Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 3 (2 of 7)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 3 (2 of 7)

p. 409And surely that election and redemption, move both in the same spheare, and or be of the free love of God, is cleare to me; from that place Ioh. 3.16. on which Arminians confide much, for Gods love to save mankinde, by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory, of such certaine persons, as the Lord therefore gives grace to beleeve; because they are ordained to life eternall: so that the foreign as many, and the number of beleevers, and of the chosen to life are equall. Acts 13.48. Ioh. 10.26. Rom. 8.29.30.

1. That love cannot bee a generall, confused, antecedent, conditionall love, offered to all the world, on condition they beleeve; for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sinne of unbeliefe of that love, if Christ come not to them, and speake not, Ioh. 15.22. and Paul saith Rom. 1.14. How shall they beleeve in him, of whom they have not heard? Now the loved world, Ioh. 3.16. is obliged to beleeve.

2. That love that is the cause of Christs death, is Ioh. 15.13. the greatest love that is; it is such a giving love, whereby Christ gives his Sonne, The … Iohn 3.16. dis…ssed, that love …s a particular love proper to the … only.John 3:16that with him hee cannot but give his Holy Spirit, faith and salvation, yea, and all things, Rom. 8.32. But the conditionall generall love is not the greatest love, for the Lord beareth not the greatest love to all and every man, nor gives he faith and salvation to all and every man; yea, the known and beleeved love of God in sending his Son to die for us is proper to the beleever, 1 Ioh. 4.16.9, 10. We have known p. 410and beleeved the love God hath to us, God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, (its a noble Princely pallace to lodge in) dwelleth in God, and God in him. This cannot be said of the love that God beareth to the Reprobate, yea, and to the fallen Angels; for Arminians say that God loved them with such a love; but that love to Devils, is now dried up long agoe, and so that to Pharaoh, Iudas, Cain, now in hell, but this love is gone; so dream they, that love in God is like summer brooks that go dry in time of drought; but the truth is, Gods generall love to Arminians, What the love of God is.is a faint desire, and a wish that all and every one, men and Angels be saved, and a bestowing on them means, 1. Which the Lord knowes shall plunge them deeper in hell, and make their everlasting chaines heavier and more fiery; better he love them not. 2. Such meanes as can be demonstrated free will without God, or any determination or bowing to one hand, rather then to another, can, and may absolutely master and over-master equally to conversion, or obstinacy, or to finall rebellion, to salvation, or damnation, to make themselves free Princes and Lords of the book of life, and the writing pen of eternall Election, and Artists, causes, and masters of the decrees of Election, or Reprobation. For, 1. Let God doe what he can, or omnipotency, or sweetnesse of free grace, all that is possible, free will hath the free and absolute casting of the ballance to will, receive Christ, open to the King of glory, and be converted,Arminian election faint and weak for the salvation of one more then another. or to the contrary. 2. In Election and Reprobation from eternity, (as Arminians in their last Apology goe no higher then time, coepta est in temporo electio, contra quam creditum est, &c.) God doth no more in his generall decree for chusing of Jacob or Peter, then of Pharaoh, Esau or Judas; but chuseth all indefinitely who shall beleeve. But for the Assumption that Peter, Iohn, Pharaoh, Judas, Esau, beleeve, or not beleeve, the eternall decree of God does nothing, his means, Gospel, his inward grace (such grace as they can grant) doe no more, nor can doe any more to determine the will to either side, to beleeving, or not beleeving; then he can work contradictions, or make free will, and free ob…dience to be no free will, and no obedience, for its repugnant (say they) to the nature of free-will that it should be determined by God; And …, such as is required of us now who are under comm…ements, threatnings, promises, were no obedience at all, for if the Lord p. 411should determine the will (say they) and therefore Gods last decree of chusing those to life, whom he foresees shall expire in faith, and persevere to the end, and of rejecting such, as he foresees shall goe on, in finall obstinacy against the Gospel, is not any Scripturall decree of Election or Reprobation, nor hath God any liberty in this, to chuse this man, not this man, but all men chuse God, and are foreseen finally to beleeve, or not beleeve, before, and without any free decree of God; so that the number of chosen Angels or men is in the power of the creatures free will; not in the liberty of the former of all things; so as we chuse God, but God chuseth not us. But 2. So none are within the compasse of Election or Reprobation, but such as hear the Gospel; and so all the Heathen are saved or damned by chance, or without any will or decree of God, or they must be neither capable of salvation, nor damnat…on, contrary to Scripture and experience, for terrible judgements temporall, and great externall favours befall Indians, Americans, and such as never heard of Christ, and not without the counsell of Gods will, if there be a provid…nce that rules the world. 2. God doth nothing in the Election of Peter, more then of Iudas; nor can grace and mercy have place in the chusing of the one, rather then the other; but as free will is foreseen to play the game ill, or well, so goe the eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation, and there can be no such thing as that grace and the free pleasure of God, who hath mercy on whom he will, or because he will, and hardens whom he will, can have any place here.

4. The Scripture no where speakes of any love of God in Christ to man, but such as is efficacious in saving;Gods love in Christ, efficacious. any other love is lip-love, not reall; and so to alledge this one place, without authoritie of the Word, is petitio principii, a begging of the question; for the love Ez…ch. 16.8. Called the time of loves, was such as saved, all that were to b… saved, amongst the people of God; and cannot be understood of such a love as God did bear to the Heathen, and the Cannanits, for it separates them from all the world: so Deut. 7.7. Psal. 146.19.20 Isai. 51.1, 2, 3. Isai. 52.3, 4. Psal. 132.1…. Psal. 1…5.4. Zech. 3.2. 1 King. 1.13. 2 Chron. 6.6. Isai. 4….8, 9. Deut. 14.2. Isai. 43 20. Dan. 1…. 15. 1 Chron. 16.13. Ezech. 20.5. Act. 13.17. Yee shall not finde that the love of God in Christ can consist p. 412with Reprobation, or Damnation, in all the Scripture; but by the contrary, it is a love that Christ hath to his wife, in giving himselfe for her; sanctifying, washing and presenting her, without spot or wrinkle before … a husband-love, Ephes. 5.25, 26. a love saving, b… the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost …i…us 3.4, 5, 6. a great love, quickning us together with Christ, saving us by grace, raising us up, and making us …it together with Jesus Christ, in heavenly places. Ephes. 2.4.5. a love causing washing of us, and advancing us to bee Kings and Priests to God, Revel. 1.5, 6. a love to Paul in particular, and working life in Paul, Gal. 2.20. I live no more, but Christ liveth in mee, and the life which I now live in the flesh; I live by the faith of the Sonne of God, who loved mee, and gave himselfe for me. It is the love of God our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace. 2 Thes. 2.16. an everlasting love. Jer. 31.3. a love before the foundation of the world, Ephes. 1.3, 4, before we doe good or evill, Rom. 9.11. Not a love that fals to nothing; by a consequent act of hatred, nor a love to which the hatred of reprobation may succeed every hour, and out of which wee may bee decourted; a love that puts the honour of sonnes on us, 1 Ioh. 3.1. It is a saving and a pittying love Isai. 63.9. a love which the Lord rests in, Zeph. 3.17. a love continuing to the end, Ioh. 13.1. a love that makes us more then conquerors. R…m. 8.37. It is a separating love that differenceth the loved of God, from all others, Psal. 87.2. Psal. 1.6.8. otherwise all the world, should in regard of this generall, and antecedent, and conditionall love of God, bee so the beloved of God; as Christ in the song of Solomon, esteemeth the Spouse his love, his welbeloved: Its a love better then life, Psal. 6….3. and the dowrie Christ bestoweth on his spouse, Hos. 2.19. now the Scripture no where speaketh of that conditionall love, which the Lord beareth to Heathens,All redeemed from w…ath to come, are redeeme… from all iniquitie and this present evill world. Reprobates, and to all Men and Angels.

5. Such as the Lord so loved, as hee hath redeemed them from perishing, he hath redeemed them from sinne and Gentilisme; to wit, from this present evill world, Gal. 1.4. yea, the blood of the Lambe, unspoted, and undefiled, hath bought them from their vaine conversation, received by tradition, from their fathers, 1 Pet. 1.18. yea, from fornication, that they should p. 413bee members of Christ, temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.20. yea, Christ bare their sinnes in his owne body on the tree, that they should live to righteousnesse. Now all and every one of mankinde, Heathen and Turks, are not thus bought with a price, and deliv…d from idolatry, blasphemy, killing of child… to th…ir god, from the world of Gentilisme. 1. Th…y liv… in these sinnes, as serving God in them; the Gospel nev… forbade th…m any such si…n…s, in regard th…y never heard the Gospel. 2 They cannot sinne on a n…w score, or a new reckning; these being to them, no sinnes against the Gospel; but against the law written in their heart. 3. There is a p…ice then given: for all the reprobate vice reproborum, it is … as they had payed the price to redeeme them from sinne, and unbeliefe; yea, from finall impenitencie against the Gospel: If this bee a sinne, as it is the sinne of sinnes, Christ must beare it on the tree, 1 Pet. 1.24. The lambe of God must take it away. Ioh. 1.29. Except it were possible finall unbeliefe were pardonable without shedding of blood. Heb. 10. Now here the ransome payed, but the captive is never delivered, for the reprobate die in their sinnes Ioh. 8.21. There bee some say, there is a ransome given for these Gospel-sinnes of the reprobate, conditionally, so they beleeve.

An…w. That is, they are freed from finall impenitencie, so they bee freed from finall impenitencie: is this a wife bargain? 2. Where is there is all the Word, a warrant that Christ layd downe his life for his sheep conditionally; so he foresaw they would be his sheep; so they would beleeve and repent? Now this hee could not doe: for Christ out of deliberation, and his Fathers eternall counsell, absolutely, gratis, freely di…d for these; he died not for those, that he foresaw would never fulfill the condition, nunquam positâ conditione, nunquam ponitur conditionatum.

6. Christ bought by his blood of the eternall Covenant, all the Jewels of the Covenant, all things that belong to life and go…linesse, and all spirituall blessings, 2 Pet. 1.3. Ephes. 1.3. A new heart and a new Spirit, Christ purchased saith to us by his deathEzech. 36.26. Jer. 31.33, 34, 35, 36. Ezek. 11, 19, 20. He bought all that God giveth to us, then he must have purchased faith, Phil. 1.29. Joh. 6.29. and if he was made a Prince to give repentance and remission, then to give faith, for it is a grace above nature, and out of this p. 414fountain, we have grace for grace, Ioh. 1.14. Now this is not given to all men.

7. All these graces are particular, 1. Election to glory is particular, Few are chosen, Mat. 22.14. Joh. 10.26.29. Ephes. 1.4. Rom. 9.11. The promise is particular to the sons of the promise, Rom. 9.8, 9. made to Christ, and his seed only, Gal. 3.16, 17, 18.All graces in Christ are peculiar to the el…ct …nly, how can then Redemption be universall? Gal. 4.22, 23, &c. the calling particular, Isai. 55.1, 2. Matth. 11.27, 28. Acts 2.39. the Covenant particular, and takes in only the House of Judah, the elect and such as cannot fall away, Ier. 31.34, 35, &c. and 32.39, 40. Isai. 54.10. and 59.19, 20. The surety of the Covenant, Christ, Heb. 7.22. promised to be King over the House of David, over his people only; the intention of God particular to a foreknown people only, Rom. 11.1. The circumference and extent of Grace then cannot be so wide, as to take in all, nor can Redemption be universall, because conditionall. For 1. Arminians make Election conditionall, but they deny it in words to be universall; further glorification is conditionall, justification conditionall, upon condition of Faith, but because the condition never is, all men have not fa…th; therefore glorification and justification is particular, and redemption on the same ground must be particular; none are actually redeemed but the beleevers, so as glorification actuall (the decree of glorifying is another thing, and absolute) and Election to glory are commensurable, the one not larger then the other, Rom. 8.29, 30. how can Redemption, which is a mid-linke between both, be of a wider Sphear to take in all? for 1 Thes. 5.9. Gods counsell set us on Christ as Redeemer, and gives us to Christ.

8. These two (Christ redeemeth all) and (Christ intendeth to redeem all) are most different: Now Gods intention to redeem all if they beleeve, suspendeth either redemption, or the intention of God to redeem: If the former be said, redemption of all, is no Redemption, except all beleeve, but all doe not beleeve: If the latter, God must wave and hang by his intention in millions of soules, and cannot fixe his foot to be peremptory in his intentions except they beleeve, and he seeth they shall never beleeve, for he knoweth what is in man, and beholdeth the thoughts a far off.

Yea, as I said elsewhere, if we speak properly in reference to p. 415God, the very promises of the Gospel are not conditionall; because both the condition,The promises of the Gospel not properly conditionall in relation to God. and the thing that falls under the condition, depend on his owne absolute will, and free gift; if a father promise to his child an inheritance upon condition the child pay him ten thousand crowns, and the Father only do give, and can give the child these ten thousand crownes; we cannot say, this is a bargain between the father and the son, that leans upon conditions, especially if we suppose, as the case is between God and the creature, that this father can and doth indeclinably determine the will of his son to consent, and to give back againe to his father this sum of money, and to consent to the bargain; there is here no condition relating to the father, but he does all freely. Beleeving is a condition, and life eternall is conditionatum, a thing that falleth under promise, but both d…pend upon the absolute, free and irresistible will of the Lord; as there is no condition here properly so called, either laid upon the will, or limiting the externall action of God.

9. Hence the promises of the Gospel are indefinite, not universall, and in the Lords purpose and intention made with the Elect onelyonly, not with the Reprobate at all, for when God saith, if Iudas, Cain, Pharaoh, beleeve they shall be saved, the Lords purpose being …o deny to them the grace of beleeving, without which it is unpossible they can beleeve, the promise in Gods purpose is not made with them: He that so willeth what he promiseth upon a condition, which he that so willeth, only can doe and work, and yet will not do or work the condition; he doth indeed not will to the party, what is so promised, if John send Peter to work in his garden upon condition, that if he worke, he shall give him a talent a day, and in the mean while Iohn onelyonly can give to Peter strength of legs, and armes, and body to work, can determine his consent to the work, and yet refuse to give strength, and to win his consent to the work; Sure he never wi…led either to give him a talent for his work, nor intended hee should work at all. Hence I ar…ue, it is against the wisedome of God to intend and will that the Reprobate be redeemed, pardoned, saved, upon a condition, which he himself only can work by his grace, and absolutely and irresistibly will not work.What is neve… done is not Gods will simply. Now in Scripture such a thing is argued not to bee done, because the Scripture must be fulfill… ; and the decree of God and his will ful…lled, as Christs bones upon this ground, p. 416could not be broken, and such a thing is done that the Scripture, and so the will and decree of God might be fulfilled, so that which is never done, is simply Gods will it shall never be done; that which is done is simply Gods will it must be; I mean either his permissive or approving will;The revealed will of God called voluntas signi, is not simply Gods will, but onelyonly so called by a figure. and the will of God revealing, what is the duty of Reprobates though it never be done, argu…s it was not simply the will of God; hence that voluntas signi, in which God reveales what is our dutie, and what we ought to doe; not what is his decree, or what he either wil, or ought to doe, is not Gods will properly, but by a figure only, for commands, and promises, and threatnings revealed, argue not the will and purpose, decree or intention of God, which are properly his will.

10. It is against the wisedome of God to intend the actuall Redemption and salvation of all, and every one, and not to will, nor work such conditions, which onelyonly he himself can work, and are in his power only, and without the which the creature cannot be redeemed and saved, but he neither will, nor doth work faith in all; then he never intended the actuall redemption and salvation of all and every one.

Hence what ever wanton and lascivious reason can object against absolute Reprobation, the absolute Redemption of some few, a particular atton…ment of some few, equally fighteth with the opinion of adversaries, as against ours, they say;

1. God intends the eternall destruction of the innocent sinlesse and greatest part of mankind.

2. MercieMercy, bowels of compassion, by your particular, absolute Redemption is extended to few; What can, in shaddow of vain reason, be objected against absolute el…ction, and reprobation, and particular redemption, fall with equal strength, upon conditionall, & universall …l…ction and redemption.and all the rest of the lost world, left to sincke eternally, notwithstanding of the infinite and boundlesse love and man-kindnesse of God. Its answered, these fall with equall strength of wanton reason, upon conditionall and universall Redemption, or Gods conditionall and universall will to save all, and every one; for say that a father did foresee, if he beget twenty sonnes, that eighteen of them shall be cast in a river of fire, to be burnt quick, where they shall bee tormented ten thousand yeares, ever dying, and not able to finde death, to end their miseries, and that they may be Kings in great riches and honour, upon a condition of such and such a carriage of them in their education, and young yeares, which this father can easily worke with one word; yet hee willingly p. 417begets these children, hee can worke such a condition in them, as they may all be kings, yet deliberatly this he will not doe, but acts so upon the will of these children, as he knowes indeclinably the greatest part of them all sh…ll be tormented for ten thousand yeares in this extreme fire. Who can say, 1. that this father, quantum in se, as farre as he can, hath redeemed all, and every one of his children from ten thousand yeares paine? Who can say, this father intended and willed the life and honour of these eighteene children, when as hee might with no paine to himselfe, most easily have wrought the condition in them, which he wrought in others, and would not? Hence, if there must bee a mystery in the Gospel, and the Lords waies and thoughts must be above ours, as farre as the heaven is above the earth, if the Lord did foresee the greatest part of mankind, and many legions of Angels should be cast in chaines of darknesse, and in a lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever. 1. Vaine reason would say, why did hee create them? if hee fore-saw their misery would bee so deplorable; and how can he earnestly and ardently, with prayers, obtestations, wishes, threatnings, precepts, promises, desire their eternall salvation? 2. If he could have hindred them to sinne (as no question he could) without hurting Adams freewill, and without strangling the nature of free obedience, in reference to threatning of ill, and promising of good, and life, as wee see all Angels, being equally under one law, he kept some from sinne, of free grace, and permitted others to fall in eternall misery; if he could have hindered them to sinne, how created he them, and gave them a law, which he saw, they would violate, and make themselves eternally miserable? 3. When the same Gospel was preached to some, yea, and to a huge multitude within the visible Church, if the Lord willed all and every one to be saved, and gave his Sonne to redeeme all and every one; was there not an eternall and absolute will most unlike and disparous to some, beside others, when as he tooke a way of working with the Gospel, preached on some, which hee saw would eternally, indeclinably, and inevitably save them, and a contrary way of working with others, which hee foresaw would be fruitlesse, ineffectuall, and null, and tend to their sadder condemnation; now can he will both the redemption and salvation of these that he moveth ineffectually to obey, and p. 418also efficaciously to obey? Corvinus saith in this, He willeth all, ex aequo, equally to be saved, in regard of his affection, and will to all; but he willeth not all equally to be saved, ex parte boni voliti, in regard of the thing willed; for he willeth the Gospel to be preached to some, and of these that heare the Gospel he gives more grace; yea more grace actu secundo, efficaciously effectuall, and denies both to other Nations and people, and with this distinction, he willeth, and willeth not; equally, ex aequo, the salvation of all. But this is Petitio principii, the disparitie of favours bestowed on persons and Nations, doe argue in Scripture disparitie of good-wills in the Lord; as because God sent his Law and Testimonies to Israel and Jaakob, and dealt not so with every nation, Psal. 147.19, 20. Every Page almost in the old Testament, and the Lords Spirit, and all Divines argue, that the Lord chose Israel, and loved them and saved them, and with a higher and more peculiar love, as his chosen people, then he loved all the Nations, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 132.12.13.14. Psal. 135.3, 4. Because he bestowed on them the meanes of salvation; his Law and his Testimonies which he denyed to the Nations, then the Nations were not his beloved and chosen ones.

10. That will of God, called voluntas signi, the revealed will of God, that precepts, promises, and threatnings hold forth, doe not expresse to us the decree, intention and purpose of God, that he willeth the thing commanded to be, but onelyonly that hee approves of the thing commanded, as just and good, whether it be, or be not, what ever the event bee: then Gods revealed will is no more formally, but his approbation of the morall goodnesse and obedience, of elect and reprobate, whether they obey, or not.

11. These that Christ offered his body for, as a Priest, for these as a Priest he intercedes and prayes; for these two cannot be separated; but he prayes not for all, not for the world, Joh. 17.9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world.

12. These for whom Christ is a Priest to offer his body, for them, he is a King to make them Kings, and to save th…m, and a Prophet to teach them; but he is not King and Prophet to any but to his people, kingdome, conquest, disciples, seed, children, subjects.

13. These that Christ dyed for cannot be condemned, Rom, p. 4198.33, 34. but are chosen, and cannot be impeached; but the reprobate can be condemned and impeached.

14. Those whom God wills to save, and whom he redeemed, to these hee willed the meanes of salvation; but he wills not the meanes, nor that the Gospel bee preached to the Gentiles, Matth. 10.5. Nor to Asia, nor Bithynia, Acts 16.6, 7.

15. All that Christ dyed for, are justified and reconciled by his death, and shall much more be saved by his life, Rom. 5.9. 1 Joh. 1.7. And God requireth not one debt twice; if Christ sustained the person of all the el…cted, as hee dyed for his friends, Joh. 15.13. for his Sheep, Joh. 10.11. For his Church, Ephes. 5.25. For many, Mat. 20.28. For his enemies, Rom. 5.10. For the ungodly, and unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. For his brethren, Hebr. 2. 1 Joh. 3.16. and not for their good onelyonly, so as they might all and every one have perished eternally, that Christ dyed for; then cannot they dye eternally, for then Christ should first have payed their debt, and they must pay for that debt over againe, eternally in hell; then might Christ be a Redeemer, a King, a Priest, a Husband, a Saviour, and head, and have no ransomed ones, no subjects, no Israel that he interceds for, and offers his soule, no Spouse, no saved people, no memhers, no Church.

Artic. 4. Places of Scripture seeming to favour universall attonement, vindicated.

For the fourth particular, and the clearing of places alledged; We are 1. to consider if the place John 3.16. prove any thing against us. 2. If all men, and all the world that are said to be redeemed, be concludent against us. 3. There be some particular places to be considered.

1. The word foreign, World, must bee a figurative speach, the whole for the part, otherwise in its latitude it comprehends the Angels, Acts 17.24. Rom. 3.6. 1 Cor. 6.2. Rom. 1.20. Joh. 17.5. Now its certaine, God hath not so loved Angels, good and bad, that he hath given his onelyonly begotten Sonne for them, Hebr. 2.16. therefore it must sometime signifie, a great part of the world; as John 12.19. The world goes after him. 1 Ioh. 5.19. Yhe whole world lyes in evill; The Adversary yeeldeth, that the (world) here, is not all, and every one of mankind, without exception. I deny not but it signifieth so, Rom. p. 4203.13. That all the world may become guilty before God. But the Arminians take on them a hard taske, duram proviciam; to prove that it is so taken here. For 1. the word foreign, God so loved the world, is the highest love that ever was, above Gods love to the Angels, The place, Ioh 3.16. favours not universall Redemption.John 3:16Heb. 2.16. So God must carry the most superlative love; that is, then which there is none greater, Iohn 15.13. Such a love as is manifested to us, to the beloved Iohn the Apostle, and all the Saints, 1 Ioh. 49. to Cain, Iudas, and all the heathen; and God love giving his Sonne, differenceth men from Angels, but not one man from another; the contrary of which Paul saith, Gal. 2.20 and must Paul say no more? Who loved me, and gave himselfe for me, then Iudas, Pharaoh, all the lost heathen, who never heard of Christ, can, and may say? beleeve it who will, it sounds not like Christs love.

2. They have two sorts of love in Christs dying for men, to make out two Redemptions, one generall, one potentiall, or halfe a Redemption; where life is purchased, never applyed, standing with the eternall destruction of the greatest part of mankind; another speciall, in which men are Redeemed from sinne, preached to few, applyed to farre fewer.

3. Two Reconciliations; two non-imputations of sinne; one 2 Cor 5. another Rom. 4. and so two justifications; one Rom 5. and two blessednesses, and two salvations, or deliveries from wrath, and the curse of the Law.

4. This giving love, with which God must give all other things, faith, the Gospel, Rom. 8.32. must bee bestowed on heathen that never heard such a thing.

5. God by this must intend life eternall, as an end to all the heathen; Faith as a meane, which are clearely intended to this loved world; and yet God forbids Paul and his Apostles to preach the word of faith to them, Acts 16.6, 7. Math. 10.5. and contrives businesses so, that the hearing of the word of faith, and of this highest love, and rarest gift, and given Redeemer, shall be simply unpossible to them.

The loved world cannot mean all and every individuall person of the world.6. Therefore better by the (World) understand the elect of Jewes and Gentiles, opposed every where in the New Testament, to the narrow Church of Judea; the Gospel-world, the Messiahs-world, larger then the little world of Moses; yea, all Nations, Math. 28.19. Every creature, that is most of p. 421all the Nations, Mark. 16.15. all the world, the hearing world, almost all the Nations Colloss. 1.6. sure not every individuall person; as they would have this loved world to include.

Ob. But foreign that every one that beleeves &c. these words, limit, and draw narrow the world, and so divides it in beleevers, and not beleevers, and by your exposition, some of the elect world beleeves, and are saved; some beleeves not, and perishes, which is absurd; therefore the (world) must bee comprehensive of all, elect, and reprobate.

An…w. 1. I shall deny that foreign whosoever, is here a distributive or dividing particle:Whosoever, or everyone foreign …oldeth not forth a d…strubation ever. If hee had said foreign or foreign as Gal. 5.4. 1 Cor. 11.27. There had been some colour for this; but I deny that foreign or foreign all must bee restrictive here, more then. 2 Thess. 2.11.12. God gave them over to the efficacie of error to beleeve a lie, that foreign that all those might bee damned, that beleeve not the truth; but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse. It follows not that foreign here, that all or who ever beleeve not the truth; should bee fewer in number then those that are given over to the efficacie of error: yea, the number of the one and the other is equall, so Ioh. 5.22. Th… Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne. vers. 23. foreign that all men should honour the Sonne, as they honour the Father who sent him. I see no ground to say, that some may honour the Father, and bee raised from the dead and quickened, as ver. 21. who doe not honour the Sonne. And therefore it ought not to bee translated, God so loved the world, &c. That whosoever beleeves should not perish; but farre more agreeably to the originall, God so loved the world, that every one beleeving should not perish: as in multitude of places it is translated, unusquisque, non quicunque; and therefore faith is not set downe here so much ad modum conditionis, as ad modum medi…, as a condition, as a meanes to bring this loved world to glory: as if yee would say, hee so loveth letters, as all learned are dear to him;See Amesius in his Anti-synodala. so God so loved his chosen world, that he gave his Sonne to die for them, (now this love is eternall) that all these beleeving in their own time, might never bee lost, but have eternall life. Nor can Arminians take the world (world) for all and every one of mankinde, for they exclude all infants dying so, as uncapable of faith; and they say these words containe Gods speciall decree of election, p. 422and reprobation; to wit, Ioh. 3.16. God decreed to save all that beleeve, and God decreed all that beleeve not should perish. Now from Election, and Reprobation, they exclude all the Heathen, and all their infants, and all infants whatsoever, and such as never heard the Gospel: so I feare they make as narrow a world here; as wee doe, let them see to it: Whereas Arminians say that the word world, never signifieth in Scripture the elect onelyonly; what then? Let mee answer. 1. Their world of elect and reprobate, excluding the best part of mankinde, all infants, all that never heard the Gospel; sure is not in the Scripture, nor speaks it of such a world. 2. This is a begging of the question, for Ioh. 1.29. The world whose sins the Lambe of God takes away; the Reconciled world to whom the Lord imputes no sinne foreign,One elect worldu Script…re. its the same word that is ascribed to Abrahams beleeving, Rom. 4.3. vers. 4.5. And that David speakes of Psal. 32.2. Rom. 4.6. The imputing of righteousnesse, and of Faith to righteousnesse; that in which blessednesse coming through Christ consisteth, Rom. 4.8, 9, 10, 11. This world is the onelyonly beleeving elect world, the loved world Joh. 3.16. the world saved, vers. 17. the world of which Christ is Saviour, Ioh. 4.42. the world that Christ giveth his life unto, Ioh. 6.33. and for whose life, he giveth his life, v. 55. the world of which Abraham; but much more, Christ is heire, Rom. 4.13. The reconciled world, occasioned by the Iews falling off Christ, Rom. 11.15. all these are the elect beleeving, and Redeemed world, this they can never disprove.

The other ground of our answer to all the places on the contrary, is that the word foreign, and foreign; Christ died for all: doth never signifie all and every one of mankinde, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: But is as all Divines say, to be expounded according to the subject in hand, secundum materiam substratam.

The 1. rule for expounding the particle allHence our 1. Rule, All; often signifieth, the most part, Marke 1.64. foreign they all condemned him to bee guilty of death foreign, the whole counsell, Matth. 26.59. yet Joseph of Arimathea, consented not to his death, Luke 23.51. and the flood destroyed foreign them all Luke 17.27. yet eight persons were saved; so all Judah, Jer. 13.19. foreign was carried into p. 423captivity, foreign All is often the same with many, all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered to thee, foreign that is many, and Gen. 41. foreign and all the land came to Egypt, when the matter beares a clear exception, and other Scriptures expound it; then sure Christs dying for all, must bee expounded for his giving himselfe a ransome for many. Matth. 20.28. compared with 1. Tim. 2.6. foreign is here, and there foreign,Omnes videntur sacere (vel pat…) quod … major p…s. Pande…t § quod major. So the Law saith all doe that which the most part doe; mens will doth not limit what God speaks, but let the text it selfe be diligently considered, Exod. 9.6. All the castle of Egypt died, that was in the field. Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all, capable of a ransome; Arminians say that the finally obdured, those that sinne against the Holy Ghost, and infants of Heathen, or any dying infants, cannot bee ransomed by Christ, Exod. 32.26. All the sonnes of Levi came to Moses; not all without exception. Many adhered to Aaron in his idolatry, v. 29. Deut. 33.9. so Matt. 3.5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the countrey near to Jordan. Now this signification being applyed to our use, Christ giving himselfe a ransome for all men, his dying for all, can bee no larger then the saving of all, the beleeving of all flesh, and the blessing of all nations in Christ; but Gen. 18.18. all in him foreign all the nations of the earth shall be blessed Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed, the whole world that John saith Christ is a propitiation for, 1 Joh. 2.1. cannot be larger then this; now this cannot carry any tollerable sense,Arminians have as good reason to say all, and every one are saved, and eternally glorif…ed in Christ, a… all and every one are Redeemed in him. that all and every man of the Nations are actually blessed in Christ, more then all and every one are redeemed, reconciled, received in favour, within the Covenant of Grace: And therefore Arminians have as good reason from foreign and foreign, all that are said to bee ransomed, are all actually saved; and hell shall bee empty and to no purpose, as to contend for a universall Redemption. As a wicked pamphlet printed of late faith, all the Creation of God, Men, and Angels are redeemed, and shall at length bee saved in Christ. Now we can undenyably prove, that all and every Nation, and all and every man descended of Abraham, are not blessed in Christ. (1.) Rom. p. 4249.7. Because they that are the seed of Abraham, they are not all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. v. 8. They which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Now Christ hath a spirituall seed of a more narrow compasse, then all the Nations of the earth. Isaiah 53.10. He shall see his seed. Christ marrieth not with the cursed seed, and many Nations such as for many Generations never heard of Christ, are under the Law and under a curse; but the Nations are blessed, and all Nations (say they) quantum ad Deum, in Gods intention, in the Covenant of Grace that God made with all the Nations, if they would embrace and receive Christ, but that they are not actually blessed, fully redeemed, and saved in Christ is their fault.

Ans. The Scripture expounds Scripture better then Arminians, and the Apostle Hebr. 6. resolveth us that All the Nations of the earth, v. 17. are the heires of promise, those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them, who have anchored their soules by hope within the vail, and hath Jesus for their forerunner, v. 17, 18, 19, 20. 2. He expounds the blessing of Abraham and of his seed, not of any conditionall and far-off intention of God, but of Gods actuall blessing of Abraham and his spirituall seed whom the Lord multiplied, v. 14. Nor was it ever fulfilled in all the Nations of the earth, they were never heires of the promise; our Exposition is made good, and by it the promise and oath of God fullfilled, and his Covenant accomplished; not by the Arminian glosse. 3. Paul expoundeth Abrahams seed, Gal. 3.16. to be Christ and his seed, Rom. 11.26. So all Israel shall be saved. This was the Israel to whom the Covenant by oath and promise was made. For the Redeemer shall come out of Zion, and shall turne away ungodlinesse from Iacob. 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Acts 4.33. Great grace was on them all, yet not on Ananias and Saphira who were of that visible number, Isai. 40.5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it, Psal. 86.9. All Nations whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, and shall glorifie thy Name, O Lord: That is expounded, Isa. 2.1. All Nations shall flow to the mountain of the Lords house. What? All nations without exception? No, v. 2. p. 425Many people shall say, Come yee, and let us goe to the mountain of the Lords House, Hag. 2.7. And the desire of all Nations shall come; did all Nations quantum in se, so farre as lay in them desire Christ? no such thing.

2. All skilled in the Mother languages, and all Divines say that the Particle Ali is taken pro singulis generum, vel pro generibus singulorum; all and every one of kinds, and for the kinds of all, though not absolutely excluding any kind.

1. The word All is, in materià necessarià, in a necessary matter, taken for all, and every one. God made all Nations of one blood, Acts 17.26. He knowes the hearts of all men, Acts 1.24. Rom. 3.12. All have sinned, Rom. 5.12. 2 Cor. 5.10. 1 Tim. 4.10. Jam. 1.5. Phil. 2.10, 11.

2. All without exclusion of particular men, in a contingent matter is sometime so taken, Matth. 26.33. Though all be offended, Luke 6.26. Rev. 4.26.

3. When all is spoken of Gods works for men, or in men, especially works of meer grace opposite to mens works: All men, then is not taken in the largest sense, as M. Moor imagines: So our Text; I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me, cannot be meant of all men without exception. 1. Because its a clear restriction of calling of multitudes, under the Messiahs Kingdome after his death, and cannot but speak against an universall drawing in the times of the Old Testament. 2. Christ drawes not all to himself by the Gospel, because thousands hear not of him; not virtually, for we read of no calling or drawing of Christ, lifted up on the Crosse, and crucified by the works of Nature: So God blesseth all Nations, not all and every one; God saveth all Israel, and turneth away iniquity from Jacob, and forgiveth the sins of Israel; and God only saveth, and only pardoneth beleevers. But will M^r. Moor say, God saveth and pardoneth all, and every man in Israel?

Rule 3. There is hence a third Rule, that many is placed for all the elect, as Matth. 10.28. He gave himselfe a ransome for many. Mark. 14.14. This is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many, as Rom. 5.15. Through the offence of one, many were dead, that is, all were dead: So the sheep of Christ, Joh. 10.11. the scattered sons of God, Joh. 11.52. His people, p. 426Matth. 1.21. His brethren, Hebr. 2. That he died, for, must be exclusive of those that are not his sheep, not his brethren, not his people, not the Sons of God. When there is mention of a singular priviledge bestowed on friends, whom Christ is to make friends, Ioh. 15.13. though it be bestowed on them in regard of their present ill deserving, when they are enemies, Rom. 5.10. sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. lost, Luke 19.10. As the necessity of the prerogative of redemption and ransome of free grace cleareth; As, In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. Paul expoundeth it exclusively in thy seed only, Gal. 3.16. So Deut. 10.20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him. Christ expoundeth it, Luke 4.8. exclusively, Thou shalt serve only the Lord, because its the prerogative of God, to be worshipped, as its a prerogative of grace, to be the ransomed and redeemed of God, Deut. 21.8. and 7.8. Exod▪ 15.15. Luke 1.68. Gal. 3.13. 1 Pet, 1.18. Revel. 5.9. and Revel. 14.4. Isai. 1.24. and 44.23. and 35.10. and 51.10. Jer. 31.1…. and the manner of Christs dying in regard of application is exclusive by confession of party, and as is clear, Luke 2.11. and 1.68, 69, 70. Luke 2.30, 31. Heb. 2.17. Rom. 8.34. Revel. 5.9.

Rule 4. In the matter of our Redemption, especially in the New Testament, and prophecies of the Old of the same subject, Christ died for all pro generibus singulorum, for men of all Nations, some of all kinds. 1. Because God speakes so of our salvation, as Io…l▪ 3.28. which was fulfilled, Acts 2.17. And it shall come to passe in the last daies, (saith God) I will poure out my Spirit on all flesh; that is, people of all Nations, as v. 9. Parthians, and Medes and Elamites▪ and the dwellers in Mesopotamia▪ and Judea, Cappado…ia, &c. And of all Sexes, v. 17. Sons and daughters. Of all ages, …ong and old ▪ All conditions, servants and handmaids. Verse 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jewes, devout men, out of every Nation under heaven; nor will this include all and every Nation without exception. Erasmus would aske of those that will not admit an Hyperbole in Scripture, if there were English and Scots there. Ye tithe every herbe, that is, Herbs of all kinds. Luke 11.42. Christ cured every disease, Matth. 4. p. 42723. Yee shall eat of every tree of the garden, Gen. 2.16. foreign all his masters goods are in his hand foreign Gen. 24.10. Now thus God will have all to be saved, and Christ is the Mediator of all men, 1 Tim. 2. which is not to be understood of all and every man, but of Kings and low men, and all conditions of men; the word foreign; is thrice used in the Text. 1. We are no where, but in this place only commanded to pray for all men, but if for the eternall salvation of all and every one without exception, is the doubt. You shall not finde a warrant in the Word to pray that all mankinde may be saved absolutely, for God hath revealed in his Word, that he hath decrees of Election and Reprobation of men. 2. And hath expresly forbidden to pray for their salvation, that sinne to death, 1 Iohn 5.16. And what Faith have we to pray for such; for the salvation of Magistrates in that notion only we may pray; for the peace of Babylon, The pla… 1 Tim. …. God will have all men to be saved, He gave himselfe a ransome for all men, discussed.and for peace of Heathen Princes, the Church being under them. 3. God will have all men to be saved, no other waies then he will have all to come to the knowledge of the truth, that is, of the Gospel. Now how he will have all men without exception to come to the knowledge of the Gospel, since this natural Antecedent and conditionall will to save all was in God toward the fallen Angels and the Gentiles in the time of the Old Testament, when the Law of God and his will touching salvation, through the Messiah to come was only revealed to the Jewes, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 1 47.19, 20. Let Arminians see, for sure the Gospel is not, and hath never been preached to all and every rationall creature, and to all men, yet he wills all men (by Arminians grounds) to come to the knowledge of the Gospel. Now we know not how God who hath this naturall will eternally in him, as they say, willeth the heathens to come …o the knowledge of the Gospel, except he send Apostles with the miraculous gift of tongues, to them to preach in their language. 4. He instances in a specie of the all he spoke of v. 1. in Magistrates though Heathen. Thanksgiving here for all and every man must also be commanded as well as prayer, even for Julian and the greatest scourges and bloody Scorpions, that lay heaviest stripes on the back of the Church; Sure we have no faith to beleeve this in reference to their salvation.

p. 4285. Paul must here speak of the Lords effectuall will, whom he saveth,The place 2. Pet. 3.9. The Lord will have no…e to perish, &…, opened.2 Pet 3:9 and will have to be saved, and to heare the Gospel, they must be saved. So the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3.9. (8.) The Lord is long-suffering, foreign, to us, willing none (of us to whom he is long-suffering) to perish, but will have all us, to whom hee extendeth this long-suffering, to come to repentance. For he gives a reason why the day of judgement comes not so quickly, but is so delayed, that lustfull men scoffes at it; because God waites till all the elect be gathered in; they should perish, and should not come to the knowledge of the truth, if the Lord should hasten that day, as Matth. 24. For the Elects sake, the ill daies are shortned, not for the reprobate. So to this ransome, Paul vers. 7. is appointed a Preacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth; this must be the Gentiles that beleeve and come to the knowledg of the truth; nor did Paul beare this testimony to all, and every one of the Gentiles, yet Arminians say, God will have all and every one of Jewes and Gentiles saved and ransomed; as also he restricts the peaceable and godly life to the Church, taking in himselfe, foreign, &c. that we may lead, &c.

6. His reason; There is one God; so much as of all orders in the Christian Church, there is one God: the King and Magistrate, as touching his office hath not one God, and the poore another God, Calvin. Cō ment▪ in loc. …e.the Jewes have not one God, and these I preach to, the Gentiles vers. 7. another; the husband hath not one God, and the wife another: for these three orders. Magistrats, and these that are under them, Jewes, Gentiles, Husband, Wives, are in the Text; and if that poore argument of Master Moores had bloud or nerves, because there is one God; and because he names foreign, Men, therefore God will save all, and the Ransome must be as wide and spacious as the reason, God is God to all, and every one, and all and every man is a man; it may prove that these that blaspheme and sinne to death; these of Bythinia, and Samaria, and all the Gentiles, that the Lord wincked at, and did not invite to repentance, Act. 14.17. they left off to be men; and God was not a God in relation to them, as to the worke of his hands; for sure God is not in covenant with all and every one of mankind, for thousands that are men, are without the covenant. I demand of this universall will of God, to save all and every one, and p. 429the ransome for all and every one, was it ever heard off, in one letter in the Old Testament, except, by prophecying what was to be under the New? Never. Now was there not one God, and one Mediator, in the Old, as in the New? And naturall and universall desires and wils in God, to save men as men, and that God should save men as one God, doe not rise and fall in God; but sure his will called his command, and revealed in the Gospel is larger under the Gospel, nor it was before the Messiahs time; otherwise God no otherwise willed all men to be saved, amongst the Jewes, as their God, in covenant with them, then hee willed all the Gentiles, and every man of the heathen to be saved, which contradicts Old and New Testament broadly; for in the time of the Old Testament, God willed not, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Philistims, Egyptians, to come to the knowledge of the truth, and Gospel, 2 Sam. 7.23. Deut. 4.34. Psalm. 147.19.

7. God no more wills all, and every man to be saved, and come to beleeve; so they will all, and every one beleeve; then he wills all and every one to bee damned; so they beleeve not and refuse the Gospel: the one will is as universall as the other.

8. It is no justice, that the ransome should be payd for all, and every one,A…l the ra… somed are saved. and the captives remaine in prison eternally; its against the law, Exod. 21.…0. Exod. 30.12, 15. Yee the Lords Ransomed, Esai. 35.9, 10. Must obtaine everlasting joy in Sion. Esai. 51.10, 11. They shall obtaine joy and gladnesse, and sorrow and mourning shall flie away; And Hos. 13.14. 1 Cor. 15.54. They are ransomed from the grave. Let them find in all the Old or New Testament, any ransomed of the Lord, and ransomed from the grave, cast in outer darknes, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; they are redeemed from all iniquity, purified as a peculiar people, Tit. 2.14. 1 Pet. 1.18. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet. 2.24.

9. This ransome is to be testified in due time, or as 1 Pet. 1.20, 21. was manifest in these last last times, foreign; For you (the elect of God) that beleeve by him.

Rule 5. foreign, or foreign, is undeniably expounded of all that are saved only, and is restrictive;Rule. 5. such a Physitian cured all the Citie; that is, no man is cured but by him. Ex. 28.…4 Jethro saith p. 430to Moses, What is this that thou doest? thou sittest alone. foreign and all the people stand by thee, from morning till evening, (for judgement:) the scope of Jethro is to condemne Moses, Christ saves and redeemes all, because none are saved and redeemed but by him.in wearing out his Spirit, and taking the burthen of judging all the people himself alone, Num 11.13. and his words beare not, that all the people without exception came for judgement, that had beene unpossible; but because there was then no other Judge, but Moses; the sense is cleare, all that were to be judged, they were to be judged by no other, but by Moses onelyonly. Revel. 13.8. And all that dwell in the earth worshipped the beast, that is, all seduced to Popish Idolatry, were seduced by the beastly Vicar of Christ, and his limbes. Joh. 11.48. If we let him alone, all will beleeve in him; that is, none will beleeve in us, nor follow us; and all seduced men, shall be seduced by him. Joh. 3.26. Johns disciples a little emulous, that Christ drew all the water from their Masters Mill; say, Behold he baptizeth, and foreign, all men come to him; that is, there be now no comers, nor followers of men, but such as follow this Jesus. That Christ in this sense should be the Saviour of all men, that he should have a negative voice in the salvation of all, that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands, is no other thing then Peter saith, Act. 4.11. That there is no other Name under heaven, by which men may be saved, and none comes to the Father, but by him, Joh. 14.6. then all that come to God, come by him only. Christ is the heire of blessings, and in him all the kindreds of the earth are blessed, Act. 3.25. but it follows as well all, and every mortal man, are glorified, as redeemed, by this Logick; Out of his fulnesse, we All, foreign, all that receive, doe receive from him, Joh. 1.16.

The common nature of man proves not Christ to redeeme all, and every one.Upon this is grounded the common nature of all that Christ assumed, that no man should be saved, but by a man. Hence (say Arminians) Looke how far the nature of man extendes the ransome extendeth as farre: But (saith Master Moore) the nature is common to Adams Sonnes, all, and every one, as Men contra-distinguished from Angels, Hebr. 29, 16. But there is a wide difference between the fitnesse and aptitude that man should dye for man,Vniversality of free grace, cap 1…. pag 63.64.65. not an Angel for a man, and the intention and good will of God, that Christ should either take on him the nature of man to die for mankind, rather then for Angel-kind, Heb. 2.16. And why he should dye for this man, Peter, or p. 431John, not that man Pharaoh or Judas; the reason of the former was the infinite wisdome of God, seeing a cong…uity of justice in it, that the nature that sinnes should suffer for sinne. Whether Christ having a soule of a spirituall nature as Angels, might have fitly beene a suffering Saviour for them, (which may be thought possible) is another question. But the reason of the other is onelyonly the grace of God, who could give a hire, or a price to Christ, to move him to die for you, and effectually, and savingly, by gifting you with faith, and not for another? All the Jesuits, Arminians, Papists, Socinians, for their selves if provoked, shall not answer, except there bee a Fountaine-will, that solveth all, touching Men and Angels, Hee hath mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will: and who hath giv…n to him first, and it shall be recompenced? And with as good reason; Because Christ is glorifyed at the right hand of God, in mans nature, common to all Adams sons, may they inferre, that all, and every man, is risen againe from the dead with Christ. As Col. 3.1, 2. and all, and every man, is set with Christ in heavenly places, Ephes. 2.6. and so all and every man must be glorified with Christ. For as Christ dyed, in a nature common to all men; so in a nature common to all, he rose againe, ascended to heaven, is glorified at the right hand of God. But the truth is, Christ assumed that nature that is common to all men, but not as common to all men, but as the seed of Abraham, Hebr. 2.16. as the flesh and bloud of the children, vers. 14. of his brethren, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, that are, or were to be borne againe.

And it is true, Jesus. Hebr. 2.9. is made a little lower then the Angels. The place Heb. 2.9. He tasted death for every man opened.Heb 2:9I hope the comparison is not with all and every one of the Angels: he was never made a little lower then all Angels, even evill Angels. Nor (….) hath hee tasted of death for every man; that is, for all and every sonne of Adam. 1. We know no grace as common to all and every one of Adams sons, as nature. 2. Because the Scripture makes nature, wrath, sin, death, common to all. Rom. 5.14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Rom. 3.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Job 14.4. Psal. 51.5. Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3. Hebr. 9.27. But for grace, the word of the covenant, a covenant of grace, Reconciliation into grace and favour with God; justification, we know no such things common p. 432to all, and every one of Adams sonnes; for then all must be borne, the covenanted, justified, reconciled, beloved with the greatest love that is, Joh. 15.13. ransomed, redeemed, in Christs bloud, a people, neere in the beloved, chosen as peculiar to God, as well as heires of wrath. (2) That some sinnes against the first covenant are taken away in Christ, and not all, as 1 Joh. 1.8. or some halfe-redeemed in Christs bloud, not wholly, we know not. (3) That Christ should taste death for all, it being as good, as if all in person had not onelyonly sipped, but drunken death out to the bottome, and yet that the greatest part must drinke death to the bottome againe, is no Gospel-truth. (4) Nor is the Apostles argument of weight, to exalt Christ, as he entendeth, Hebr. 2. to say, Christ so tasted death for all; as all and every one, notwithstanding many never have, either saving faith, or fruit of his death, but eternally perish: whereas cleare it is, that these foreign, all that he dyed for are the many sonnes he actually brings to glory, vers. 10. these who are one with him, as the Sanctifyer Christ, and the Sanctified, vers. 11. His brethren, whom he is not ashamed to owne, vers. 11. the Church, vers. 12. the children that God hath given him, vers. 13. the children partakers of flesh and bloud. vers. 14. these for whom he through death, which he tasted for all, and for whom he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devill; if the devill reigne in the sonnes of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. If they be borne of the devill, Joh. 8.44. Taken captives at his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. Let Arminians see how Christ by tasting death for them, as they phancie, Hebr. 2.9. hath for them by death, Destroyed the Devill. vers. 14. Loosed his works, 1 Ioh. 3.8. Triumphed over devils, Col. 2.15. Iudged and cast out the devil, Ioh. 12.31. Ioh. 14.30. Yea, these all, these are delivered from bondage of death, Heb. 2.15. The seed of Abraham, vers. 16. His brethren that he is made like to in all things, except sinne. Hebr. 2.17. His people, vers. 17. The tempted that Christ succoureth, vers. 18. I defie any Divine to make sense of that Chapter, as Arminians expound, tasting of death for all men.

And the second Adam must come short of the first Adam, Rom. 5. by the Arminian exposition;The place, Rom. 5 disc…ss…d.Rom 5 and the comparison must bee as the leggs of a cripple, both here, and 1 Cor. 15. for by p. 433the first Adam many bee dead. What bee these many? All and every one of mankinde, that are the naturall heires coming forth of the loynes of the first Adam: Then who be the foreign, many to whom the grace of God hath abounded? vers. 15. sure the second Adam is no drie tree, no Eunuch; the Scripture saith, He hath a seed, Isai. 53.10. many sonnes, Heb. 2.10. children that God hath given him, that are for signes and wonders, Isai. 8.18. Heb. 2.13. a seed in covenant with God, Davids spirituall seed, who shall never fall away, Psal. 89.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Then as all the first Adams sonnes, and heires were through his offence dead; so all Christs spirituall seed, and heires, have grace communicated to them, ver. 15. this is farre from grace,Compare the heires of first Adam, and the heires of the second, and the place, Rom. 5. is for us much.Rom 5 abounding to all and every one of the heires of the first Adam; then as the first Adam killed none but heires naturally descended of him: so the second Adam derives grace, and the gift of life to none, but to his spirituall heirs; make an union by birth, between the first Adam and all his, and between the second Adam and all his; and stretch the comparison no farther then Paul, and let Arminians injoy their gaine by this Argument.

2. Vers. 16. Sinne and judgement to condemnation not intended onelyonly; but reall and efficacious came on all by the first Adam, for all that live, incurre sinne, and actuall condemnation by the first Adam; but the free gift is of many unto justification: then justification not intended onelyonly, which may never fall out, but reall, not virtuall, or potentiall, or conditionall, if their forefathers have not rejected the covenant; but efficacious and actuall, came upon all the heires, and seed,foreign. of the second Adam.

3. Paul compareth ver. 15. the offence foreign of one, the first sinne of Adam that came on all, with the justification foreign, from many offences. The justification spoken of here, which wee have in the second Adam, is not a pardon of sinne originall, and of a breach of the first covenant; so as we begin to sinne, and God reckons with us on a new score, but the justification here is from many offences, and the blood of Jesus, purges us from all sinnes. 1 Joh. 1.8. This justification runnes not up from the wombe, as the offence of Adam doth. For, 1. Where are there two justifications in Christs blood? 2. Where is there in Scripture a righteousnesse of all and every p. 434one, a justification in Christs blood, by nature or from the belly, and that of Turks, Indians, Americans, and their seed, and of all infants, in all the Scripture?

4. Vers. 17. By one mans offence there was a cruell King, Death the King of terrors, who hath a black scepter, set over all and every man without exception. Here we grant an universall King the first and second death; As when a Conqueror subdues a Land, he setteth over them a little King, a Lieutenant in his place: now the other part of the similitude, and the antitype is so much more, they that receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousnesse shall raigne, shall bee Kings in life (eternall) through one Jesus Christ. ver. 17. See the heirs and sonnes of the second Adam, are not all and every one of the mortall stocke of Adam, redeemed, reconciled, saved; but foreign, these that receive abundance of Grace, and of the gift of righteousnesse; onelyonly I appeale to the conscience of Arminians, if Turks, Jews, Tartarians, Americans, Indians, all Heathen, and all infants come in as foreign, and as these that for the present, are under the fat drops of the second Adam, and receive abundance of grace and righteousnesse. For their universall righteousnesse is poore and thin, and may bee augmented. 2. If they receive it conditionally, so they beleeve, then its not universall. 3. Then they are not foreign, all are not beleevers by nature, all are not by this, within the new covenant actually: They have but a farre off venture, and a cast off abundance of grace. Farther, Paul by this makes glory as well as grace universall, and all and every one must bee borne heires of Heaven; for Paul saith of the heires of the second Adam foreign: Here bee Kings for a King; there was one Catholique Tyrant Death, set over all men; But there bee here heires of the second Adam, made Kings of life and glory through Jesus Christ. ver. 18. If it bee said, its life conditionally, if they beleeve; consider then, if the second Adam bee not weaker then the first; the first indeclinably, really, without a misse transmitted death to all his; the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousand part of his; but as he misseth in the farre greatest part of his heires (if all mortall men be his heires) he may misse in all,Arminius Antiperkins. if free will so thinke good. Arminius saith, constare potuit integer fructus mortis, &c. The fruit of the p. 435second Adams death might stand intire, through all and every one of mankinde were damned; If this bee a potentiall justification: its good, its not Pauls justification, Rom. 8. Whom he justified, them hee also glorified, nor speaketh the Scripture of any such justification, but of such as makes the party justified, blessed, Rom. 4.6, 7. as hath faith joyned with it, Rom. 3.26. Rom. 5.1. as cleanseth us from all our sinnes. 1 Iohn 1.8. (5.) The Reconciled shall much more be saved, Rom. 5.10. they are friends, not enemies, (enemies and reconciled are opposed in the text) and then they cannot bee strangers, nor farre off; but built upon the foundation of the Prophets, and Apostles, who of enemies are reconciled, Ephes. 2. Col. 1.19.20. And so shall farre more bee saved, by the life of Christ; but all and every one of mankinde, shall not much more bee saved by the life of Christ, 6. There is an (all men) under condemnation, and an (all men) justified: Let any of common sense judge, if yee ought not in equity, to compare the Heires, Sonnes, Seed, of the first and second Adam together, and then let the two Alls runne on equall wheeles, and see what Arminians gaine by this; for if yee compare all in the loynes of the first Adam on the one side, with all in the loynes of the second, and yet never in the second Adam; but as great strangers to Christ, as those that are out of Christ, enemies, sonnes of the bondwoman, strangers to Christ, without God and Christ in the world; on the other side, the sides are unequall, and beside the holy Ghosts minde; except yee shew us a second birth, a communion supernaturall of justification, of free grace, of sonne-ship, of redemption of mercy, between Jesus Christ, and all and every one of mankinde, Heathens, Iews, Gentiles; This I feare must send all the Arminians in Europe to their Booke, to seeke what cannot bee found.The place 1 Cor. 15. in Christ all shall be made alive, cleared.1 Cor 15

And its as easie to answer, 1 Cor. 15. for as many in number as die in Adam, are not by that Text, made alive in the second Adam; for foreign all noteth not equality of number. But as the heires of the first Adam have death in heritage by him, so the heires of the second Adam have life by him, and all in each, noteth all of each quality, not of each number, for the all quickned by Christ, 1. Are the fallen asleep in Christ, that are not perished, verse 18. 2. The all, whose faith is not p. 436in vaine, and are not in their sins, v. 17. 3. The all that have not hope in this life only, but in the life to come, verse 19. 4. Such as are the first fruits, of the same kind of dead with Christ; for Christ and all his, are as one corn-field of wheat gathered into one barne, v. 23. 5. They are quickned with the same Spirit, that Christ was quickned withall, but in their own order, life cometh to the head first; and if Pauls mind be that Christ as Head and Redeemer raiseth all the Elect and Reprobate by this Text, then sure the Reprobate must be a part of the field whereof Christ is the first sheafe, else the Text shall not run; but for Pauls purpose it was enough to prove the resurrection of beleevers principally.

The place 1 Iohn 2.1, 2. cleared.1 John 2:11 John 2:2The place 1 Iohn 2.1. the world and the whole world, is the world that hath an Advocate established in heaven, for if we sin, we have an advocate, who is a propitiation not for us Iewes only to whom I write, but for the sins of the whole world both of Iewes and Gentiles, for the propitiation and the Advocation are of the same circumference, and sphear; else the Argument should be null; but the Advo…ation of our High Priest in the holy of holiest at the right hand of God is for the people of God, only Hebr. 9.24. for us, as the High Priest carried only the iniquity of the people of Israel, and their names engraven on his breast, for those for whom he hath purchased an eternall Redemption, with the sprinkling of blood to purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, v. 12, 13, 14. For those to whom he left peace in his Testament, and the promise of eternall inheritance, v. 15, 16, 17. And for those that look for Christs second appearing to salvation, and for those for whose faith he prayes, Luke 22.31, 32, 33. and for whom he prayeth the Father, that he may send the holy Spirit, Joh. 14.16, 17. and 16.7. For all these Christ doth as our High Priest Hebr. 9.10. intercede.

2. It is clear the persons cannot be so changed, if we sinne we have a propitiation; if we confesse, the blood of Iesus shall cleanse us from all sinnes: And by the sinnes of the whole world, he understands all that did, or should beleeve, of Iew or Gentile, Rom. 11.15. 2 Cor. 5.19. Joh. 1.29. and ….16. the whole world, loved, pardoned, reconciled, to whom sins are not impu…ed, and so blessed and justified, Psal. 32.1, 2, 3, 4. and wh…as the Apostle ascendeth, and not for our sins only, p. 437&c. it is not to extend propitiation, further then advocation, confession, knowing that we know him; that is, petitio principii, for John doth not conclude a comfort of Christs advocation, which is undeniably peculiar and proper only to those that have fellowship with the Father and Son, and have beleeved in the Word of life, are purged from all their sins, from a generall propitiation common to those that are eternally damned, and which may have its full and intire fruit, though all the world were eternally damned: It were a poor comfort to weak ones, who sin daily, and are liars, if they should say they have no sin, that there is no better salve in heaven for their sin, then such a one, as they may no lesse perish eternally having it, then Pharaoh, Cain, Iudas, it were better for them to want it, as have it.

2 Pet. 2.1. Some false Teachers deny the Lord that bought them, which is not so to be taken,The place 2 Pet 2.1. cleared.2 Pet 2:1 as if Christ had redeemed those from their vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. and from the present evill world, Gal, 1.4. for then he should have redeemed them from Apostacy, and the power of damnable heresies, which he did not, but in their profession they were bought, and so the Apostle more sharply convinceth them, for they were teachers in profession, but really wolves that devoured the flocke, but professed themselves to be Shepherds sent to seek the lost. 2. They were Hereticall Teachers, and brought in damnable Heresies, and therefore Christians and professed Christ to be their Lord; for if they had been without and open enemies, they could not bring in Heresies. 3. They did it covertly and privily, teaching and doing one thing, and professing another; they professed the Lord to be their Redeemer who bought them, but that they were Hypocrites is clear, verse 1. foreign they shall bring in heresies in the by, at a side, privily. 2. By reason of them the way of truth shall bee blasphemed; enemies shall speak ill of the Gospel, because these men professe the Redeemer who bought them, but yet they are covetous men, v. 3. (3.) They buy and sell you foreign with decked up and well kammed fair words. O our Redeemer that bought us, our Saviour! O free grace! O free Redemption! as Libertines now doe, and yet they that deny sanctification, deny Christ who in their profession bought them; and its ordinary for Scripture to affirme things of men as they speak and professe; as the Scripture calleth wolves, Prophets, Jer. 23. p. 438because they so professe themselves; Christ called Judas friend, but he was but a face friend, and a reall enemie, so Pharises are stiled by the Holy Ghost, Matth. 9.12, 13. whole and righteous, just persons that need no repentance, Luke 15.7. such as need not the Physician, Marke 2.17. because they are such only in their own conceit and vain opinion, not really; if any man say Christ bought these, in regard that by his death, he purchaseth a dominion over Elect and Reprobate, that all knees should bow to him, Men and Angels, Rom. 14.8, 9, &c. Isai. 45.2…. Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. Joh. 5.27. Acts 17.31. So that there is a difference between buying as conquerours, and buying from our vain conversation; I thinke it hath truth in it, Christ by his death hath acquired a dominion; but I much doubt, if in that sense Scripture say, Christ hath bought the Reprobate by his blood; for so by his blood he hath bought Angels, Devils, all things, and all knees in heaven and earth, and under the earth, for by his death and resurrection he hath acquired this dominion,1 Tim. 4 10. opened.1 Tim 4:10 Rom. 14. God is the Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. Its not spoken of Christ as Mediator, but of the living God the Saviour of all men, Psal. 106.8.10. Matth. 8.25. Nehem. 9, 27. Psal. 36.6. foreign is here, and the living God is given indefinitely to God as one with all the three, but God in Christ is specially the Saviour of beleevers. Other places for Universall grace, and the Apostacy of the Saints, I passe here.

Article 5.

The fifth Particular is touching the Faith required of the Elect, and of the Reprobate, within the visible Church: which ere I enter in, let this one necessary doctrine clearing that point much, be observed; That if Christ draw all men to him.

Doct. He must have a singular and speciall good will and liking to save sinners, in that strongly and seriously, he draweth all sorts of men to himselfe.

1. The promises and goodwill of Christ are not concluded or locked up,Christ hath a serious good will to save and draw sinners to himselfe. as touching the revealed damnation of any sort of persons; Christ is no ingrosser, and never loved to make a Monopoly of Grace; he sets down his will in positive comfortable positions, Ioh. 6.39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me, p. 439that of all which he hath given me, I should loose nothing, but raise it up at the last day. Joh. 5.24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he hath heareth my word and beleeveth in him that hath sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall never come to condemnation.

2. Christ had so good mind to save, That 1. He did not send only, but the King came in person, 1 Tim. 1.15.How low and near Christ came to save. Luke 19.10. The Son of man came to seeke and to save, &c. 2. He cryed not afar off, but came near hand to draw, he came so neer as within the reach of his arme to save us. 3. When a rope is cast downe to prisoners in a pit, if it come not within the compasse of their reach, and if it bee too farre for a short arme, it can doe no good for the helpe of the prisoner; therefore he came below us, and under all our infirmities, to put his shoulders under the lost sheep, Luke 15.5. Love must sweet, and stoop low to save.

3. Christs good will is held forth in as large termes, saving the Lords liberty of Election and Reprobation, as can be; and that in sixe wide expressions, that no man should complaine, Oh, I am a drie tree, because we are inclined to forge forced quarrels against the Lambe of God, as if he loved not us; and its an answer to those that naturally complain of absolute Election; As 1. The weakest are readiest to move doubts.

Object. 1. I am sinfull, and sinfully sicke, and I have jealousies of the Physitian.Doubts of those that our of weaknesse cannot beleive.

Ans. The Physitian came to force himselfe on the sick, Mat. 9.12, 13. sick of body, are often sick of mind, and passions of the soule rise with humours of the body; the sick are soon angry and jealous. Christ saith, he hath a tender soule for a sick sinner.

Object. 2. But I have little grace or goodnesse?

Ans. I, can ye have lesse (saith Christ) then a reed? its far below a Tree and a Cedar; and I will not break a reed, but a broken reed is out of hope, it cannot doe any more good, a reed is weak, but a broken reed, sure, can never grow: yea, but he cannot breake the bruised reed, but powres in oyle at the root of the broken reed, and makes it green and causeth it to blossome. So the fire or light in flaxe must be lesse then the fire in timber or wood; but he will not throw water on flaxe that hath fire, yea, nor on smoaking flaxe that seems to have fire, and hath but smoak.

p. 440Object. 3. A broken bone in a living man may be splinted and cured; but the heart is, ultimum moriens, the last thing of life; if it be broken, the man is gone; he dyes, when the last seat of life the heart is broken. Yea but saith Christ, I can bind u… the broken in heart, Esai. 61.1. Psal. 147.3.

Object. 4. If the man be dead and buried, then farewell he, there is an end, no more of him. Yea, but Christ 2 Cor. 1.9. Ioh. 5.25. raiseth the dead, and giveth life to drie bones, Ezech. …7.

2. Some feare they have nothing but an empty profession.To be …mongst vis…ble professors gives a faire h…nt of laying hold on Christ by faith.

Answ. Then the Scripture holdeth forth the promises to visible Saints, 2 Cor. 7.1. Can ye come in among the crowd of visible Saints? this is preached to all within the wide Gospel-Nett, and Christs visible court; Whosoever beleeveth, shall be saved, Joh. ….16. Rom. 10.9. Ioh. 5.24.

3. Say thou canst not come so neere as visible Professors, but thou art nothing but a Publican and a sinner, and that may be thought to be without Christs line of mercy. Yet 1. Tim. 1.15. This is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners. Bee what thou wilt, as unbeliefe estrangeth a sinner farre enough from Christ, thou maist claime bloud and kinne to a sinner; then Christ came to call sinners,How low down and to what generall tearmes, to take all in, the Gospel descendeth. 1. To indefinite termes of beleevers. 2. To larger, to sinners. 3 To visible Saints. 4. To men. 5. To most comprehensive of all. 6. To the world. and to save sinners, canst thou deny thy selfe to be a sinner.

4. Canst thou crowd in amongst the (We) that are the godly party; there is h…re roome for thee, not to cast off Christ, but that thou maist let out a warme looke, and halfe an hope thou maist bee one of his; the Gospel-grammar, is faire and sweet; art not thou amongst an (VsUs) that there may be hope. 1 Ioh. 4.9. In this was the love of God toward us, because God sent his onelyonly begotten Sonne into the world, that wee might live through him.

5. The Scripture casts out a longer rope yet, that thou mayest reach to Christ; art thou not a Man; if thou be not a sinner, nor a visible Saint, nor a bruised Reed; thou art one of mankinde; see the Gospel will not have thee to dispaire, or to foment and harbour strange, and far-off thoughts of Christ, Tit. 3.4. But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour, to man appeared—he saved us. 1 Tim. 2.3. God p. 441our Saviour will have foreign, all men to be saved.

6. The farthest from Christ, must be creatures that are nothing, but bits of the world; now the name World, is a 6frameder and a farther-off word, then the name of Man, or Sinners, its the farest off-word; for fallen Angels are members and citizens of the World, therefore the Gospel is preached to the World, Christ is brought in in the Gospel, as a World-lover; as if he were a whole World-Saviour, he takes away the sinnes of the world, Ioh. 1.29. He so loves the world, Joh. 3.16. He giveth his flesh for the life of the world, Joh. 6.51.

In this Grammar of the Holy Ghost, observe wee, by the way, for resoluton, the wisdome of God, in framing the words of the Gospel. It cannot be said that God loved all the world in Christ, his beloved, and all, and every sinner, and all the race of mankinde. Yet laying downe this ground, that God keepeth up in his minde, the secrets of Election and Reprobation, till he, in his owne time, be pleased to reveale them, the Lord hath framed the Gospel-offer of Christ in such indefinite words, and so generall (yet without all double dealing, lying, or equivocating, for his owne good pleasure is a rule both of his doings and speaches,How wisely the Gospel is contrived in giving to none ground to despaire, and taking in m…ny in Christs bosome.) As 1. seldome doth the Lord open Election and Reprobation to men, till they, by grace, or in the order of his justice, open both the one and the other, in their owne waies; and therefore he holdeth out the offer of Christ, so as none may cavell at the Gospel, or begin a plea with Christ. 2. Seldome doth the Gospel speake, who they be that are Elect, who Reprobate; yet doth the Gospel offer no ground of presuming on the one hand, or of despairing on the other. For if thou bee not a beleever, nor a weake reed, nor a Saint, yet thou ar… a sinner, if not that,Nota. thou art a man, if not that, thou art one of the world; and though the Affirmative conclude not; I am a sinner, I am a man, I am one of the world, but it followeth not, therefore I am elected to glory, or, Ergo, I am ransomed of the Lord. Yet the Negative, touching Reprobation, holdeth. I am a Sinner, I am of the World, I am a man; hence it followeth not, therefore I am a reprobate, and therefore I have warrant to refuse the promise, and Christ offered in the Gospel. It followeth well p. 442therefore, I must be humbled for sinne, and beleeve in Christ, there is roome left for all the Elect, that they have no ground of standing aloofe from Christ, (and the rest never come, and most willingly refuse to come) nor have the Reprobate ground to quarrell at the decrees of God, though they bee not chosen, yet they are called, as if they were chosen, and they have no cause to quarrell at conjectures, they have as faire a revealed warrant to beleeve, as the Elect have; they are men, sinners of the world, to whom Christ is offered, why refuse they him upon an unrevealed warrant?

4. The fourth ground of Christs good will to draw all men, is that Christ goeth as farre in the dispensation of free grace,Grace g…eth along with the most d…sperate sinners as sinners, as the chiefe of sinners; Grace journies all along, and can goe no further then Hell and Damnation, Luk. 19.10. The Sonne of man came to seeke, and to save that which is lost; as if Christ would say, is any man a sinner; (and who are not) and a lost sinner; see and behold, I am a Saviour for that man. Christ went as low downe to Hell, in the freedome of grace, to save, as Zacheus, in evill doing, to destroy: Mary Magdalen, went as farre on toward Hell, as seven Devils. Grace in Christ went as farre on, as to redeeme from seven Devils. Manasseh, as if he had intended to make sure worke of Hell, runnes on to empawnd soule and salvation, and gives himselfe to witchcraft; observing of times; to cause the streets of Hierusalem, runne with bloud, to all abominable idolatry: mercy in the Lord went as neere hell to save him. Paul goeth so farre on the mouth of the furnace, as to waste the Church of God, and foreign, Act. 8.3. to make heapes of dead men in the Church; and there came nothing out of his nostrils for breathing and respiration, Act. 9.1. but threatnings, that is ripe purposes of bloud; yea, murthering of the Saints came out of his mouth; with every word hee spoke, but Christs free-grace pursues him hard, and out-runnes him. Christs grace came as it were a step below Paul and saved him. 1 Tim. 1.14. And the grace of our Lord (saith he) was more, foreign.or over-abundant in me through faith and love. Jer. 3.1. And thou hast played the harlot with many companions, or lovers, yet returne to m… saith the Lord. Its here, as if Christs rich grace; and our extreme wickednesse should strive, who should descend to the lowest roome in Hell, the latter to destroy, the former to save; and here Christ defies p. 443the sinner, to be more wicked, then he can be gracious.

5. Christ in the Gospel, as a great Conquerour, sends out Writs signed under his Excellencies hand,The s…rr…w of Chr…sts …ove t…t w… come not to h…m. come and meet me, who will, and be saved, as farre as graced will can goe, as farre goeth the good will of the conquering Prince, R…vel. 22.17. Its much worthy of observation, how that sweet Evangelicke invitation is conceived, Esai. 55.1. Ho, every one that thirsts, foreign is alas, or ah, every one that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no silver, come buy, and eat: as if the Lord were grieved, and said, woe is me, alas that thirsty soules should die in their thirst, and will not come to the water of life, Christ, and drink gratis, freely, and live. For the Interjection, foreign Ho, is a marke of sorrowing; as Ah, or wo; every one that thirsts, Esai. 1.4. Ah sinnefull nation, or wo, foreign Ah omnis sitie… s…e. foreignforeign to the sinnefull nation. Vers. 24. Ah, I will ease me, or alas, foreign I will ease me of my adversaries, Jer. 22.18. They shall not say of Jehojachim, ho, or alas, or woe to my brother, ah, Sister; It expresseth two things, 1. A vehemencie, and a serious and unfamed ardencie of desire, that we doe what is our duty, and the concatenation of these two, extreamely desired of God, our comming to Christ, and our salvation: this morall connexion betweene faith and salvation, is desired of God with his will of approbation, complacency, and morall liking, without all dissimulation, most unfainedly; and whereas Arminians say, we make counterfeit, fained, and hypocriticall desires in God, they calumniate and cavill egregiously,What the revea…e… wi…l of God is. as their custome is. 2. The other thing expressed in these invitations, is a sort of dislike, griefe, or sorrow; (its a speach borrowed from man, for there is no disapointing of the Lords will, nor sorrow in him for the not fulfilling of it) or an earn…st nilling and hating dislike, that these two should not goe along, as approved efficatiously by us, to wit, the creatures obedience of Faith, and life eternall. God loveth, approveth the beleeving of Hierusalem, and of her children, as a morall duty, as the p. 444henne doth love to warme and nourish her chickens; and he hateth, with an exceeding and unfained dislike of improbation and hatred, their rebellious disobedience, and refusing to bee gathered: but there is no purpose, intention, or decree of God holden forth in these invitations called his revealed will, by which he saith, he intendeth and willeth that all he maketh the offer unto, shall obey and be saved. But its to bee observed, that the revealed will of God,Nota. holden forth to all, called voluntas signi, doth not hold forth formally, that God intendeth, decreeth, or purposeth in his eternall counsell, that any man shall actually obey, either elect or reprobate; it formally is the expression onelyonly of the good liking of that morall and duty-conjunction betweene the obedience of the creature, and the reward, but holdeth forth not any intention or decree of God, that any shall obey, or that all shall obey, or that none at all shall obey; and what Arminians say of Christs intention to die for all, and every one; and of the Lords intention and Catholike good will, to save all and every one; to wit, that these desires may be in God, though not any be saved at all, but all eternally perish, which maketh the Lords desires irrationall, unwise, and frustraneous, that we say with good reason of Gods good will, called voluntas signi, it might have its compleat and intire end and effect, though not any one of men or Angell obey, if there were not going along with this will of God, another will, and eternall decree and purpose in God, of working by free grace in some chosen ones, what the Lord willeth in his approving will; and another decree in the which the Lord purposeth to deny his saving grace, upon his absolute liberty to others, that being left to the hardnesse of their own hearts, they may freely disobey, and bee the sole Authors of their owne damnation. Now because Arminians deny any such two decrees in God, but assert onelyonly such as depend wholly in their fulfilling,A will to save all, th…t com…s short of the salvation …f all, it contrary to the Lords attributes. on the free will of Men and Angels, and all the decrees of God may be frustrated and disappointed by Men and Angels; as if the poore short-sighted creature, not the Soveraigne Creator were carver, and Lord of the decrees, and Master of worke in fulfilling of these counsels. Wee reject their Catholike intentions and decrees, to save and redeeme p. 445all and every one, which they vainely fancy to bee in God, as repugnant to his will, which is irrisistible, and cannot misse its end. 2. To his immutability, which cannot be compelled to take a second port, whereas hee cannot saile the first. 3. To his Omnipotencie, who cannot be resisted, 4. To his happinesse, who cannot come short of what his soule desires. 5. To his wisdome, who cannot ayme at an end, and desire it with his soule, and goe about it, by such meanes, as hee seeth shall bee utterly uneffectuall, and never produce his end, and not use these meanes, which hee knoweth may, and infallibly doth, produce the same end in others. Now this desire of approbation is an abundantly sufficient closing of the mouth, of such as stumble at the Gospel, being appointed thereunto, and an expression of Christs good liking to save sinners. Expressed in his borrowed wishes, Deut. 5.29. O that there were such a heart in them, The Lords wishes, exp…s…alations and crying, bold forth, how ea… nest hee is in drawing sinners to himselfe.that they would feare me, and keepe my commandements. Psal. 81.13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel walked in my waies. Which wish, as relating to disobeying Israel, is a Figure, or Metaphore borrowed from men, but otherwise sheweth how acceptable the duty is to God, how obligatory to the creature. 2. By the Lords expostulations, Ezek. 18.31 Why will yee dye, O house of Israel. Verse 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyes. 3. In the Lords crying to sinners. Prov. 1.20. Wisdome cries, shee uttereth her voice in the streets. The Word is to cry with strong shouting, either for ioy,foreign Psalm. 81.2. or sorrow, Lament. 2.19. which expresseth Christs desire to save sinners.