The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 3 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Arguments against the Vniversality of Redemption. The two first from the nature of the new Covenant, and the dispensation thereof.
THE first Argument may bee taken from the Nature § I of the Covenant of Grace, which was established, ratified, Arg. 1 and confirmed, in, and by the death of Christ, that was the Testament whereof He was the Testator, which was ratified in his death, and whence his bloud is called the bloud of the new Testament, Matth. 26. 28. Neither can any effects thereof be extended beyond the compasse of this Covenant; but now this Covenant was not made universally with all, but particularly onelyonly with some, and therefore those alone were intended in the benefits of the death of Christ. The assumption appeares, from the nature of the Covenant it selfe, described clearely Jerem. 31. 31, 32. I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the Covenant thet I made with their Fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand, to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, (which my Covenant they brake, though I was an Husband to them, saith the Lord.) And Hebrewes 8. 9, 10, 11. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, in the day that I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my Covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord: For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes, (saith the Lord) I will put my Lawes in their mind, and write them in their hearts, and will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all shal know me from the least to the greatest. Wherein, first, the condition of the Covenant is not said to be required, but it is absolutely promised; I will put my feare in their hearts: And this is the maine difference betweene the old Covenant of Workes, and the new one of Grace, that in that, the Lord did onelyonly require the fulfilling of the condition prescribed, but in this, he promiseth to effect it in them himselfe, with whom the Covenant is made. And without this spirituall efficacy, the truth is, the new Covenant would bee as weake and unprofitable for the end of a Covenant (the bringing of us and binding of us to God) as the old. For in what consisted the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse of the old Covenant for which God in his mercy abolished it? was it not in this, because by reason of sinne we were no way able to fulfill the condition thereof, Doe this and live! otherwise the connextion is still true, that he that doth these things shall live: and are we of our selves any way more able to fulfil the condition of the new covenant? is it not as easie, for a man by his owne strength to fulfill the whole Law, as to repent and savingly believe the promise of the Gospel? This then is one maine difference of these two Covenants, that the Lord did in the old onelyonly require the condition; now in the new, he will also effect it in all the federates, to whom this Covenant is extended. And if the Lord should onelyonly exact obedience required in the Covenant of us, and not worke and effect it also in us, the new Covenant would be a shew, to increase our misery, and not a serious imparting and communicating of grace and mercy. If then, this be the nature of the New-Testament, as appeares from the very words of it, and might abundantly bee proved, that the condition of the Covenant, shall certainly by free grace be wrought and accomplished in all that are taken into Covenant, then no more are in this covenant, than in whom those conditions of it are effected. But thus, as is apparent, it is not with all; for, all men have not faith, it it of the Elect of God. Therefore it is not made with all, nor is the compasse thereof to bee extended beyond the remnant that are according to Election. Yea every blessing of the new covenant being certainely common, and to be communicated to all the covenantees; either faith is none of them, or all must have it, if the covenant it self be generall. But some may say, that it is true, God promiseth to write his Law in our hearts, and put his feare in our inward parts; but it is upon condition: give me that condition & I will yeeld the cause, is it if they do beleeve? Nothing else can be Imagined; that is, if they have the Law written in their hearts, (as every one that beleeves hath) then God promiseth to write his Law in their hearts; is this probable, friends? is it likely? I cannot then be perswaded, that God hath made a covenant of grace with all, especially those who never heard word of covenant, grace, or condition of it; much lesse received grace for the fulfilling of the condition, without which the whole would bee altogether unprofitable and uselesse. The covenant is made with Adam, and hee is acquainted with it, Gen. 3. 15. renewed with Noah, and not hidden from him. Againe established with Abraham, accompanyed with a full and rich Declaration of the chiefe promises of it, Gen. 12. which is most certaine not to be effected towards all, as afterwards will appeare: yea that first distinction betweene the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent, is enough to overthrow the pretended universality of the covenant of grace; for who dares affirme that God entred into a covenant of grace with the seed of the Serpent? Most apparent then it is that the new covenant of grace, and the promises thereof, are all of them of distinguishing mercy, restrained to the people whom God did foreknow, and so not extended universally to all. Now the bloud of Jesus Christ, being the bloud of this covenant, and his oblation intended onelyonly for the procurement of the good things intended and promised thereby, for hee was the surety thereof, Hebrewes 7. 22. and of that onelyonly, it cannot bee conceived to have respect unto all, or any, but onelyonly those, that are intended in this covenant.
If the Lord intended that hee should, and by his death did § XI procure pardon of sin, and reconciliation with God, for all and Arg 2 every one to be actually enjoyed upon condition that they doe beleeve, then ought this good will and intention of God, with this purchase in their behalf, by Jesus Christ, to be made known to them, by the word, that they might believe, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. 10. 4, 15. For if these things be not made known and revealed to all, and every one, that is concerned in them, viz. to whom the Lord intends, and for whom he hath procured so great a good, then one of these things will follow: either first, that they may be saved without faith in, and the knowledge of Christ, (which they cannot have unlesse he be revealed to them) which is false, and proved so; or else secondly, that this good will of God, and this purchase made by Jesus Christ is plainly in vain, and frustrate in respect of them: yea a plain mocking of them, that will neither doe them any good to help them out of misery, nor serve the justice of God to leave them inexcusable, for what blame can redound to them, for not embracing and well using a benefit, which they never heard of in their lives? doth it become the wisdom of God to send Christ to dye for men, that they might be saved, and never cause these men to hear of any such thing, and yet to purpose and declare that unlesse they doe heare of it and beleeve it, they shall never be saved? What wiseman would pay a ransome for the delivery of those captives, which he is sure shall never come to the knowledge of any such payment made, and so never bee the better for it? Is it answerable to the goodnesse of God to deal thus with his poor creatures? to hold out towards them all in pretence, the most intense love imaginable, beyond all compare and illustration, as his love in sending his Son is set forth to be, and yet never let them know of any such thing, but in the end to damne them for not believing it? Is it answerable to the love and kindenesse of Christ to us, to assigne unto him at his death such a resolution as this: I will now by the oblation of my self, obtain for all and every one, peace and reconciliation with God, redemption and everlasting salvation, eternall glory in the high heavens, even for all these poore miserable wretched wormes, condemned Caitiffs, that every houre ought to expect the sentence of condemnation; and all these shall truely and really be communicated to them, if they will believe; but yet withall I will so order things, that innumberable soules shall never heare one word of all this that I have done for them, never be perswaded to believe, nor have the object of faith that is to be believed proposed to them: whereby they might indeed possibly partake of these things? Was this the minde and will, this the designe and purpose of our merciful high Priest? God forbid: it is all one as if a Prince should say and proclaime, that whereas there be a number of Captives held in sore bondage in such a place, and he hath a full treasure, he is resolved to redeeme them every one; so that every one of them shall come out of Prison that will thanke him for his good will; and in the mean time, never take care to let these poore captives know his minde and pleasure; and yet be fully assured, that unlesse hee effect it himselfe it will never bee done: would not this be conceived a vaine and ostentatious flourish, without any good intent indeed towards the poore captives? Or as if a Physitian should say, that hee hath a medicine that will cure all Diseases, and he intends to cure the diseases of all, but lets but very few know his minde, or any thing of his medicine, and yet is assured that without his relation, and particular information it will be knowne to very few, and shall he be supposed to desire, intend, or aime at the recovery of all? Now it is most cleare, from the Scripture and experience of all ages, both under the old dispensation of the covenant, and the new, that innumerable men, whole Nations, for a long season are passed by in the declaration of this mystery: the Lord doth not procure that it shall by any meanes in the least measure be made out to all; they heare not so much as a rumour or report of any such thing. Under the old Testament in Judah was God known, and his name was great in Israel, at Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling place at Sion. Psal. 76. He shewed his word unto Jacob, and his judgements unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with any Nation, and as for his judgements they have not known them, Psal. 147. 19. 20. Whence those appellations of the heathen and imprecations also, as Jer. 10. 25. Poure out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy Name; Of whom you have a full description. Ephes. 2. 12. Without Christ aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. And under the new Testament, though the Church have confirmed her cords, and strengthened her stakes, and many Nations are come in to the mountaine of the Lord; so many as to be called, all people, all nations, yea the world, the whole world in comparison of the small precinct of the Church of the Jewes, yet now also Scripture and experience doe make it cleare, that many are passed by, yea millions of soules, that never heare word of Christ, nor reconciliation by him, of which we can give no other reason; but, yea, oh Father because it seemed good to thee, Math. 11. 25. 26. For the Scripture, Acts 16. Yee have the holy Ghost expressely forbidding the Apostles to goe to sundry places with the word, but sending them another way, answerable to the former dispensation in some particulars, wherein he suffered all men to walke in their owne wayes, Act. 14. 16. And for experience, not to multiply particulers, do but aske any of our brethren who have been at any time in the Indyes and they will easily resolve yee in the truth thereof.
The exceptions against this argument are poore and § III frivolous, which we reserve for a reply: in brief, how is it, revealed to those thousands of the off-spring of Infidels, whom the Lord cuts off in their infancy, that they may not pester the world, persecute his Church, nor disturbe humane society? how to your Parents, of whom Paul affirmes, that by the work of God they might be lead to the knowledge of his eternall power and God-head, but that they should know any thing of redemption or a Redeemer was utterly impossible.