown them as Kings to raigne with him for evermore. Would they not be shamed, and overcome with this love, kisse and adore so free a Redeemer? and thus really hath Christ dealt with sinners, look on your debts written in Christs grace-book, p. 335would not such a redeemed one praise his Ransomer, and say, O if every finger, every inch of a bone, every lith, every drop of blood of my body, every hair of my head, were in an Angels perfection to praise Iesus Christ; O the weight of the debt of love; O the gold Mynes and the depths of Christs free love.