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<DATE>2010-07-23</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Mercies for Men.</P>
<P>Prepared in, and by Chri&s;t, even for &s;uch as neither know them, nor him.</P>
<P>Di&s;covered, that they might know, and enjoy them.</P>
<P>OR A Di&s;cour&s;e of the Intere&s;t there is for All men in, and by Chri&s;t in the end, and u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of the Beleevers peculiar Priviledges and Service.</P>
<P>In which is al&s;o &s;ome Information about that Service to which the Grace of God, <HI>that bringeth &s;alvation to All men,</HI> in&s;tructeth, and obligeth the Beleever for the good of them All, according to capa|city, and opportunity given him.</P>
<P>Likewi&s;e &s;ome directions for, and concerning Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates</P>
<P>In the opening &s;ome In&s;tructions ari&s;ing from the Apo&s;tles Exhortation to <HI>Timothy, 1 Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2.</P>
<P>Delivered in <HI>November</HI> 1653. at the Munday meetings at <HI>Black-Friers:</HI> And becau&s;e what then was &s;poken, met with &s;ome publick oppo&s;ition, this is now publi&s;hed for further &s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>Written by <HI>THOMAS MOOR, Junior.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>P&s;al. 4. 2, 3.</BIBL> Oh yee Sons of men, How long will yee turn my glory into &s;hame, &amp;c.</Q>
<Q><BIBL>Joh. 17. 15, 17, 21, 22, 23.</BIBL> I pray not that thou &s;hould&s;t take them out of the world; But that thou &s;hould&s;t keep them from the evill, &amp;c.</Q>
<Q><BIBL>Jona 2. 8.</BIBL> They that ob&s;erve lying vanities, for&s;ake their own mercy.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>R. I.</HI> and are to be &s;old in Popes-Head-Alley. 1654.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader:</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THe occa&s;ion of the penning and publi&s;hing the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e was this; Being at <HI>London</HI> in <HI>Novemb.</HI> 1653. I was invited to a publick Meeting at <HI>Black Friers,</HI> the end of which, as I was informed, was to &s;eek the face of God for the peace and welfare of the Nation, and for his direction and ble&s;&s;ing on the Authority over us, to that end; as likewi&s;e for in&s;tructing them&s;elves, and others, what ground of encouragement they had, and in what manner they ought to &s;eek and pur&s;ue the &s;ame. Upon which account I was al&s;o reque&s;ted to joyn with them, in pre&s;en|ting a word of in&s;truction, or exhortation, to that purpo&s;e. I could not on a &s;udden think wherein I might more pertinently, and profitably &s;pend that little time I had among&s;t them, and on &s;uch an occa&s;ion, than in the opening tho&s;e two ver&s;es the &s;ubject of the following Di&s;cour&s;e; And having but about an hours time permitted me there, &s;ome after-con&s;ide|rations moved me to make them more publick with &s;ome enlargement, (which then I had not opportunity for, though the principal heads of in&s;truction within mentioned were then briefly &s;poken to) and that for the&s;e Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>1 I perceived &s;ome in the fir&s;t hearing of them were not fully &s;ati&s;|fied, and &s;ome did then te&s;tifie their di&s;-&s;atisfaction (at lea&s;t as to the pertinency of the matter to the pre&s;ent occa&s;ion) though not in any thing particularly, nor in &s;uch manner as they might have an&s;wer with meek|ne&s;&s;e, for which neither was there opportunity at that time; for which cau&s;e I thought it was needful for me, by this means to &s;peak more ful|ly and plainly to the things then but briefly touched, e&s;pecially con&s;ide|ring herewith al&s;o that which follows.</P>
<P>2 That I am very apprehen&s;ive of &s;ome &s;uitablene&s;&s;e of the matters here treated of, not only to that pre&s;ent occa&s;ion, but to the needs of the pre&s;ent time, being &s;en&s;ible, that the la&s;t and perrilous times are coming upon us; in which though for pre&s;ent there is, as &s;omtimes pa&s;t there hath been (through the mercy of God) &s;ome abatement of bodily per|&s;ecution (as <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 33, 34.) yet by means of many (in &s;uch a time as this, when profe&s;&s;ion of godline&s;s is almo&s;t grown into fa&s;hion) clea|ving
<PB REF="3">
to them by flatteries; and likewi&s;e, many of them of under&s;tan|ding falling to the pernicious and deceivable wayes of the &s;pirit of An|tichri&s;t, (as <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 34, 35.) Iniquity abounds under &s;pecious pre|tences, and forms of godline&s;&s;e, by meanes of which Vizards it gets enlargement abundantly, and indi&s;cernably; and the love of many wax|eth cold, to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and to the &s;implicity of the Go&s;pel, and to the people that keep the Commandements of God, and have the te&s;timony of Je&s;us; and &s;o that love to all men for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, that the grace of God bringing &s;alvation to all, in&s;tructeth and leadeth too, and that un|feigned love among Beleevers one to another; There is a general decay of love, through the general over-&s;preading and abounding of iniquity; And knowing that in &s;uch a time e&s;pecially it is needful, and a &s;uitable conver&s;ation to the Go&s;pel, for all Beleevers according to their capacity to &s;trive together, yea to contend, though with meekne&s;&s;e, yet with ear|ne&s;tne&s;&s;e, for the faith of the common Salvation, as it was once delivered to the Saints, to be held forth to the world for the good of all; and al&s;o to con&s;ider one another to provoke to love, and to good works, and that, &s;o much the more as they are &s;en&s;ible of the day approaching, exhorting one another daily, while it is called to day, le&s;t any bee hardned through the deceitfulne&s;&s;e of &s;in; yea, to be in&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on, and out of &s;ea&s;on, in preaching the Word, reproving, rebuking, exhorting, with all long-&s;uffering, and Doctrine; to watch in all things, endure af|fliction, doe the work of Evangeli&s;ts, or Me&s;&s;engers of peace, each ac|cording to that furniture God hath given them, that the truth of the Go&s;pel, and the love of that truth may remain with tho&s;e that are up|right in heart; and others may be admoni&s;hed by it, that their feet may be turned unto his te&s;timonies. The&s;e con&s;iderations moved me to be willing (at the reque&s;t of others) to let my weakne&s;&s;e appear, if happily through it God may be glorified, and others may reap the benefit. Which that they may, I de&s;ire the Scriptures may be &s;earched, and compared. And that the Lord may give us under&s;tanding in all things according to our needs, and capacities, and as he &s;ees good for us, is the prayer of</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>The unworthie&s;t of all the Servants of God, and of tho&s;e indebted to all men for Chri&s;ts &s;ake the mo&s;t in Arrears. Tho. Moore <HI>junior.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>From my hou&s;e at</HI> Linn, <DATE>Febr. 22. 1653.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>The Contents, being the principal heads of the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>Three In&s;tructions propounded from the con&s;ideration of 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 FRom the occa&s;ion, and end of the Exhortation. The occa&s;ion being, <HI>Timothy</HI> his being furni&s;hed and appointed to peculiar &s;ervice in the Go&s;pel; and the end, <HI>That he might war a good war|fare therein: Therefore Prayers to be made for all men.</HI> Page 1, 2</ITEM>
<ITEM>Hence this In&s;truction; That the &s;ervice not onely of the fir&s;t Apo&s;tles, but al&s;o of the &s;econdary and &s;ucceeding Mini&s;ters in the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, It was and is to be exerci&s;ed among&s;t and for the good of all men, indefinitly, and generally, where ever by Gods providence they are &s;et. p. 3. &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>U&s;es of this In&s;truction.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 To inform of the great love of God to the world, to all men. p. 7</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 To reprove &s;uch as forbid, or hinder the preaching of the Go|&s;pel to all, or any of them, that they might be &s;aved. p. 10</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 To exhort Beleevers, to mind the main de&s;ign for which they are &s;et and pre&s;erved in the world; The glory of God in the good of all men. p. 11</ITEM>
<ITEM>Motives thereto to be con&s;idered by them are,</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 Their engagement, they are debtors to all men. p. 13</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 The love of God in Chri&s;t to all men. p. 14</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 The many examples of Gods &s;ervants before. p. 15</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 The recompence of Reward, both pre&s;ent and eternal. p. 17</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 From the fir&s;t and general part of the Exhortation, as con&s;i|dered in it &s;elf, and with relation to the occa&s;ion fore-&s;hewed, This In&s;truction, That in pur&s;uance of that great De&s;igne, for the good of all men, and that to that purpo&s;e Beleevers mini&s;tration may be ble&s;&s;ed, and &s;uccesful among them. <HI>Fir&s;t of all Supplications, Pray|ers, Interce&s;&s;ions, and giving of thanks are to be made for all men.</HI> p. 18</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB REF="4">For more di&s;tinct opening this,</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 Who are the All men for whom Prayers and Thanks-giving are to be made. All mankind, every of them, in an acceptable time. p. 19, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Who tho&s;e are by whom &s;uch Prayers &amp;c. are to be made; In an&s;wer to which, That all men every where as natural men con&s;idered, have an effectual door opened, and liberty afforded, and are invi|ted <HI>to &s;eek the Lord while he may be found, and call on him while he is near:</HI> But that it is e&s;pecially required of Beleevers, who are therefore furni&s;hed to it to make Prayers and Thanks-givings for them&s;elves and others, even for all men; And of them, That men as oppo&s;ed to women, pray every where, women being not permitted as the mouth of the re&s;t to &s;peak in every place, not in publick and mixt A&s;&s;emblies. p 26, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 What tho&s;e Supplications, Prayers, and Interce&s;sions are which are to be made for all men. That is fir&s;t &s;hewed according to the &s;ignification of the &s;everal termes. p. 31</ITEM>
<ITEM>And then by ranking them under two general heads.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 The petitioning of good things in the behalf of them all, that are not directly for them all, or for ble&s;sings to be conferred on them all: But for them in re&s;pect of their end and tendency for the good of all. p. 32</ITEM>
<ITEM>And of the&s;e fir&s;t, Tho&s;e prayers for peculiar bles&s;ings to be con|ferred on Beleovers in the World (according to their capacity) to furni&s;h them for the good of others; yea for peculiar National ble&s;|&s;ings on tho&s;e Nations, on which his name is called; And that al&s;o for the good of other Nations. p. 33</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Tho&s;e prayers that are directly again&s;t many particular per&s;ons, and Nations, as walking in their evill purpo&s;es and wayes (<HI>viz.</HI>) for the bla&s;ting and confu&s;ion of them therein: Yet tho&s;e in re&s;pect of their end, and tendency, are generally for the good of all men, yea particu|larly for the good of all tho&s;e per&s;ons or Nations again&s;t whom they are made, while yet they are not wholly reprobated. p. 36</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 The Intreating, Supplicating, or making Interces&s;ion di|rectly for them, or for mercies and good things to be conferred on them according to their needs and capacities. p. 40</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 What are tho&s;e Thanks-givings joyned with Prayers to be made for all men; There fir&s;t tis &s;hewed, That all manner of right prayer is joyned with Thanks-giving; and then, that explicated to be a commemoration, and thankful acknowledgement of Gods
<PB REF="4">
goodne&s;&s;e in what he hath already done for the giving us ground and encouragement to ask for tho&s;e things we want; And this &s;uch as in which Gods goodne&s;&s;e and glory is magnified, and not our own. p. 42</ITEM>
<ITEM>This &s;hewed di&s;tinctly in &s;everal &s;orts, or occa&s;ions of Thanks|givings (&s;uitable to &s;everal prayers or petitions to be made for &s;everal per&s;ons) which yet are all after &s;ome con&s;iderations for all men, and do all meet in the root of them, and &s;pring from one, and the &s;ame foundation, The plentious redemption wrought in Chri&s;t for all men, and the love of God to manward in and through him. p. 46</ITEM>
<ITEM>5 The ground or account upon which Prayers and Thanks|givings are to be made for all men, That &s;hewed to be the truth and verity of that which is the bottome-cau&s;e, and occa&s;ion of giving thanks to God in the Name of Chri&s;t for all men; And that fir&s;t, by a brief opening the following ver&s;es to the Text. p 50</ITEM>
<ITEM>And then by propounding the&s;e particular In&s;tructions from the con&s;ideration of tho&s;e ver&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 That Je&s;us Chri&s;t by the will and appointment of the Father hath given him&s;elf, and is accepted a ran&s;ome for all men, &s;o as therein he hath redeemed them, in, and by him&s;elf, from the cur&s;e of the Law being made a cur&s;e for them; and obtained and received into him&s;elf for them (that in coming in to him any of them might enjoy it) a perfect re&s;toration of all their lo&s;&s;e, yea eternal redemption and life. p. 53</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 That he is by vertue thereof become a &s;tanding and powerful Mediator between God and men. p. 61</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 That by vertue of his Ran&s;ome accepted, and by means of his mediation continually made for them, he is of the Father to them, a te&s;timony in due time, 1. In affording to all as they come to capacity, and need of it, opportunity, &s;pace, and means to repentance. p. 66</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 In &s;ending forth his good Spirit in the &s;upernatural light and power of it, in, and with tho&s;e mercies and means to bring the light and under&s;tanding of his goodne&s;&s;e to the heart, and thereby to reprove their evils, and turn them to God. p. 69</ITEM>
<ITEM>And that in all this, <HI>God is light, and in him is no darkne&s;&s;e at all.</HI> p. 75</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 From the la&s;t and particular part of the Exhortation, as con|&s;idered in it &s;elf (comparing the &s;econd with the fir&s;t ver&s;e) and
<PB REF="5">
with relation to the occa&s;ion, and end of the Exhortation fore|&s;hewed. Thence this In&s;truction, That in pur&s;uance of that great De&s;ign for the good of all men, and particularly (as mainly tending to the furtherance of the &s;ame) That Believers <HI>may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e, and hone&s;ty, Prayers, and Thank&s;givings are to be made</HI> (as in general for all men, &s;o) particularly <HI>for Kings, and for all that are in Authority.</HI> This opened in the&s;e branches.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 That it tends very much to the good of all men, That Belee|vers <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e, and hone&s;ty,</HI> a|mong them. And in this fir&s;t branch,</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 What it is to <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty.</HI> p. 78</ITEM>
<ITEM>And therein, what is godline&s;&s;e, and how the beleever to be ex|erci&s;ed therein. p. 79</ITEM>
<ITEM>And what is hone&s;ty in the beleever, and how he to lead his life therein. p. 83</ITEM>
<ITEM>And how the&s;e two an&s;wer to tho&s;e two great Commands of the Law, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &amp;c. and thy Neighbour as thy &s;elf,</HI> and are found in tho&s;e two great Commands of the Go&s;pel, <HI>To beleeve on the Name of him whom God hath &s;ent&punc; and love one another, as he hath given us Commandement.</HI> p. 87</ITEM>
<ITEM>And then what is that quiet and peaceable life, which the grace of God in&s;tructs the beleever to lead, in, and according to godline&s;s and hone&s;ty. And there, after &s;ome &s;everal &s;ignifications of quiet|ne&s;&s;e, and peaceablene&s;&s;e briefly hinted, p. 88</ITEM>
<ITEM>Its e&s;pecially applied in &s;uch a &s;en&s;e, as oppo&s;ed to war, &s;trife, or contention. p. 90</ITEM>
<ITEM>And &s;o the beleever, in, and according to godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty, is to lead his life quitly and peaceably.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 With reference to tho&s;e in authority over him. p. 91</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Towards all men. p. 95</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 E&s;pecially one with another. p. 98</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 How the Beleevers leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty, tends &s;o much to the good of all men. That &s;hewed in two things.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 It tends much to the beleevers own advantage, profit, and fur|niture for the good of others. p. 102</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 It tends to the adorning the Name and Doctrine of God our Saviour, among&s;t, and before them. And that &s;hewed in divers par|ticulars. p. 104</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB REF="5">2 That therefore God likes it wel in&punc; and requires it of tho&s;e whom he &s;ets in place of Authority, that they &s;hould all of them have a &s;pecial eye at this, That his people that wor&s;hip him, and would live quietly in the Land, may lead a quiet and peaceable life under their protection and government, p. 110, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. What tho&s;e things are in generall that will tend to this, and which are therefore required of Governours, that Beleevers may lead &s;uch a life.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 They are to afford them liberty, and protection in &s;uch liberty, for quiet, and peaceable wor&s;hipping of God&punc; and endeavouring the good of others, as the grace of God by Chri&s;t, their Great Law|giver in&s;tructeth them, p. 113</ITEM>
<ITEM>And by way of removing &s;ome &s;cruple in this, 'tis &s;hewed, That they are to let the Tares and Wheat grow together, till the end of the world, and &s;o to afford that liberty&punc; and protection in that liberty, to all that pretend to de&s;ire to &s;eek and wor&s;hip God in Chri&s;t, ac|cording to his Word, or Scriptures; if under &s;uch pretence they do not gro&s;ly bla&s;pheme, or cast off the outward acknowledgement of that name, or do that which directly tends to the injury or damage of others, in name, e&s;tate, or life; or move &s;edition; and &s;o they &s;hal afford &s;uch liberty and protection to all that are quiet in the Land. p. 115</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 They are to give unto them tho&s;e things that are ju&s;t and equal, by an equal di&s;tribution of Ju&s;tice, and thorowly executing judge|ment between a man and his neighbour, p. 121</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 They are to &s;eek peace and pur&s;ue it, among tho&s;e under their Government, and with other Nations; <HI>As much as is po&s;&s;ible, live peaceably with all men,</HI> p. 122</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some &s;cruples again&s;t this rai&s;ed from &s;ome mi&s;-apprehen&s;ions of Prophecies an&s;wered; in which is &s;hewed, That in the Wars&punc; and Commotions of the latter days, towards, and yet before the end, Saints as Saints, and for their Kingdome, are not to be actors in them; but after that con&s;ideration only &s;pectators of them, though after other con&s;iderations, as Members of the Nation where they live&punc; they may in &s;ome ca&s;es act with the re&s;t; &amp; that they are part of the &s;or|rows, evils, or judgements of the latter dayes; and that though God occa&s;ionally brings forth much good by them, to the re&s;traint and hinderance of bodily Per&s;ecution, yet they are accompanied with more abounding of Spiritual iniquity. And that though the&s;e Judgements and Battels be of the Lords permi&s;&s;ion, and gracious
<PB REF="6">
ordering, and &s;uch as in which he begins to &s;tain the pride of the glory of &s;uch as have lifted up the Horn again&s;t him, yet the in|&s;truments for the &s;tirring up the Nations to them are unclean &s;pi|rits. p. 124, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>And that tho&s;e Prophe&s;ies of the totall de&s;truction of all ene|mies, and bringing down their power, and giving the Kingdomes under the whole Heavens to the Saints, is not to bee accompli&s;hed till the Re&s;urrection of the ju&s;t, and &s;o not till the Lord him&s;elf come, and bring all that &s;leep in Je&s;us with him, and then it &s;hall be accompli&s;hed together, by a wonderfull and more immediate put|ting forth of the Arm of the Lord, yea all his Saints from fir&s;t to la&s;t &s;hall then have that honour with him, and no other. p. 128.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some u&s;e of the&s;e con&s;iderations&punc; p. 132</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 What that is that will e&s;pecially furni&s;h Governours to the do|ing tho&s;e things required of them, and &s;o is e&s;pecially to be de&s;ired for them. And that is &s;howed to be wi&s;dome in the knowledge of Chri&s;t, and the glory of God, as appearing in the face of him, as to us declared in the Gospel. p. 138</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>The Reader is de&s;ired to correct the&s;e faults, e&s;caped in the Printing, as follow.</HEAD>
<P>PAge 5. line 25. adde of, p. 6. l 7. r. have, p. 10. l. 11. r father, p. 18. l. 22. blot out may, p. 20. l. 38. r. provi&s;ion, p. 28. l. 10&punc; r. them&punc; p. 31. l. 32. r. the view. p. 37. l. 5. r. yea, p. 43. l. 18. r&punc; according. p. 50. l. 32. r. that it is, p. 51. l. 9. r. come, p. 56. l. 39. r. hating, p. 57. l. 18. r&punc; di&s;traction, p. 58. l. 11. r. rai&s;ing, l. 27. r. enjoyed, p. 59. l. 1. blot out the fir&s;t in, p. 61. l. 20. r. his&punc; l. 30. adde of, p. 62. l. 33. blot out to, p. 63. l. 4. r. given, r. become, l. 15. r. while, l. 33. r. Mediator, p. 64. l. 11. r. every, p. 67. l. 36. r. taken me out of, p. 68. l. 28. r. di&s;traction, p. 75. l. 13. r. propounds, p. 82. l. 32. r. as, p. 85 l. 35. r. children, p. 90. l. 25. r. fruit, p 93. l. 10. r. an, l. 30. r. Kings, l. 32. r. 2 King, p. 96. l. 15. to 2 Tim&punc; adde 2. p. 97. l. 19. blot out not, p. 116. l. 15. r. per&s;ons p. 130&punc; l. 3. to de&s;ire, adde, and pray. p. 140. l. 6. r. hereby, on the top of p. 33. for 35. r. 33.</P>
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<HEAD>All mens Intere&s;t by Chri&s;t, in the end and u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of Beleevers peculiar privileges, and &s;ervice: Shewed in the opening &s;ome In&s;tructions ari&s;ing from 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2.</HEAD>
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<Q>I exhort therefore, that fir&s;t of all Supplications, Prayers, Interce&s;sions, and giving of Thanks be made for all men; for Kings, and for all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;&s;e and hone&s;ty.</Q>
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<P>_THe Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> having committed the faith|full Word of the glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t&punc; that great Commandement, Even the word which was preached from the beginning, but now more fully come forth and declared, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 14. with 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 1, 2. and 2. 7, 8. which was more immediately revealed to him&punc; and committed to his tru&s;t for more peculiar &s;ervice therein, from the Lord Je&s;us, as 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 1. 11. with <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. 11, 12. and <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 1&punc; 9. He having committed this Word, or Com|mandement unto <HI>Timothy,</HI> and with it this charge, To hold it fa&s;t, and keep it by the Holy Gho&s;t which was given unto him, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 14, 15. Faithfully to preach it in &s;ea&s;on, out of &s;ea&s;on, to doe the work of an Evangeli&s;t, &amp;c. Chap. 4. 1. 5. To keep it without &s;pot unrebuke|able unto the appearing of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 13, 14. And to
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that purpo&s;e, To charge &s;ome, that they did teach no other Doctrine, nor give heed to fables, &amp;c. And to abide, or &s;tay long at <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> for the doing this, That &s;o &s;uch charges might be in&s;inuated, and charged home, not by ra&s;h and ha&s;ty cen&s;ures, and re&s;traints by a compul&s;ive Law, as the Kings of the Gentiles exerci&s;e Lord&s;hip over them, <HI>Mat.</HI> 20. 25. 28. and 23. 8. 11. But by holding forth the faithful word among&s;t them, and that with long-&s;uffering, and do|ctrine, as hath been taught, and going before others therein, in all things &s;hewing him&s;elfe a patterne, &amp;c. as 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1, 2, 5. and 2. 24, 25. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 9, 11. and 2. 1. 7. The Apo&s;tle having, I &s;ay, com|mitted this Commandement and charge to <HI>Timothy,</HI> Chap. 1. 3, 4, 15, 18. That according to the Prophe&s;ies that went before on him, and by that furniture of In&s;truction, Gifts, and Grace conferred on him, he might war a good warfare, holding faith, and a good con&s;cience, &amp;c. this &s;ervice to which he was furni&s;hed and appointed, being weighty, and that it might be ble&s;&s;ed and &s;uccesful, He doth therefore, in the&s;e two ver&s;es that we have read, exhort, that fir&s;t of All, in the fir&s;t place, alwayes, and in order of nature as the fir&s;t thing, in, and unto All his &s;ervice, not onely him&s;elfe, but All his Brethren with him that have their faces Sion-ward, who&s;e hearts joyne in the promoting and furtherance of &s;uch &s;ervice, &s;hould have their eye, or heart directed unto God, for Accommodation, Pre&s;ervation, Ble&s;&s;ing, in, and unto &s;uch &s;ervice, as he appoints them too, <HI>Even as the eyes of a &s;ervant are to the hand of his ma&s;ter, and of a maid to the hand of her mi&s;tre&s;&s;e,</HI> P&s;al. 123. 1, 2. And that this is the occa&s;ion, end and &s;cope of this exhortation, appears, not onely by con&s;idering the word <HI>there|fore,</HI> as it hath relation to the latter end of the foregoing Chapter, but al&s;o by comparing herewith the 7. and 8. ver&s;es of this Chapter, which al&s;o clearly &s;hew the word <HI>Therefore</HI> in the fir&s;t ver&s;e, to have relation e&s;pecially, and directly, to the 18. and the beginning of the 19 ver&s;es of the fir&s;t Chapter; In that 7. and 8. ver&s;es of this &s;econd Chapter, the Apo&s;tle declaring his owne Ordination, Appointment, and Furniture, to be one of the prime Apo&s;tles, and Teachers of the Gentiles, in the faith and verity of the Te&s;timony of God concerning Chri&s;t, mentioned in the 4, 5, and 6. ver&s;es, as now come forth, and committed to them; he Therefore, on this occa&s;ion, and to the end his mini&s;tration may be ble&s;&s;ed, profitable and &s;uccesfull, doth will or de&s;ire that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without
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wrath and doubting; So here having commit ted this Commandement and Charge unto <HI>Timothy,</HI> as one of tho&s;e &s;econdary Mini&s;ters, who having beleeved, and been reconciled, and received the word of re|conciliation in believing, by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and mediately through their word, as <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 20. with 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 17, 18, 19, 20. were to carry on the &s;ame work, holding fa&s;t the platform of &s;ound Doctrine which they had received from them, and &s;o building upon, and according to the foundation of Doctrine as laid by them, who as wi&s;e ma&s;ter|builders had laid the foundation, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 13, 14. <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 11. 15. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 10. He exhorts <HI>that fir&s;t of all prayers be made, &amp;c.</HI> And in this exhortation to the making Prayers and Thank&s;givings, thus oc|ca&s;ioned, and to this end, he exhorts that the &s;aid Prayers and Thank&s;|givings be made for All men.</P>
<P>Now in That the Apo&s;tle in &s;uch an exhortation to Prayers and Thank&s;givings, thus occa&s;ioned, and to &s;uch an end, That the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel might war a good warfare, &amp;c. as fore&s;hewed, doth exhort, <HI>That Supplications, Prayers, Interce&s;&s;ions, and gi|ving of Thanks be made for All men.</HI></P>
<P>It doth fully imply, and &s;ignifie to us this note of In&s;truction.</P>
<P><HI>That the &s;ervice, or warfare, not onely of the fir&s;t Apo&s;tles, but that al&s;o to which</HI> Timothy, <HI>and &s;o the &s;ucceeding, &s;econdary Mini&s;ters in the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, are furni&s;hed and appointed, It was, and is to be exerci&s;ed Among&s;t, and for the good of All men in|definitely, and generally where ever by Gods providence they are &s;et.</HI></P>
<P>Like as <HI>John</HI> the forerunner of Chri&s;t was &s;ent for a witne&s;s, <HI>to beare witne&s;s of the light, That all men through him, that light witne&s;&s;ed by him, might beleeve,</HI> Joh. 1. 7. And our Saviour him|&s;elfe in his owne per&s;onal Mini&s;tration while he was in the world, was &s;o the light of the world, <HI>Joh.</HI> 9. 5. Though in re&s;pect of that his per&s;onal Mini&s;tration, he was primely &s;ent to the lo&s;t or &s;cat|tered &s;heep of the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, <HI>Mat.</HI> 15. 24. (and yet to All of them, <HI>Act.</HI> 3. 26.) And therefore limited his Di&s;ciples Commi&s;&s;ion while he was on earth, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. 6. yet he was therefore a Mini&s;ter of the Circumci&s;ion, not onely therein to confirme the promi&s;es of God made to the Fathers, but al&s;o that thereby the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy, as it is written, <HI>For this cau&s;e I will confe&s;&s;e to thee among the Gentiles, or Heathen, I will &s;ing unto thy name;</HI> Againe, he &s;aith, <HI>Rejoyce yee Gentiles with his people, and land him all ye Nations,</HI> Rom. 15. 8, 9, 10, 11. So tho&s;e his fir&s;t Apo&s;tles
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or Me&s;&s;engers, were by him &s;ent into the world, as the Father &s;ent him in re&s;pect of his Mi&s;&s;ion for Mini&s;tration of the Go&s;pel, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 18. And after his Re&s;urrection, as his Amba&s;&s;adors, their Com|mi&s;&s;ion was enlarged by him, on the Account of his owne as to the extent of his Mini&s;tration, or plaine preaching the peace he had made, being enlarged by the Father, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. 18, 19. They were to goe into All the world, and preach the Go&s;pel to every creature, <HI>To preach among the Gentiles the un&s;earchable Riches of Chri&s;t,</HI> in &s;uch manner as before it had not been named, to which they were immediately furni&s;hed and commi&s;&s;ionated; and to make All men &s;ee, &amp;c. <HI>Mark.</HI> 16. 15. with <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 8, 9. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 15 - 21. And this grace and Apo&s;tle&s;hip they received for obedience to the Faith among all Nations for his name, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 5. And therefore according to the Commandement of the everla&s;ting God, they were to make known the my&s;tery, as &s;o revealed, and that out of the Scriptures of the former Prophets, unto them All, that they might beleeve, <HI>Rom.</HI> 16. 25, 26. And that they might make all men &s;ee, what is the fel|low&s;hip of the my&s;tery, which had been hid from generations pa&s;t; As they were to baptize the Nations with their word or doctrine as the fir&s;t and maine part of the work to which they were &s;ent, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 17. &s;prinkling or dropping that on them, as <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 15. <HI>Deut.</HI> 32. 1, 2, 3. with <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 21. So al&s;o together there with as an outward &s;eale of the truth thereof, they were to baptize them with water al&s;o in his name, even the Nations, who&s;oever of them would, them, and theirs, every one of them, even as the Jaylor was baptized, he, and all his, &s;treight-way on his fir&s;t owning and li&s;tening to the report of the Go&s;pel, and being willing to be in&s;tructed therein; and therein al&s;o as well as by their word, they preached the word of the Lord to him, and to all that were in his hou&s;e, <HI>Act.</HI> 16. 32, 33. which al&s;o is according to <HI>Peters</HI> Doctrine opening the Commi&s;&s;ion, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 38, 39. comparing the 39. ver&s;e, with a place &s;peaking of a like bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in our Types, to which the Apo&s;tle there &s;eems to have apt and evident Allu&s;ion, <HI>Deut.</HI> 29. 10. 14. And then al&s;o to teach the&s;e Nations, as they had outwardly baptized them, in the name, and unto the acknow|ledgement of Je&s;us Chri&s;t as come in the fle&s;h, to ob&s;erve whatever Je&s;us Chri&s;t did command his Di&s;ciples; And all this they were to do for the di&s;cipling the Nations, the gathering or drawing them to Chri&s;t from their former &s;tate of darkne&s;&s;e, and &s;hadow of Death,
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in which they were without any true acknowledgement, and wor&s;hip of God, to acknowledge him, and come to him as their Lord, and Gods &s;alvation for, and to them; and in profe&s;&s;ed &s;ubjection to him, and thankful acknowledgement of his grace, to bring all that by Gods providence are theirs, given them to bring up for him, even their little ones with them; So the Jaylor beleevingly rejoycing, he did it with all his hou&s;e, <HI>Act.</HI> 16. 34. as <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> would engage him|&s;elfe, and his hou&s;e with him that were under his tuition, to the ac|knowledgement and &s;ervice of the Lord, <HI>Jo&s;h.</HI> 24. 15. And as in con&s;idering <HI>I&s;rael</HI> after the fle&s;h (to which for In&s;truction in &s;uch ca&s;es we have our warrantize, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 18.) we are directed in tho&s;e evident Types of this di&s;cipling Nations, <HI>Exod.</HI> 10. 9, 10, 11. <HI>Deut.</HI> 31. 11, 12, 13. And as our Saviour al&s;o in&s;tructs, That &s;uch &s;hould be permitted to come to him, being brought in their armes, to whom by Gods providence they are given to bring up for him; <HI>for of &s;uch is the Kingdome:</HI> And having &s;o done, That they may all of them, not onely be in&s;tructed them&s;elves, but taught to learn their children, as they are capable, and bring them up in the nurture, and admonition of the Lord Je&s;us; To the end that all the ends of the earth might look to him, and be &s;aved, who is Gods &s;alvation to the ends of the earth, That they might come in to the acknowledgement of him, and &s;o into his hou&s;e where they might be trained up, and educated for him, being therein e&s;pecially made partakers of his promi&s;e in Chri&s;t by the Go&s;pel, for &s;ending forth his Spirit to re|prove the world of <HI>Sinne, Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and of Judgement,</HI> ac|cording to the di&s;tinct Revelation of Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel as now come forth, and as men are turning at his reproofes, To teach and lead them into all truth by the &s;ame Spirit, &s;till opening, and making knowne the &s;ame word. <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 6. <HI>Act.</HI> 2. 39. <HI>Joh.</HI> 16. 8, 9, 10, 13, 14. <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 20, 23.</P>
<P>In pur&s;uance of this great De&s;igne of God for the good of All, <HI>Paul</HI> was furni&s;hed, and appointed the great Apo&s;tle of the Gentiles, <HI>Act.</HI> 26. 16, 17, 18. <HI>For this purpo&s;e the Lord Je&s;us appeared unto him, to make him a witne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. delivering him from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom then he &s;ent him, To turn them,</HI> even his per&s;ecuters, from whom yet he &s;hould be delivered, and among&s;t whom pre&s;erved, for this end, <HI>To turne them from darkne&s;s to light, &amp;c. That &s;o they may receive forgivene&s;&s;e, and inheritance
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among them that are &s;anctified;</HI> And that to this end, <HI>he &s;hould preach among the Gentiles the un&s;earchable Riches of Chri&s;t,</HI> and to make All men &s;ee, <HI>What is the fellow&s;hip of the my&s;tery,</HI> &amp;c. as afore&s;aid, <HI>Eph</HI> 3. 8 9.</P>
<P>And therefore al&s;o hath God pre&s;erved a &s;ucceeding Generation of &s;uch as through the ta&s;tes of his graciou&s;ne&s;s in the appearance of his love in Chri&s;t to man-ward, having been drawn to him, built upon him, and &s;o reconciled to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and received the word of Reconciliation. God hath pre&s;erved them in the world, and from the evil of it, to this end; and therefore al&s;o furni&s;hed them with gifts from his right hand, though more mediately in their beleeving, and exer|ci&s;ing faith through, and according the Apo&s;tles word, yet &s;till to this as the fir&s;t and great part of the work of their Mini&s;try in the world; to carry on that great work among&s;t, and for the good of all men, as &s;econdary In&s;truments and Mini&s;ters, building upon, and according to the foundation laid by the Apo&s;tles; to the intent, that now by the Church, by the whole body of them joyntly, and by each according to their capacity, and opportunity in the place where God hath &s;et them, might be made knowne to Principalities, and Powers, and &s;o to all Nations, and people under them, <HI>The manifold wi&s;dome of God,</HI> Eph. 3. 10. That by them the world may know, That God hath &s;ent Chri&s;t the Saviour of the world; And that he hath loved them that have received this Te&s;timony with the heart, even with the &s;ame love wherewith he hath loved his Son, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 15, 20, 21, 23. And that in being In&s;truments of &s;aving them that hear&punc; or li&s;ten to the word as held forth by them, <HI>Their profiting may appear to All, 1 Tim.</HI> 4. 15, 16. Gods Saints generally, even tho&s;e that have made a Covenant with him by &s;acrifice, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 5. namely that are reconci|led to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and have received that word of Recon|ciliation in their hearts, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. (each to exerci&s;e, according to fit|ne&s;&s;e and furniture of Gifts, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 3, 4 &amp;c. all the Gifts for con|tinuance being given among the&s;e, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 7, 11, 12.) They are ap|pointed, and called to this great &s;ervice, even now, To call the earth from the ri&s;ing of the Sunne, to the going downe of the &s;ame, as well as al&s;o afterward to reign, Judge, and execute Judgement with him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 1. 5. As his Amba&s;&s;adors, who&s;e fir&s;t per&s;onal coming, and his pre&s;ent coming by his Spirit, in the Go&s;pel, and other means, is not to judge or condemne the world, but that through him they
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might be &s;aved, even &s;uch as doe heare his words, and reject them&punc; his gracious end and de&s;ire is that they &s;hould heare and beleeve, and therefore he continues his mediation for them, and mercies to them, <HI>Joh.</HI> 12. 47&punc; 48. and 3. 17. though he &s;hall appear per&s;onally the &s;e|cond time, then to judge and execute judgement according to the Go&s;pel; &s;o the&s;e his &s;ervants, and Amba&s;&s;adors in this world, are now to make it their great work to per&s;wade all men, and every man, as they have capacity, and opportunity, to be reconciled to God, telling them, <HI>All things are ready, 2 Cor. 15. 17, 18, 19 20. Luke</HI> 14. 17, 21, 23. with meekne&s;&s;e in&s;tructing the ignorant, and &s;uch as oppo&s;e them&s;elves, <HI>If God peradventure at any time may give them re|pentance,</HI> &amp;c. They are &s;et in the world to this end, <HI>to be the &s;alt of the earth, the light of the world,</HI> Mat. 5. 13, 14. In&s;truments by bearing witne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, of reproving <HI>the world of Sin, of Righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and of Judgement, &amp;c.</HI> Joh. 15. 26. with Chap. 16 8, 9, 10. And of making manife&s;t the &s;avour of his knowledge in every place; A company of &s;piritual Prie&s;ts, to &s;erve about holy things for the good of others; <HI>A cho&s;en generation, that they &s;hould &s;hew forth the prai&s;es of him that hath called them, even among the Gentiles, and that both by word and work, that they may glorifie God, &amp;c. 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 3, 4, 9. 12. with <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 16. Servants they are of the hou&s;e, but in their &s;ervice and warfare, &s;ent out of the hou&s;e into the field of the world, <HI>Prov. 9. 1, 2, 3 4. Cant.</HI> 7. 11. Unto a generation of&punc; men that are crooked, <HI>Among&s;t whom they live, to &s;hine as lights, holding forth the word of life,</HI> Phil. 2. 15, 16. The Children of the Kingdome are &s;eed &s;owne in the field of the world, where among&s;t them, and like unto them, will be alwayes tares until the end of this world, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 38, 39. yet they are pre&s;erved from the evill, to the end they might bring forth fruit to God and that there might be none barren among them.</P>
<P>This con&s;ideration may be u&s;eful, Fir&s;t, to informe of the great love of God to the world; to All men, which is herein exceedingly commended; for as God &s;ent not his Sonne, &s;o neither doth he &s;end the Go&s;pel, and Servan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s, and Spirit of his Son, <HI>into the world to con|demn, the world, but that the world through him might be &s;aved; This is the Condemnation, that when light is come into the world men love darkne&s;&s;e.</HI> God doth not cover hatred with lying lips pretending love, he is not &s;uch as many men are, who hiding the
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Vi&s;ion of all from the people, honour him with their lips, but their heart is far removed from him, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 29. 11. 13. nor is he, as they would render him to men, &s;uch a one as them&s;elves, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 50. 20, 21. That hath burning lips pretending love, and offering grace, and yet a wicked heart. That while he hateth, yet di&s;&s;embleth with his lips, and layeth up his deceit within him, That while he &s;peaks faire, yet may not be beleeved, becau&s;e mean while he hath the perfection of abo|minations in his heart again&s;t the men to whom he &s;o &s;peaks fair; This he abhors as greate&s;t folly and wickedne&s;&s;e in others, <HI>Prov.</HI> 10. 18. and 26. 23, 24, 25, 26. He doth not thus graciou&s;ly call, and proclame his provi&s;ion prepared, and with arguments of that nature &s;end his &s;er|vants to them all, and invite them to be reconciled, And yet all this but in pretence of love, and for their good, but it is really &s;o. We may well argue with that good woman, <HI>Judg.</HI> 13. 23. If God had intended to &s;lay us, he would not have found out, and accepted &s;uch a &s;acrifice for us&punc; nor would he have &s;ent his Me&s;&s;engers, to &s;hew us, and tell&punc; us &s;uch things as the&s;e: I &s;ay, we may well thus argue, &s;eeing God him&s;elfe argues, and po&s;itively affirmes on his Word and Oath, the truth and cordialne&s;&s;e of his love to man-ward, from the latter of the&s;e onely, namely his &s;ending his Me&s;&s;engers to call and warne them, (which indeed al&s;o &s;hews the truth of the former, the provi&s;ion pre|pared, and way opened for them all to turne to him; the declaration of which is the &s;umme of their me&s;&s;age received of him, 1 <HI>Joh. 1. 1-5. 2 Cor.</HI> 5. 14, 15. which if it were not &s;o, he would not have told them) &s;ee <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33. 7. 10, 11. God having &s;et <HI>Ezekiel</HI> as a Watch|man, and other Watchmen, to hear the word at his mouth, and to warne the people; He did thus rea&s;on again&s;t their unbeleefe and murmuring, whereas they &s;aid, Though he by his Watchmen called and warned them, yet he did not therein lift up the yoak of thral|dome on their Jawes, as hee &s;aith he doth while he &s;ets meat before them, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 11. 4. but left them nece&s;&s;arily under the power and bondage of their iniquities, under which they were na|turally; &s;o that when he called, they could not&punc; heare and turne, and how &s;hould they then live? To this God an&s;wers, and argues it from his having &s;et Watchmen among them, <HI>Therfore &s;ay unto them, As I live, &s;aith the Lord, I have no plea&s;ure in the death of the wicked,</HI> of &s;uch wicked men as doe dye, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18. 31. he hath now no plea&s;ure, none at all, after any con&s;ideration, neither &s;ecret,
<PB N="9" REF="10">
nor revealed, in their death, but that they &s;hould turn and live; though afterward when the day of his grace and patience is at an end towards them, his heart will &s;tand otherwi&s;e affected to|wards them, though no change in him; their condition being wholly changed, they being become perfectly one of the Seed of the Serpent, wholly rejected of God; Then he will laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear cometh: But now he is &s;low to anger, and his very forbearance is &s;alvation, and &s;hews that he is not willing that any &s;hould peri&s;h, but that all &s;hould come to repentance, and be &s;aved, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 9. 16. And that ap|pears as we have noted by his Declaration of him&s;elfe, and heart towards them, in &s;ending his &s;ervants, and u&s;ing other means to proclaim his goodne&s;&s;e to them, and call, and lead them to re|pentance, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 4. For I the Lord (&s;aith he) &s;peak righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, and declare things that are right, and therefore have not &s;poken in &s;ecret, or covertly, as one that would not that all &s;hould under&s;tand me, or take me at my word, nor have willed my &s;ervants to u&s;e hidden things of di&s;hone&s;ty. But as 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 1, 2. So here, I have not &s;aid in vaine to the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, &s;eek ye me; Therefore &s;eeing I al&s;o call to all the ends of the earth, look to me, and be ye &s;aved, for I am a ju&s;t God and Saviour, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45. 19-22. As one that hath no plea&s;ure in your de&s;truction, I have &s;ent to call you; and becau&s;e I know you have no &s;trength in your &s;elves, as of your &s;elves, but are naturally dead in tre&s;|pa&s;&s;es and &s;innes, Therefore all the day long while I have been calling you to behold me, I &s;tretched out my hand to a rebellious people, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 1, 2. He &s;pake in his Spirit by the hand of the former Prophets, <HI>Zach. 7. 11, 12. 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 19, 20. Wherefore then when I called was there none to an&s;wer, have I no power? &amp;c. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 50. 2. Turn you, Turn you, why will ye dye? While God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in any means, but e&s;pecially in the declarations and invitations of his Go&s;pel, is calling to any of us; This is indeed a time of finding with him, and &s;o urged as a motive to per&s;wade us to &s;eek him now, and that the wicked &s;hould for&s;ake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn to the Lord, who a&s;&s;ures us he will multiply pardon, of which he hath given his Son for a &s;tanding witne&s;&s;e, not onely to make propitiation for them, but al&s;o by verttue of his mediation with the Father for
<PB N="10" REF="11">
them to be a continual te&s;timony in due time unto them; And thus graciou&s;ly to call them, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 1, 4, 7. Therefore &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 1. 2. We be&s;eech you receive not this Grace of God in vain, &s;peaking of Gods furni&s;hing and &s;ending his &s;er|vants with the word of reconciliation to be&s;eech them to be re|conciled. For (&s;aith he) he (namely God) &s;aith, <HI>I have heard thee in a time accepted, in a day of &s;alvation have I helped thee; Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of &s;alvation.</HI> The fir&s;t part of the &s;aying we have in <HI>I&s;a</HI> 49. 7, 8. &s;poken, and applyed particularly to the Per&s;on of Chri&s;t; Gods hearing him is &s;poken with reference to his Interce&s;&s;ion, or Mediation with the Fathers for us, pre&s;ent|ing the infinite and abiding vertue of his &s;ufferings in that &s;acri|fice of his own body perfected through them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 20. Gods helping, or upholding him is &s;poken with evident reference to his Mini&s;tration, which is now carried on by his &s;ervants; The Scriptures compared &s;hew, Fir&s;t, 'Tis by vertue of his Inter|ce&s;&s;ion, who is the Mediator between God and men, by and with the vertues of his having given him&s;elf a ran&s;ome for All, that the Servants of Chri&s;t, or the Me&s;&s;engers he &s;ends of any &s;ort, are pre|&s;erved and continued in the world, that &s;o ill requite, and re|bell again&s;t him, yet to bear witne&s;s of him, and call to him; and &s;o it appears in the following ver&s;es of this Chapter, That on the account of his Mediation daily made, by vertue of the ran|&s;ome once given for all, he is al&s;o a te&s;timony, or te&s;tified in due time, to men in their &s;everall ages, and to every man in &s;ea&s;on, while it might be for his good. Secondly, That while the Media|tion or Interce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t being continued with the Father, &s;o far prevails for forbearance, that &s;uch te&s;timonies of his good|ne&s;&s;e, and means of per&s;wading, and calling to repentance, in which al&s;o his good Spirit is certainly conver&s;ant, are &s;till con|tinued and extended unto any, This is &s;till the accepted time, the time in which they may be accepted; yea the heart of God is cordially de&s;irous they &s;hould come in his Drawings, and be accepted, now is the day of &s;alvation; <HI>Oh that men would prai&s;e the Lord for his goodne&s;&s;e, and for his wonderful works for the children of men.</HI></P>
<P>2 This Doctrine gives occa&s;ion of reproof, unto &s;uch as endea|vour to forbid, or hinder the plaine preaching and a&s;&s;erting the
<PB N="11" REF="11">
truth of the Go&s;pel to the Gentiles, to every, or any man, as men con&s;idered, that they might be &s;aved, which doe they, that though they pretend to honour and magnifie Chri&s;t, yet doe hide that Vi&s;ion of all which God hath revealed in him, from the people, or render it as a &s;ealed Book, a Riddle, who&s;e meaning lyes not in its expre&s;&s;ions, or is according to the Import of them, they therein take away the Key of Knowledge, and neither en|ter them&s;elves by the door, which is that opened in Chri&s;t for all men to the Father, nor &s;uffer tho&s;e that are entring to go in; and they al&s;o (though happily not at &s;o high a rate, if that be all) that forbid little children to come to Chri&s;t being brought in their armes, or by their appointment, to whom by Gods Pro|vidence they are given to bring up for him, and them to be ble&s;|&s;ed in his name, or the truth of the Go&s;pels Declaration concerning them, and the promi&s;e in Chri&s;t by it, to be wit|ne&s;&s;ed and &s;ealed in baptizing them in his name; They do al&s;o therein forbid that kinde of preaching Go&s;pel to tho&s;e Parents, and &s;o to all men with them, that they might be &s;aved. The&s;e plea&s;e not God, and they are contrary to his great de&s;ign, the good of all men, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 15, 16.</P>
<P>3 Saints may here be exhorted, to mind their main and great de&s;ign, for which they are &s;et and pre&s;erved in the world; Look not every man on his own things, but every man al&s;o on the things of others; Let the &s;ame minde be in you which was in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who being equall with God, yet took on him the form of a &s;ervant, and humbled him&s;elf to the death of the Cro&s;&s;e, that &s;o the grace of God bringing &s;alvation might come to us, wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and made him a Prince and Saviour to be &s;o wor&s;hipped, and acknowledged by us; Herein you &s;hall yeeld obedience to him, and render that which is but your rea&s;onable &s;ervice, in &s;uffering this grace to mould you to the &s;ame minde in love and compa&s;&s;ion to others, in becoming &s;ervants to, and for them, that they may be &s;aved. Work out therefore your own &s;alvation, That which is wrought and perfect in Chri&s;t, for all men, which you have received by faith; and the efficacies of this (believed) in you, even the &s;al|vation of your &s;ouls, vent it, &s;hew it forth, according as this is boyling up, leading, and framing you to de&s;ire, and endeavour
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the good of others; For this is God that works in you, both to will, and to do, and that of good plea&s;ure. Go on confidently therefore in this your might, and do all things, unto which, by, and according to the in&s;tructions and per&s;wa&s;ions of this grace of the Go&s;pel, which is Gods Arm, you are lead, and that with|out murmurings and di&s;putings with your own rea&s;on, and wi&s;dome, again&s;t any thing this &s;alvation moves you too for others good, le&s;t therein you be fighters again&s;t God, and fail of experimenting his pre&s;ence and fellow&s;hip with you, or the working of his mighty power in the efficacies of this &s;alvation in, and by you, or make your &s;elves unapt to his acceptable &s;er|vice; but that on the other hand, you may be blamele&s;&s;e, harm|le&s;&s;e, the Sons of God, in the mid&s;t of a crooked generation, among&s;t whom &s;hine ye as lights in the world, and ye &s;hall &s;o &s;hine by holding forth the faithful word among&s;t them, then al&s;o &s;hall tho&s;e &s;ervants of Chri&s;t that have been in&s;trumentall for you, Rejoyce that they have not run in vain; for if you have no &s;avour of the knowledge of God, and his goodne&s;&s;e, &s;o as you make it manife&s;t to all men, in every place, according to capa|city and opportunity given you, you are fit for nothing, you come not yet up to the great de&s;ign of God in calling and fur|ni&s;hing you by his grace, and &s;etting you in the world, and &s;o it may &s;eem as in re&s;pect of you, that they have run in vain, that have been in&s;truments of good to you, though their work &s;hall be with their God. Be exhorted therefore to &s;uffer the grace of God to make you one with him in his De&s;ign; and in pur&s;uance of it, Let your light &s;o &s;hine before men that they may &s;ee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven, <HI>Phil. 2. Mat.</HI> 5. 13. 15. Dearly beloved (&s;aith <HI>Peter, 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 11, 12.) I be|&s;eech you as &s;trangers and pilgrims ab&s;tain from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts that war again&s;t the &s;oul, having your conver&s;ation hone&s;t, &s;ea|&s;oned with gravity, and &s;incerity, &s;ingle and cha&s;te to God, and your main de&s;ign to glorifie him among&s;t others, and for their good, that the Gentiles in the day of their vi&s;itation may glorifie God; who when the in&s;tructions and reproofs of the Go&s;pel begin to light on their hearts, will pre&s;ently turn their eyes up|on you, &s;uppo&s;ing, if there be indeed truth in this Go&s;pel, and in the in&s;tructions thereof, leading them &s;o to wor&s;hip God; If there
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be &s;uch preciou&s;ne&s;&s;e in Chri&s;t, &s;uch &s;weetne&s;&s;e and &s;atisfaction in the love of God to Man-ward therein di&s;covered; that then tho&s;e that do indeed know it, and have ta&s;ted the graciou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the Lord, as you have profe&s;&s;ed among them, mu&s;t needs be men in their conver&s;ation, full of hone&s;ty, walking in all good con|&s;cience towards God and men, not loving the world, nor the things thereof, not ea&s;ily provoked by any injuries of any &s;ort extending onely to them&s;elves, but willingly rather &s;uffering wrong, not high-minded, &s;elf-willed, or conformed to this world, in the cu&s;tomes, wayes, or fa&s;hions of it, according to their former lu&s;ts in their ignorance; And if accordingly they behold your light herein &s;hining, your lamps burning, and you as &s;trangers, travellers, and as men ready waiting for the appear|ing of your Lord; this will be a great and effectuall means to lead them to glorifie God, and acknowledge, As we have heard, &s;o we have &s;een in the hou&s;e of our God, they wil then beleeve his word, and the in&s;tructions thereof to be good, and true; whereas on the other hand, if they behold the contrary in you, it will be an oc|ca&s;ion of &s;tumble to them, and lead them to bla&s;pheme the holy name called upon by you. Oh therefore ly down, and deny your &s;elves in this, and be willing to take up your cro&s;&s;e daily that you may follow him in pur&s;uance of his De&s;ign for the good of all men. And to provoke, and con&s;train you hereto; Con&s;ider the&s;e Motives.</P>
<P>1 You are debtors to all men, Greeks, Barbarians, wi&s;e, un|wi&s;e, bond, and free; And that upon this account you have been acquainted with that grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men, <HI>Rom. 1. 15. Tit.</HI> 2. 10, 11. Its that grace that you have re|ceived (for to &s;uch I &s;peak) and in the receiving which, you have been &s;aved, who were &s;ometimes &s;uch, as the wor&s;tamong&s;t whom you live; but that grace that is in God towards them, in its ap|pearing to you, hath &s;aved you; And therein you have received that word of Reconciliation in &s;ome di&s;tinct under&s;tanding of it, and fitne&s;&s;e to hold it forth, according to which your &s;elves have been reconciled to God, that holds forth matter of con|cernment to every one of them, that one dyed for all, and ro&s;e again; And that this was not onely &s;ufficient, but effectuall with the Father in the publick Per&s;on, as if all had dyed; And
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that all this was &s;o effectuall with the Father for them, and cor|dially, that it might be effectuall in them, that they which live, every man in his proper age, &s;hould not henceforth after this grace is manif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ted to him, live to him&s;elf, but to him that dyed for them, and ro&s;e again; that in that Death and Re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t, God was in Chri&s;t reconciling the world to him&s;elfe, and now by his Amba&s;&s;adors doth on that ground per&s;wade them to be reconciled in them&s;elves by Chri&s;t, whom he hath &s;ent to ble&s;&s;e them, in turning every one of them from all their iniqui|ties, <HI>Tit. 3. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15-21. Act.</HI> 3. 26. &s;uch is the word of Reconciliation he hath put in you, Tidings of great joy to all people, <HI>Luke</HI> 2. 10, 14. you are herein according to your mea&s;ure made Stewards of the manifold grace of God, Moreover it is required of Stewards that a man be found faithfull, 1 <HI>Pet. 4. 10, 11. 1 Cor.</HI> 4. 1, 2. Do not you therefore with-hold good from them to whom it is due, or put your light under a bu&s;hel, that was given you to &s;hew light to all the hou&s;e.</P>
<P>2 Yea let the love of Chri&s;t, and &s;o of God in Chri&s;t to all men, be herewith con&s;idered, as effectually witne&s;&s;ed, in that he hath done for them, and doth to them, according as declared in this Go&s;pel committed to your tru&s;t, and it will con&s;train you; True it is, it doth not con&s;train or lead to &s;uch love, or &s;ervice of love, but upon principles of certainty and truth; it leads not to run at an uncertain, or to fight as tho&s;e that beat the Air; nor are there other principles of certainty and truth, but the&s;e, and their companions, upon which it &s;o per&s;wades; that is to &s;ay, The love of Chri&s;t doth not con&s;train or lead any man to preach the Go|&s;pel to, or per&s;wade any other man to be reconciled to God, for whom the te&s;timony of it doth not a&s;&s;ure him upon principles of certainty and truth, That Chri&s;t dyed, and ro&s;e for him, and that &s;o effectually with the Father, and cordially in re&s;pect of its tendency towards him (as fore&s;hewed.) Its true, many do preach, and exhort, and fight very much, that do not thus judge; but on what account, or the love of what leads them to it, we examine not, doubtle&s;&s;e &s;ome one thing, &s;ome another: But let this love which you have &s;een, and believed to be in God towards all men in &s;ending his Son the Saviour of the world, be con&s;idered by you, and from the&s;e principles of truth received in your judge|ment,
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it will con&s;train or hemn you in to this &s;ervice, by filling you with the &s;ame love, and zeal, for their good, that will not be letted or hindred by any thing; &s;eeing al&s;o your under&s;tanding from the &s;ame principles is furni&s;hed with knowledge of the greatne&s;&s;e of the terror of the Lord, again&s;t tho&s;e which turn &s;uch grace into wantonne&s;&s;e, tread under foot &s;uch precious bloud, de|nying him that bought them, bring on them&s;elves de&s;truction; which terror you could not otherwi&s;e have rightly read, but in that face of Chri&s;t; For who knoweth the power of his Anger? (&s;urely none) But here we have a rule given us, accord|ing to which you may have &s;ome di&s;cerning of the nature and greatne&s;&s;e of it, according to thy fear or wor&s;hip (that name and grace of thine declared, in, and through thy Son, according to which thou mighte&s;t have been feared or wor&s;hipped by tho&s;e men to their everla&s;ting health and comfort) &s;uch is, and will be thy wrath again&s;t all ungodly men that turn thy grace into wan|tone&s;&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 11. Therefore in the beliefe of the exceeding greatne&s;&s;e of his love to Man-ward, you have a view of the greatne&s;&s;e of his Terror again&s;t all &s;uch ungodly ones as turn it into wantonne&s;&s;e, and therefore while yet there may be a pre|vention, and the Decree is not gone forth again&s;t them, or any of them, you cannot but in the con&s;training operation of this love of Chri&s;t earne&s;tly be&s;eech and per&s;wade them, and lay down your &s;elves to win them; Let that therefore be con&s;idered by you.</P>
<P>3 Minde al&s;o for your provocation hereto, and direction herein, the many examples of Chri&s;ts &s;ervants before you. See <HI>David,</HI> evermore on the commemorating any enlargement in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, love te&s;tified, or mercy received from God, he was led out, and enlarged with more earne&s;tne&s;s on &s;uch occa&s;ions, to de&s;ire, in|vite and endeavour, that all others with him would acknowledge and ble&s;&s;e the name of God for his goodne&s;&s;e, that they would come to him, tru&s;t in him, poure out their hearts before him, make proof of his graciou&s;ne&s;&s;e and readine&s;&s;e to do them good, &s;ignifying, That <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he bottome-matter of his glorying or rejoycing, the ground and foundation whence &s;uch mercy i&s;&s;ued to him, and upon the account of which God was &s;uch a refuge for him, was &s;uch, and &s;o really prepared with God, and full of vertue for all
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others, that any other might certainly expect the &s;ame, or the like, according to their needs and capacity, from it that he had met with in looking to him, according as his grace witne&s;&s;ed in that he hath already done for them leadeth them, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 4. and 34. and 62. 5-8 &amp; 66. 5-8. &amp; 95. &amp; 96. &amp; 98, &amp; 100, &amp; 107. 1-8-15, 16, &amp;c. So <HI>Paul</HI> mentions it as one great end of Gods &s;hewing chief mercy to him a chiefe &s;inner, for a pattern to others that &s;hould after be|lieve; yea for an encouragement to &s;uch, as being obliged &amp; invited to believe the truth of Gods goodne&s;s, and propitiou&s;nes towards them, by the grace manife&s;ted in what he hath done for them (as all are) might di&s;courage them&s;elves from the con&s;ideration of the greatne&s;s of their &s;ins, and &s;o delay, or defer to believe (as &s;ome &s;ay, and we have good rea&s;on to believe, from the end and &s;cope of the place, the words may be read) and in con&s;ideration hereof is enlarged in heart to commend that &s;aying, which he had proved &s;o full of faithfulne&s;&s;e, as worthy of all acceptation by every one of them, at all times, and in all ca&s;es, and needs, while yet the day of grace is extended towards them, God holding open the door, and by any means calling them to beleeve, That Je&s;us Chri&s;t came into the world to &s;ave &s;inners, &amp;c. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 12-15, 16. See al&s;o how he &s;ets his example before us in this matter, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 31, 32, 33. Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or what|ever el&s;e you doe (even in things of that nature, as buying, &s;elling, wearing apparrel, in words and ge&s;tures, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 30, 31. and 6, 7. 1 <HI>Tim. 2. 9, 10. 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 1, 2, 3. and 1. 13-18. with 2. 11, 12, &amp;c. and 4. 3-11. <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 24, 25. to the end and 5. <HI>Tit. 2. 1-10, 11. Rom.</HI> 12, &amp; 13. Do all to the glory of God (And how that? in all the&s;e things) giving none offence, no ju&s;t occa&s;ion of &s;candal or &s;tumble to the <HI>Jew,</HI> nor to the <HI>Gentile,</HI> nor to the Church of God, even as I (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, plea&s;e all men in all things (that is not in having fellow&s;hip with their evill wayes, and unfruitful works of darkne&s;&s;e, <HI>Eph. 4. 11. 8-11. 1 Pet.</HI> 4. 3, 4. But &s;o as may be for their good to edification, and to the adorning the name and doctrine of God our Saviour, before and among them, in all goodne&s;&s;e, gentlene&s;&s;e, hone&s;ty, moderation, or &s;o|briety, quiet bearing reproach and evils from them, &amp;c. as <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 2. 3.) not &s;eeking mine own profit, but the profit of many that they may be &s;aved; be ye herein followers of me,
<PB N="17" REF="14">
&s;aith he, even as I al&s;o am of Chri&s;t, <HI>Chap.</HI> 11. 1. with <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 2. 3.</P>
<P>4 Forget not the recompen&s;e of the Reward, both pre&s;ent and eternal; you &s;hall have in this life a hundred-fold more in things infinitly better then tho&s;e you deny your &s;elves in, and for&s;ake for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, and the Go&s;pels, and in pro&s;ecuting this great de&s;ign, the good of all men, better name, better kindred, better trea|&s;ures, &amp;c. though with per&s;ecution, and in that world that is to come eternal life; a full enjoyment and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it without per&s;e|cution, or mole&s;tation, <HI>Mar.</HI> 10. 29, 30. You &s;hall herein now render your &s;elves as children of your Father, who cau&s;eth his Sun to &s;hine, and Rain to fall on the ju&s;t, and unju&s;t, and is kind to the unkind, and evil, <HI>Mat. 5. 44, 45. Lu.</HI> 6. 35. 36. who&s;e grace even in the&s;e things bringeth &s;alvation to all men, <HI>Tit. 2. 11. Rom.</HI> 2. 4. he having &s;o lo|ved them, as to give his onely begotten Son for them, the Saviour of the world, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 16. with 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4. 14. which is both the foun|tain of, and witne&s;&s;ed in, all the&s;e mercies, <HI>P&s;al. 85. 10, 11, 12. Act.</HI> 14. 17. you &s;hall herein render your &s;elves one with your Lord, Husband, and Head, in his main De&s;ign for the good of all, yea hereby grow into more likene&s;&s;e and onene&s;&s;e with him, even as he and his Father are one, <HI>J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI> 17. 21, 22, 23. yea herein is his Father and yours glorified in your bringing forth much fruit, <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. 8. who al&s;o will honour you with his pre&s;ence, fellow&s;hip and appro|bation; however men reproach you, and ca&s;t out your name as evill under heaven, and afford you room and entertainment where your Lord and Ma&s;ter is, nor will &s;uffer you to have wor&s;e u&s;e then your Lord and Ma&s;ter had, and in his Go&s;pel, and &s;pirituall pre&s;ence in this world &s;till hath; which may admini&s;ter to you joy and boldne&s;s in any day of trial here, becau&s;e as he is, &s;o are we in this world; for it is enough for the Di&s;ciple to be as his Ma|&s;ter, &amp;c. <HI>Joh.</HI> 12. 26. and 14. 21, 23. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4. 17. with <HI>Matth.</HI> 10. 24, 25, 40. Yea in following his &s;teps in the pro&s;ecution of this great De&s;ign, you &s;hall heap coals of fire on the heads of your enemies, that &s;hall either tend to the melting them now, or if now they will not &s;uffer the melting operation of them, to their everla&s;ting burning hereafter; yee &s;hall be a &s;avor of life unto life, or of death unto death unto them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 18. 20 31. with 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 15, 16. And for the time to come, he hath &s;poken of things yet infinitly greater. Though now being &s;ent into the field of the world, you bear forth your precious &s;eed in tears, which are occa&s;ioned by the
<PB N="16" REF="15">
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<PB N="17" REF="15">
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<PB N="18" REF="16">
hardne&s;&s;e of the work, the little profit it &s;eems to have with men in re&s;pect of the many who&s;e good is aimed at in it; the &s;torms of oppo&s;ition and tribulations of divers &s;orts you meet with, yet doubtle&s;&s;e you &s;hall return again with rejoycing, bringing your &s;heaves, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 126. And for your &s;hame you &s;hall have double, in your own land, you &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;s it, everla&s;ting joy &s;hall be upon you <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 61. 4. 7.</P>
<P>The &s;econd general In&s;truction we &s;hall propound, is no other but that which is fully expre&s;t, and lyes whole in the fir&s;t ver&s;e, as con&s;idered in it &s;elf, and with relation to the occa&s;ion fore&s;hewed; namely,</P>
<P>That in pur&s;uance of this great De&s;ign for the good of all men, and that to that purpo&s;e, The believers mini&s;tration may be ble&s;&s;ed and &s;ucce&s;&s;eful among them; <HI>Fir&s;t of all, Supplications, Prayers, Interce&s;sions, and giving of Thanks are to be made for all men.</HI></P>
<P>For proof of this Propo&s;ition in the&s;e termes, I need adde no more, it is &s;o plain in the words, con&s;idering the occa&s;ion of them, yet it is again confirmed in the 7. and 8. ver&s;es, <HI>Paul</HI> being appointed an Herauld, or Cryer to the Gentiles, in faith and verity of the te&s;timony of God concerning Chri&s;t, he wills&punc; therefore, &s;eeing he is appointed to &s;uch &s;ervice among&s;t them, and for their good, that men may pray every where, ever more, in every place, in all ca&s;es, yea for <HI>All men,</HI> as is &s;ignified in the following words, <HI>without wrath or doubting;</HI> which &s;ignifies, that many of tho&s;e for whom prayers are to be made, that the warfare of the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t may be ble&s;&s;ed and profitable to them, are &s;uch, as again&s;t whom they &s;hall have occa&s;ion of wrath, and concerning whom, occa&s;ion, or cau&s;e of doubting, if they con&s;ider them according to outward appearance, yet even for &s;uch, the wor&s;t &s;orts, and &s;o <HI>All men,</HI> unto, and among&s;t whom they are &s;ent, <HI>Prayers, and Thank&s;givings are to be made,</HI> to this end, that they may war a good warfare among&s;t them; And therefore the Apo&s;tles giving up them&s;elves wholly to the &s;ervice of Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel of his Son, were &s;aid to give them&s;elves continually in the fir&s;t place to Prayer, and &s;o &amp; there withall to the Mini&s;try of the word, <HI>Act.</HI> 6. 4.</P>
<P>But for more di&s;tinct opening, and u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of this Propo&s;i|tion, Con&s;ider,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Who are the <HI>All men for whom Prayers, and Thank&s;giving are to be made.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Who are tho&s;e <HI>men</HI> by whom they are to be made.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="19" REF="16">3 What are tho&s;e <HI>Supplications, Prayers, and Interce&s;sions</HI> that are to be made for <HI>all men.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4 What tho&s;e <HI>Thank&s;givings</HI> that are to be joyned with <HI>Prayers&punc;</HI> and made for <HI>all men.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5 What foundation we have, or upon what account and ground we are exhorted to make <HI>Supplications, Prayers, &amp;c. for all men.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>1 Who are the <HI>all men</HI> here meant in the Text for whom <HI>Pray|ers, &amp;c.</HI> are to be made, let the Text &s;peak; They are all tho&s;e men whom God would have &s;aved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, ver&s;e 4. That good will in God towards them, being rendred as the ground of praying for them, plainly &s;hews they are all to be prayed for towards whom there is &s;uch good will in God, and who they are, &s;ee and compare the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 11. <HI>The grace of God brings &s;alvation to all men,</HI> 2 Pet. 3. 9. <HI>He would not that any &s;hould peri&s;h, but that all &s;hould come to repentance,</HI> Eze. 33. 11. with Ch. 18. 31. <HI>He hath no plea&s;ure in the death of the wicked;</HI> of &s;uch wicked men as do dye, <HI>but that they &s;hould turn and live; For God &s;ent not his Son into the world to condemne the world, but that the world through him might be &s;aved,</HI> Joh. 3. 17. even &s;uch, as by rejecting when they hear, do bring upon them&s;elves everla&s;ting condemnation, ver&s;e 19. with Chap. 12. 47, 48. They are all tho&s;e who&s;e nature Je&s;us Chri&s;t took, and for whom therein he gave him&s;elf a ran&s;ome, and between whom and the Father he is the Mediator, that he might be te&s;tified in due time, which are as the following ver&s;es &s;ay, Men, as oppo&s;ed to God, which &s;ignifies the whole &s;pecies or kind of that creature man, none excepted but the Mediator who is of both, God and man. All other of the whole kind every one of that nature, as <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 9. and 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 14, 15. And &s;o other Scriptures plentifully tell us, He hath redeemed, ran&s;omed, or bought <HI>all men,</HI> even tho&s;e that deny the Lord that bought them, and bring on them&s;elves &s;wift de&s;truction by &s;o denying him, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 2. And doth make Interce&s;&s;ion for the Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, even for &s;uch Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, and that a long time, as afterward for their wilfull unprofitablene&s;s and rebellion, he ju&s;tly leaves to be cut off for ever <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 53. 12. <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 6. 9. as for tho&s;e that crucified him, he prayed, <HI>Father forgive him,</HI> Luke 23. 33. 34. Do not yet lay &s;in to their charge, &s;o as to execute Judgement &s;peedily on them, but grant for|bearance yet unto them, and further means for admoni&s;hing them to repentance, and his prayer was heard for them, and they
<PB N="20" REF="17">
were &s;pared that time that had a hand in that, and had &s;peciall means u&s;ed by the Apo&s;tles to in&s;truct and admoni&s;h them to re|pentance, for the ble&s;&s;ing them, in turning every one of them from all his iniquities, <HI>Act.</HI> 3. 19, 25. even tho&s;e very per&s;ons that afterwards per&s;ecuting the Apo&s;tles, and rejecting the Go&s;pel as preached by them al&s;o, filled up the mea&s;ure of their &s;in, till wrath came upon them to the uttermo&s;t, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 14, 15, 16. &s;ee par|ticularly in the ca&s;e of <HI>Judas;</HI> our Saviour affirms, his body was given to be broken, and offered for him, his bloud &s;hed for him, even then it was virtually done, and accepted for him as one of the re&s;t of mankind (the works being virtually fini&s;hed before the actuall accompli&s;hment of them) <HI>Luke</HI> 22. 19, 20, 21. giving the Bread, and the Cup to his Di&s;ciples, and to them all there pre&s;ent, and &s;peaking to them, he &s;aith, <HI>This is my body which is given for you, This is my blood which is &s;hed for you: But behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table. But behold, &amp;c.</HI> as if he &s;hould &s;ay, notwith&s;tanding this forementioned is true for you all, and I have thus declared it to you, and given you this as a wit|ne&s;&s;e and &s;eal of the truth of it, which &s;till makes the &s;in &s;o much the the greater, yet even one of you will betray me; neither did our Savior in this or by any fore-purpo&s;e nece&s;&s;itate <HI>Judas,</HI> or willingly give him over, or leave him to this &s;in, to betray his Ma&s;ter, but here evidently, as oft before, did faithfully &amp; timely admoni&s;h him, while it might have been for his good, even for the preventing him in the accompli&s;hment of his wicked enterpri&s;e, and that that was the fir&s;t end and intention of it towards him appears by con&s;idering the next ver&s;e with <HI>Matth.</HI> 26. 24, 25. and the whole current of Scripture as to this point; nor did God &s;tand in need of his help with the de&s;truction of his &s;oul to bring to pa&s;&s;e his enterpri&s;e, he could have brought that about &s;ome other way if <HI>Judas</HI> had re|ceived his Ma&s;ters warning, as God de&s;ired, and indeed this warn|ing of our Saviour to <HI>Judas,</HI> in both the parts thereof, is of like nature with that <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68. 18&punc; 19-21. <HI>Thou ha&s;t a&s;cended on high, thou ha&s;t lead Captivity captive, Thou ha&s;t received gifts in the Man for men, even for the Rebellious, that God might dwell among them;</HI> And hence al&s;o doth daily load us, &amp;c. <HI>But</HI> (&s;aith the Text) <HI>God &s;hall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy &s;calp of &s;uch a one as goes on &s;till</HI> (that is, notwith&s;tanding the truth of the former, the permi&s;&s;ion re|ally prepared in Chri&s;t, and the means and Spirit with them to re|claim
<PB N="21" REF="17">
him cordially extended by Chri&s;t) <HI>in his tre&s;pa&s;&s;es.</HI> Both Scriptures &s;hew, that the things before affirmed concerning them were true and cordially for them, which al&s;o will be the great rea&s;on of their everla&s;ting condemnation in a &s;econd Death, they rejecting the&s;e timely admonitions. Further al&s;o, not only was our Saviors body given, and bloud &s;hed for <HI>Judas&punc;</HI> But likewi&s;e our Sa|viour, even while he was thus in time admoni&s;hing <HI>Judas,</HI> that he might be &s;uch a te&s;timony in due time to him, and while it might have been for his good, he as the great Mediator between God and man, was earne&s;tly making Interce&s;&s;ion for him, even while <HI>Judas</HI> was conceiving his wicked thought and enterpri&s;e again&s;t him, and till he was &s;o wholly given over, and left of God to Satan, that our Saviours prayer returned again into his bo&s;ome, and his prayer (namely <HI>Judas</HI>) became &s;in, there being no door for re|pentance or turning left, which we cannot conclude to be fully done till after that la&s;t time of his being wrought upon to repen|tance, and &s;ight and owning of his &s;in, <HI>Mat.</HI> 27. 3. which doubt|le&s;&s;e might have this tendency to lead him yet again to look to his Ma&s;ter with whom was forgivene&s;&s;e; but then running from his Ma&s;ter, and to the Prie&s;ts for helpe, he was wholly left to his madne&s;&s;e and de&s;peratene&s;&s;e, ver&s;e 4, 5. whence that &s;eems to be mentioned as the time and thing in which his &s;in was filled up, and &s;o wrath came upon him to the uttermo&s;t, <HI>Act.</HI> 1. 18. but when, or wherein&s;oever that was, this we &s;ay, till &s;uch time as &s;inne was fini&s;hed in him, and had brought forth death, occa&s;ioned an utter &s;eparation from God, our Saviour was with earne&s;tne&s;&s;e (as one heartily and much de&s;iring to prevent his de&s;truction) praying for him, as appears <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 109. 4, 5, 6, 7. (which Scripture the Holy Gho&s;t &s;pake concerning <HI>Judas,</HI> compare ver&s;e 8. with <HI>Act.</HI> 1. 16, 17, 20.) For my love, they are my adver&s;aries, but I to prayer, or I give my &s;elfe to prayer; And that the Holy Gho&s;t hereby means prayer for him, and &s;o them, other &s;uch adver&s;aries&punc; even then while they were acting as adver&s;aries, appears by the next ver&s;e, in which he &s;eems to have reference to this, as a te&s;timony of his goodne&s;&s;e towards them, They have rewarded me evill for good, and hatred for my love; and al&s;o by that which follows in the 7. ver&s;e as aptly oppo&s;ed to, or &s;et again&s;t this, Let his prayer be|come &s;in, as who &s;hould &s;ay, becau&s;e in time he would not &s;uffer the love te&s;tified in, and grace extended by means of my praying&punc;
<PB N="22" REF="18">
for him, to have its efficacie upon him; yea further, it appeares that this prayer to which our Saviour did diligently give, or &s;et him&s;elf, while there was any opportunity, was for <HI>Judas,</HI> and &s;o for &s;uch Adver&s;aries, even for &s;uch good for and to them, as by which their de&s;truction, yea the fini&s;hing their &s;inne thereto might yet have been prevented, while he was &s;o making interce&s;&s;ion for them, by comparing this, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 109. with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 35. which is equivalent with this, and indeed clearly opens it, &s;ee ver. 7, 8. <HI>Without cau&s;e they are my adver&s;aries,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>there|fore let de&s;truction come upon him,</HI> &amp;c. See againe, ver. 11, 12, 13. compared with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 109. 3, 4, 5. <HI>They rewarded me evil for good,</HI> &s;aith the text; but as for me, my cloathing was &s;ackcloath, I humbled my Soule with fa&s;ting, and my prayer returned into my bo&s;ome; but not to be larger in this, it appeares by what hath been &s;aid, that the Ran&s;ome, and Mediation of Chri&s;t is true and cordiall, for &s;uch men as by turning his grace therein into wantonne&s;&s;e, and denying him that bought them, doe afterwards bring upon them&s;elves &s;wift de&s;truction, and &s;o for all and every of Mankinde, and tho&s;e are the All men here in the text to be prayed for, even all tho&s;e for whom he gave him&s;elfe a ran&s;ome, and is the Mediator, that he might be to them a te&s;timony in due time.</P>
<P>Yea further it appeares, that by all men to be prayed for, he meanes all Mankinde, without exception of any, in their &s;everall and proper A|ges, in that in&s;tancing but one &s;ort or degree of them particularly, he &s;aith expre&s;ly, All of them, though they were then generally the wor&s;t, and tho&s;e concerning whom there might be mo&s;t occa&s;ion of wrath, and doubting in the Beleever, looking upon them as they were in them&s;elves, for Kings, and for all in authority; &s;o our Saviour exhorts, to <HI>pray for them that de&s;pitefully u&s;e us, and per&s;ecute us,</HI> Mat. 5. 44. according to his example, <HI>Luk.</HI> 23. 34. &s;o <HI>Stephen</HI> prayed ear|ne&s;tly when he breathed his la&s;t for that very people, who had now ad|ded this to their former wickedne&s;&s;e, they had rejected the Go&s;pel, as brought and confirmed by the Apo&s;tles, and now &s;toned him for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, whom before they had Crucified, yet kneeling downe he cryed with a loud voyce, <HI>Lord, lay not this &s;in to their charge,</HI> Act. 7. 60. So <HI>Paul,</HI> even when they were in part and in a great mea&s;ure gi|ven up to their blindne&s;&s;e and hardne&s;&s;e&punc; though yet not wholly as af|terward, while there was any hope of prevention, or recovery, (&s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 1.) Brethren, my hearts de&s;ire, and prayer to God for <HI>I&s;|r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">el</HI> is, that they might be &s;aved; and &s;uitable to all this is that in|&s;truction,
<PB N="23" REF="18">
1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 1, 2. Having in the latter part of the fir&s;t Chapter propounded a remedy again&s;t, and a way of clen&s;ing from the &s;ins of Be|leevers di&s;tinct, in the beginning of this Chapter he fir&s;t tels them, <HI>The&s;e things he hath written to them that they &s;inne not,</HI> and then proceeds in his in&s;truction, to enlarge and &s;hew the infinite vertue and u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of the &s;ame remedy for taking away other mens &s;ins al&s;o&punc; if tho&s;e that yet beleeve not, <HI>If any man &s;inne;</HI> before he &s;aid, <HI>if wee &s;inne,</HI> now, <HI>if any man,</HI> di&s;tinct from we or us, and how to under&s;tand what he meanes by any man, as di&s;tingui&s;hed from, and oppo&s;ed to us, or we, &s;ee 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 19. 20. <HI>We know that we are of God, and the whole world lyes in wickedne&s;&s;e.</HI> Thus then we are to under&s;tand him according to his owne explication, <HI>The&s;e things I write, that yee that are of God, and have knowne him that is from the beginning;</HI> as 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 12-14. <HI>&s;in&punc; not;</HI> and then al&s;o, if any other man &s;inne, any of the world that yet lyes in wickedne&s;&s;e, any one what&s;oever that we have occa&s;ion to conver&s;e with, and &s;o &s;ee his &s;in, <HI>We have</HI> (that is, Belee|vers have) <HI>an Advocate with the Father,</HI> that we may boldly make u&s;e of, to pre&s;ent all our needs, and matters&punc; that are according to the wil of God, for our &s;elves, and others, and he that is our Advocate, <HI>He is the propitiation for our &s;ins, and not for ours only, but al&s;o for the &s;ins of the whole world;</HI> and therefore we may thorow and by him, make our prayers for any mans &s;in; which is equivalent with, and full as large as this for all men; we &s;hal adde no more for proofe of this but only this caution, for a right under&s;tanding of what is &s;aid&punc; that it is po&s;&s;ible, and &s;ometime found, &s;ome men before their Natural l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">fe be &s;natcht from them, may have put them&s;elves out of the number of this All men to be prayed for, men may have &s;o filled up the mea&s;ure of their &s;inne, as to have fini&s;hed it, &s;o as it hath occa&s;ioned, or brought forth Death, in an utter rejection, and &s;eparation from God, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 15 with 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 16, 17. <HI>Jer.</HI> 6. 30. now if any have &s;inned &s;o farre as unto Death in &s;uch a &s;ence, God having wholly rejected them, and we &s;ee, or di&s;cerne the &s;ame, that we may &s;o judge according to the in&s;tructions of the Go&s;pel, then the Go&s;pel &s;aith not we &s;hould pray for that &s;in, and yet this infringes not at all the truth of the Propo&s;ition, in the termes in which it is delivered; that prayers, &amp;c. are to bee made for all men, for the&s;e rea&s;ons:</P>
<P>1 The&s;e were of that number All of them once, and &s;ome time (for God is &s;low to anger, it is his &s;trange and unplea&s;ing worke wholly to give up any, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28. 21.) and &s;o were then to be prayed for; there
<PB N="24" REF="19">
are none that are not to be prayed for, or to be ab&s;olutely prayed a|gain&s;t, but &s;uch as have been before prayed for, as comparing the fore-mentioned Scriptures, it appeares we are not to cea&s;e praying for them&punc; until their &s;inne be unto death, which it is not, til fini&s;hed, then all the time before while it is not fini&s;hed, tho&s;e per&s;ons were to bee prayed for, upon the &s;ame ground and principles of certainty and truth that any others are. The truth of this is confirmed in tho&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Jer.</HI> 7. 16. &amp; 11. 14. &amp; 14. 11. where the Prophet is required, not to pray any more for that people, nor to lift up a cry or prayer for them, the rea&s;on we have in the fore-going and following Ver&s;es of tho&s;e Chapters, like unto that, <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 24, 25. &amp;c. and <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 12, 13. &amp; 66. 1-4. becau&s;e God had long cryed unto them in his Spirit, by the Prophets and other meanes, as <HI>Zech.</HI> 7. 9-11, 12. with <HI>Jer.</HI> 7. 3-12 13. to amend their wayes, not to tru&s;t in lying words, &amp;c. and waited long that he might be gracious to them, and yet they would not hear, he had called, and they an&s;wered not, but &s;et at nought all his coun&s;el, and would none of his reproofe; which &s;hewes, that all that time while he had done &s;o, his Servants according to his good and acceptable wil, were not to cea&s;e praying for them; &s;o that even the&s;e were to be pray|ed for, and that in an acceptable time.</P>
<P>2 When Sinne is &s;o wholly fini&s;hed, as it hath brought forth death, in an utter &s;eparation from God, then they being &s;o rejected of him, are left to the power of the Tempter, and their owne delu&s;ions they have cho&s;en, in which condition they are become one with Satan, and &s;o of the &s;eed of the Serpent in a full &s;en&s;e, of the Devil, and &s;o in farre wor&s;e &s;tate than that which is meerly Natural, as derived from <HI>Adam;</HI> The&s;e are no longer numbred among all men, as men, or children of men con&s;idered, but are di&s;tingui&s;hed from them, and &s;et out by names far wor&s;e than any, generally applyed to Mankinde, even the children of the wicked one, di&s;tinct from the field of the world, <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 38&punc; ve&s;&s;els of wrath fitted to de&s;truction, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 22. Sons of Be|lial, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. 12. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 23. 6&punc; 7. the wicked, and ungodly in the highe&s;t &s;en&s;e, trees twice dead, pluckt up by the roots, for whom is re&s;er|ved the blackne&s;&s;e of darkne&s;&s;e for ever, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 9. &amp; <HI>Jud.</HI> 12. 15. &s;o that though there may be &s;ome at &s;ome time living among&s;t men, that are not to be prayed &s;o&punc; yet the Propo&s;ition remaines generally true, That all men, every where, and in all Ages, are to be prayed for, and every particular of them, until in any of them we &s;ee according to the in&s;tru|ctions of the Go&s;pel, that Sinne is fini&s;hed, and hath brought forth Death,
<PB N="25" REF="19">
and then they are not to be reckoned by us among&s;t the re|&s;idue of men, as naturall men con&s;idered; yea God will di&s;crimi|nate them by &s;ome di&s;tingui&s;hing notes, As giving them up wholly to a reprobate &s;en&s;e, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 28. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 8. to have plea|&s;ure, and that without reproofe (having their con&s;cience feared) 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 2. in unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 12. And in his provi|dences not vouchfa&s;ing any more to reprove, or call them, by en|larging his &s;ervants hearts, opening their mouths, and giving them opportunity to preach to, and per&s;wade them (which he u&s;ually doth, while it is an accepted time, or day of &s;alvation, to|wards a man or people, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 1, 2-11.) <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33. 33. <HI>Amos</HI> 8. 11-14. or by adding his le&s;&s;er and favourable cha&s;ti&s;ements, and changes in his providences with them, as with others, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 5. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 55. 19. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 14. So that the &s;piritual man &s;hall in &s;ome mea&s;ure be able to know, and note them as reprobate &s;ilver, that God hath rejected.</P>
<P>Yet here let me give this as my advice; Let none of us be too ha&s;ty in pa&s;&s;ing &s;entence or judgement on men as &s;uch, or in cea|&s;ing&punc; to pray for them on &s;uch an account, and that for the&s;e Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e God is &s;low to anger; And it is his &s;trange work to reprobate, or give up any to perdition, neither doth he it u&s;ually at once, but with a great deal of &s;lowne&s;&s;e&punc; and by degrees, and is exceedingly unwilling when he hath begun, to do it fully, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 11. 8. <HI>How &s;hall I give thee up, how &s;hall I &s;et thee as Admah and Zeboim? &amp;c.</HI> Its generally true, He is &s;low to anger, of great com|pa&s;&s;ions, and repenteth him of the evill. The truth of it may be abundantly &s;een in the ca&s;e of <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> whom though God often left to his hardne&s;&s;e, after he had &s;tubbornly and voluntarily hardened him&s;elfe, and made him&s;elfe a meet ve&s;&s;ell for &s;uch judgements, yet he did not wholly nor altogether leave him there|in, but in part, and graciou&s;ly admoni&s;hed and wrought on his heart&punc; by his judgements and admonitions, againe and againe, and did &s;o many a time &s;often him after &s;uch his beginnings of harde|ning before he fully left him to it, after which he was not long &s;pared; &s;o likewi&s;e in that ca&s;e of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> weeping over it he &s;aid, <HI>How often would I have gathered thee? &amp;c.</HI> Matth. 23. 37. Luke 19. 42. The truth is, it is mentioned as very rare, That God doth &s;pare any time in this naturall life &s;uch ve&s;&s;els of wrath as are
<PB N="26" REF="20">
wholly fitted and given over to de&s;truction, though &s;ometimes &s;ome he may for wi&s;e and holy ends, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 22. yet it is gene|rally true, The forbearance of the Lord is &s;alvation, and it is bet|ter to be <HI>A living Dog, than a dead Lion.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The beginnings or fir&s;t comings forth of his judge|ments of that nature have alwayes a merciful tendency, to warne and admoni&s;h to jealou&s;ie of them&s;elves, and turning to him, that &s;o the full coming forth of them may be prevented, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5. 15. <HI>Amos</HI> 4. 12. <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 11.</P>
<P>And further to in&s;truct&punc; us to this, &s;ee the frame of &s;pirit found in tho&s;e holy men of God, that well knew his mind, when God bad <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> let him alone that his wrath might waxe hot again&s;t that people to con&s;ume them, yet he be&s;ought the Lord again for them, and the Lord was intreated of him, and repented of the evill he thought to do unto them, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32. 9, 10, 11, 14. So in tho&s;e in&s;tances in <HI>Jeremy</HI> after he was forbidden to pray for the people, Chap. 7. 16. yet &s;ee how he makes &s;upplication for them&punc; Chap. 10. 23, 24. yea after he is forbidden again, Chap. 11. 14. yet &s;ee with what earne&s;tne&s;&s;e and affection he makes his prayer again for them, Chap. 14. 7, 8, 9. yea God him&s;elfe after he had forbidden him the third time, Chap. 14. 11. yet in&s;tructs him to teach them to humble them&s;elves before him, and acknowledge their iniquity, and turne to the Lord (in the latter end of that Chapter) with whom they might finde mercy and healing of their back&s;lidings, in turning, according to the movings, and leadings of his grace, as Chap. 3. 12. 14. 22. Though per&s;i&s;ting in their &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e, his minde could not be turned towards them, Chap. 15. 1, 2. Prayers then are to be made for <HI>all men</HI> in a time when God may be found, as is &s;hewed.</P>
<P>We come &s;econdly to con&s;ider by whom they are to be made; this is not expre&s;ly an&s;wered, or &s;poken to in this ver&s;e; but in ver&s;e 8. it is, which gives us occa&s;ion here to con&s;ider it: And it is there an&s;wered in an indefinite and generall terme, <HI>That men pray every where;</HI> And that&punc; may be under&s;tood, Fir&s;t, either with re|lation to the foregoing ver&s;e for the under&s;tanding the word <HI>Men;</HI> There <HI>Paul</HI> tells us he was appointed a Herauld, or Cryer, a Teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity, and here he wills therefore that <HI>men every where pray, &amp;c.</HI> And &s;o by <HI>men</HI> we may un|der&s;tand <HI>all men every where</HI> even among the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> to whom
<PB N="27" REF="20">
he was &s;ent, as <HI>Act.</HI> 17. 30. God now by his Go&s;pel <HI>commandeth all men every where to repent; Yea to &s;eek the Lord,</HI> ver&s;e 27. So here <HI>Paul</HI> proclaims liberty, and therefore al&s;o admoni&s;heth and calls upon them all, and every where, to make prayers to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>to &s;eek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is neer,</HI> as <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 6. That &s;o they receive not this grace of God in &s;ending the Go&s;pel among them in vain, as 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 1, 2. Or &s;e|condly, it may be under&s;tood with relation to the following ver&s;es for under&s;tanding the word <HI>Men.</HI> In tho&s;e following ver&s;es, 9, 10. He addes this exhortation to the women al&s;o, that they demean them&s;elves as women profe&s;&s;ing godline&s;&s;e, and not onely among&s;t or towards <HI>all men,</HI> but al&s;o in the Church, or Ge|nerall A&s;&s;emblies of Beleevers of which he &s;ignifies they were, whom he &s;o requireth or exhorteth. Under&s;tand <HI>men</HI> in the 8. ver&s;e equivalently, and as oppo&s;ed to women, ver&s;e 9. And then it is <HI>all men</HI> indefinitly and generally, unto whom the&s;e in&s;tructions and exhortations were primely and e&s;pecially dedicated, to prepare in&s;truct, and furni&s;h them to &s;eek the good of others, that is, men profe&s;&s;ing godline&s;&s;e (the whole Church, the A&s;&s;emblies or Fel|low&s;hips of Beleevers, they all, and every one of them, men and women are to joyn together in both Prayers and Prophe&s;yings for the good of all.) But in the publick A&s;&s;emblies of them toge|ther in one place that men only &s;peak as the mouth of the whole&punc; in pre&s;enting <HI>Supplications, Prayers&punc; Interce&s;sions, and Thanksgivings for all men;</HI> as well as in crying or proclaiming Go&s;pel to them, or teaching them in &s;uch general A&s;&s;emblies, ver&s;e 10, 11. with 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14. 34, 35. yet women al&s;o are to be teachers of good things to others, e&s;pecially the aged women, and that as their greate&s;t ornament, <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 3, 4. yea they may (and its commendable in them) not onely joyne with men, but be fellow-helpers, and la|bourers with them in the Go&s;pel, in both in&s;tructing and helping forward with their prayers for the good of all men&punc; and that with&punc; and among, even in &s;ome private Societies and meetings of their brethren, though not every where (as may be &s;een in com|paring, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 3. with <HI>Act.</HI> 1. 13, 14.) However then they are of the number by whom <HI>Supplications, Prayers, Interce&s;sions, and giving of Thanks, are to be made for all men</HI> (though not by them as the mouth of the re&s;t, in every place, not in &s;uch general or publick A&s;&s;emblies, where the Church or whole Congregation is met together in any
<PB N="28" REF="21">
one place, yet) they with the re&s;t as before, and &s;o all Beleevers, not <HI>Timothy,</HI> or &s;ome prime ones among&s;t them only, but all indefinitely and together, yea one and other of them that have knowne and be|leeved the great love of God in Chri&s;t to manward, are e&s;pecially re|quired and called upon to pray for others, even for all men; and ac|cording to this two-fold reading of ver&s;. 8. this we &s;hal finde plenti|fully in other Scriptures;</P>
<P>That all men every where and in all Ages have an effectual doore opened for their liberty, or allowance afforded them, and are exhor|ted and called upon to &s;eek and pray unto God, and that more e&s;peci|ally, now &s;ince the full coming forth of the Go&s;pel, in the name of Chri&s;t, but that it is e&s;pecially required, and expected of Beleevers, who only are, and are therefore furni&s;hed with knowledge, and ta&s;ts of his gra|ciou&s;ne&s;&s;e to manward, the love of Chri&s;t in&s;tructing, and con&s;training them, to make their prayers unto God in the name of Chri&s;t, for others al&s;o, even for all men.</P>
<P>To the fir&s;t part of this Propo&s;ition, &s;ee <HI>Act.</HI> 17. 27&punc; with <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 1-4-6, 7. God furni&s;hes with all the mercies of this natural life, that men in and by them might be led to &s;eek him, &amp;c. and by his Go&s;pel more &s;trongly obligeth and calleth them (with the Declaration of his Sonne, by whom the way is made for them, and who is given for a witne&s;&s;e to the people) to &s;eek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near, even &s;uch as are walking in their wicked wayes, harbouring their unrighteous thoughts, labouring for that which is not Bread, are there graciou&s;ly invited and admoni&s;hed thereto upon &s;uch good ground, &s;o equivalent to this, that men pray every where without wrath, or doubting, the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> invites all the people to tru&s;t in him at all times, and with tru&s;t or confidence to pour out their hearts before him, and that on this account, God is a refuge for us, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 62. 8. &s;uitable to which is that acknowledgement, and magnifying the riches of Gods grace, thorow the plenteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the redemption with him, <HI>P&s;al. 65. 2. O God that heare&s;t prayer, to thee &s;hall all fle&s;h come;</HI> and tho&s;e invitations, and admonitions, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 65. 1-6. &amp; 96. 7, 8. &amp; 100. and that, <HI>Jam. 1. 5. If any man lack wi&s;|dome, let him ask it of God, who giveth liberally to all men, and up|braideth none;</HI> yea let him aske in faith, according as the goodne&s;&s;e of God manife&s;ted moveth and encourageth him; and if he bee in darkne&s;&s;e and &s;ee no light, yet let him look, come unto the name of God as declared in his Son; <HI>Let him come without mony and price,
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and &s;eek unto God for tho&s;e waters, the Lord will hear them, the God of I&s;rael will not for &s;ake them, but will open rivers in dry pla|ces, and fountaines in the de&s;arts,</HI> I&s;a. 41. 17, 18. &amp; 50. 10. &amp; 55. 1 True it is, <HI>The &s;acrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, by how much the more he cometh with a wicked minde,</HI> Prov. 15. 8. &amp; 21. 27. &amp; 28. 9. But this is not to put a barre again&s;t wicked and &s;infull men, that they &s;hould not &s;eek the Lord, or call upon him as they are exhorted, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 6, 7. but to in&s;truct and direct them, and all others, to &s;eek him indeed, and with the whole heart, not feignedly; for even righteous men may offer the &s;acrifices of the wicked, and then &s;hal not be therein heard, and it is for their good they are not. <HI>If I,</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord wil not heare me,</HI> P&s;a. 66. 18. <HI>Every one that &s;ets up the Idol of his iniquity in his heart, and puts the &s;tumbling-block of it before his face, &s;ets that in his eye, and de&s;igne, to re&s;erve his owne purpo&s;e, and makes that the end of his prayer, the Lord will &s;et his face against him, for they &s;eek not him, but them&s;elves,</HI> Ezek. 14. 3. 7. I&s;a. 58. Zech. 7. 5, 6, 7. <HI>They refu&s;e to heare the Law, or receive his instruction, or reproofe, hide their evil deeds from the light, and yet for a pretence &s;eek him, and are zealous in multiplying &s;acrifices,</HI> as <HI>Prov. 28. 9. Zech.</HI> 7. 5-7. and on the other hand&punc; &s;infuland evil men, through his good|ne&s;&s;e in mercies or cha&s;ti&s;ements, may be humbled before him, and heartily &s;eek help and mercy of him &amp; &s;hal be therein accepted as <HI>Ahab, 1 King.</HI> 21. 29. This is generally true, <HI>Every one that &s;eeketh find|eth, and to him that knocketh it &s;hall be opened;</HI> let that grace of God therefore that bringeth Salvation to all men, move, encourage, and provoke every man <HI>to &s;eek the Lord while he may be found, &amp;c&punc; Look unto me, and be yee &s;aved, all the ends of the earth.</HI></P>
<P>To the &s;econd part of the Propo&s;ition, and &s;o for more direct an|&s;wer to the query, Who tho&s;e are by whom e&s;pecially prayers are to be made for others, even for all men, of whom it is required and ex|pected; they are all tho&s;e that by faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t have &s;uch en|joyment and u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of him as their Advocate with the Father; <HI>If any man &s;inne, we have an Advocate;</HI> wee that have beleeved is him, have through faith &s;uch u&s;efulne&s;&s;e of him with the Father, as to pre&s;ent, and make out, and manage our matters we have through his grace, according to his will, to pre&s;ent to him for others as wel as for our &s;elves, even for any man; therefore if any of us that have beleeved on the name of the Son of God (for &s;o we have good rea&s;on to under|&s;tand&punc;
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the word any man, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 16. from the fore-going Ver&s;es, where he is &s;peaking of Beleevers &s;eeking, and confidence of accep|tance, and from thence here encourageth them all, and &s;o any of them, to ask) it is not, as 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2. 1, 2. where any man, and the whole world is evidently oppo&s;ed to <HI>us,</HI> and <HI>we,</HI> as 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 19. but here the word <HI>Any man</HI> is only joyned with, or added to (<HI>us</HI> and <HI>we</HI>) in &s;uch a ca&s;e or bu&s;ine&s;&s;e as in which the &s;ame is affirmed, concerning the <HI>us</HI> or <HI>we</HI> fore-mentioned, and in the &s;ame manner, here only he en|largeth his in&s;truction and exhortation to every particular of them; If any man (of you, that thorow grace beleeve, and are therein Spiri|tualized to di&s;cerne other men, and things in their right colours) &s;ee his Brother (or any man with whom we live, as all men are our Bre|thren after &s;ome con&s;iderations) &s;inne a &s;inne that is not unto death, he &s;hall aske, and God &s;hal give him life; they that through the ta&s;ts of his graciou&s;ne&s;&s;e come to him, are reconciled to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, are therein, being built on him, made a company of Spiritual Prie&s;ts, to offer up Spiritual &s;acrifices (even for others) acceptable to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 3. Therefore the Lord &s;peaking unto <HI>Abimelech</HI> concerning <HI>Abraham,</HI> tels him, <HI>He is a Prophet, and he &s;hall pray for thee, and thou &s;halt live,</HI> Gen. 20. 7. <HI>The effe|ctuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,</HI> Jam. 5. 16. <HI>The prayer of the upright is his delight,</HI> Prov. 15. 8. Tis comely for them to have their hearts de&s;ire, and prayer to God for all men in an acceptable time, and that without cea&s;ing, and therefore al&s;o e&s;peci|ally required and expected of them; becau&s;e they are acquainted with the good will of God concerning men, as manife&s;ted in Chri&s;t, &s;hewing them good rea&s;on, ground, and foundation for it, &amp; from thence moving and con&s;training them to it; <HI>Of them to whom much is given &s;hall much be required:</HI> Let me then &s;ay to &s;uch, Seeing yee are ap|pointed and furni&s;hed to &s;uch excellent &s;ervice with God for the good of others, and it is of &s;o continual and general concernment. Be ye clean yee that beare the ve&s;&s;els of the Lord, touch not the uncleane thing, &s;uffer the grace of God to &s;eparate you more and more from the pol|lutions, intanglements, and &s;nares of this world, and to in&s;truct and lead you to deny your &s;elves; and take heed al&s;o of being unequally yoaked&punc; Beleevers with unbeleevers, &s;uch as with whom you cannot have fellow&s;hip together in drawing on this maine de&s;igne, or who be|ing joyned with you, may pull you back, and tend to the &s;treight|ning of you, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6&punc; 13, 14. and that you dwel and walk together,
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and one towards another, and towards all, according to knowledge as the under&s;tanding of the grace of God in Chri&s;t, as declared in the Go&s;pel, in&s;tructeth you; that &s;o you be not &s;treightened in your owne bowels, nor your prayers hindred, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 10, 11. with 2 <HI>Cor. 6. 12-16. &amp; 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 7. And further let me adde, according to the in|&s;tructions of the grace of God, continue in&s;tant in prayer, &s;eeing yee are thereunto appointed and furni&s;hed; yee that are the Lords re|membrancers, give him not re&s;t, pray without cea&s;ing, aske him con|cerning the workes of his hands, even all the ends of the earth, and in|&s;truct and invite them al&s;o, who&s;oever will, to look to him with you, and be &s;aved, to &s;eek him in a time of finding, a&s;&s;uring them that his Hou&s;e, his dwelling-place, in his Sonne, and with his people, is a Hou&s;e of Prayer for all people, and God &s;hal make you and them together joyful therein; and for your further in&s;truction and direction herein, minde wel that which followes.</P>
<P>3 What are tho&s;e Supplications, Prayers, and Interce&s;&s;ions that are to be made for all men; we may &s;ay in &s;ome &s;en&s;e, and after divers con&s;iderations, All manner of prayers and &s;upplications are to be made for all men, according to the &s;ignification of the &s;everall expre&s;&s;ions, or termes, in which we are in&s;tructed to it, Supplications, Prayers, and Interce&s;&s;ions; though al&s;o the &s;everall termes doe &s;ignifie the &s;ame things, and are oft put one for another, and oft put together, and the &s;ame expre&s;&s;ions doubled for more vehement urging the matter exhor|ted to (as <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 18.) yet there may al&s;o be con&s;idered &s;ome di|&s;tinct &s;ignification in the termes, for directing us what, and in what manner prayers are to be made for all men; and &s;o fir&s;t by Supplica|tions, and Prayers, may be &s;ignified generally all tho&s;e petitions for good things for them, or in the behalfe of them, that may tend to their greate&s;t good, and tho&s;e to be made with humility, and being aba&s;ed before him in the &s;ight and acknowledgement of our owne vilene&s;&s;e, and the &s;infulne&s;&s;e and iniquity of our &s;elves and others, for whom good things are de&s;ired, and yet with earne&s;tne&s;&s;e and boldne&s;&s;e, in review and acknowledgement of Gods great goodne&s;&s;e, and readine&s;&s;e to pardon, and doe us good; and e&s;pecially &s;uch humble and earne&s;t pe|titioning of good things for them, or in the behalfe of them, as are in order of Nature to be the fir&s;t things in our prayers for them, and di|&s;tinct from and before tho&s;e &s;ignified di&s;tinctly by Interce&s;&s;ions; which properly and di&s;tinctly note to us an appearing as a Third, or middle Per&s;on, for an offending Per&s;on to the party offended, and &s;o direct us
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unto prayers or entreaties to be made, not onely in their behalfe, and for good things for them, but al&s;o more directly for &s;ome pre&s;ent favour, &s;paring, or mercy in pardoning Iniquity, or rever|&s;ing judgement, that might tend to their de&s;truction or cutting off, to be at pre&s;ent conferred on them, according to their needs and capacities; The need of which Interce&s;&s;ions, or &s;tepping in be|tween God and men, and for the obtaining forbearance, and mer|cies of that nature directly for them, or to them, is occa&s;ioned by their abu&s;e of the goodne&s;&s;e of God in an&s;wering the foremen|tioned <HI>Supplications and Prayers</HI> in providing &s;o well, and doing things for them, about them, and in behalfe of them, that had &s;uch reall tendencie to their good; for &s;ome more particular open|ing the&s;e di&s;tinct &s;orts of praying, and the manner of their being for all men, we may put them into the&s;e two heads. Fir&s;t, The petitioning of good things in the behalfe of them, that are not directly for them, or for mercies and ble&s;&s;ings to be conferred on them, but for them in re&s;pect of their end or tendencie. Secondly, The intreating, &s;upplicating, or making interce&s;&s;ion directly for them, and for mercies and good things to be given to them, or conferred on them, according to their needs and ca|pacities.</P>
<P>1 The petitioning of good things in the behalfe of them, that in re&s;pect of their end and tendency may be for the good of them, that yet are not directly for them, or for ble&s;&s;ings to be per&s;onally conferred on them, that prayers of this &s;ort may be called prayers made for them, becau&s;e the end and tendencie of the things de&s;ired are for the good of them; and &s;o al&s;o the doing tho&s;e things de&s;ired, are as te&s;timonies of re&s;pect and love towards them, is like to that language of the Scripture, where Gods gi|ving to <HI>Solomon</HI> great furniture of Wi&s;dome, and Ble&s;&s;ing, and &s;trengthning him to the building an hou&s;e to his name, is called, <HI>Great things done for David his &s;ervant, and for</HI> I&s;rael <HI>his people, 1 King.</HI> 8. 66. And when <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;ufferings are &s;aid to be for them, by whom or for whom they were not directly occa&s;ioned, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 24. for they had never &s;een his face in the fle&s;h, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 1. becau&s;e the end and tendencie of his Mini&s;tration which occa&s;ioned his &s;ufferings, and &s;o the i&s;&s;ue and fruit of them was for their good, and where the great works God did directly for his people <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and to them in gathering them out of the lands, and pre&s;erving and de|livering
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them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es in the Wilderne&s;&s;e, and leading them to a City of habitation, is called <HI>Gods great goodne&s;&s;e, and won|derful works towards, or for the children of men in general,</HI> becau&s;e the end and tendencie of his ble&s;&s;ing, and cau&s;ing the light of his countenance to &s;hine upon them herein, was for the good of other people and Nations, <HI>That his way might be known upon earth, and his &s;aving health among all Nations,</HI> P&s;al. 107. 2. 8. with 67 1-3. and &s;o al&s;o all the <HI>Gentiles</HI> have cau&s;e to glorifie God for his great goodne&s;&s;e towards them, and wonderfull works for them, in &s;end|ing Je&s;us Chri&s;t a Mini&s;ter of the Circumci&s;ion to confirm the promi&s;es of God made unto the Fathers, <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 8, 9, 10. So tho&s;e <HI>Supplications and Prayers</HI> for good things, or for things that may have a good end and tendencie towards them, may be truly &s;aid to be for them, in re&s;pect of that their end and tendencie, though not directly or in the fir&s;t place for them, or for ble&s;&s;ings to be given to, or conferred on them. Such are,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Tho&s;e Prayers that are directly made for others that live among them, and yet are di&s;tingui&s;hed from the generality of all men, even all Saints, that are not of the world, but a people cho&s;en out of the world, for their peculiar ble&s;&s;ing, &s;anctifying, and furniture to and in all their &s;ervice of Chri&s;t, and &s;uffering for him in the world, which are &s;uch ble&s;sings as they onely are capable of; The end of the&s;e things de&s;ired directly for them according to their capacity, being for the pre&s;erving and furni&s;h|ing them to do good to others, <HI>That they may &s;hine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life,</HI> Phil. 2. 15, 16. <HI>That men &s;eeing their good works, may glorifie their Father,</HI> Mat. 5. 15. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 12. The&s;e prayers are in the &s;en&s;e fir&s;t mentioned for <HI>all men;</HI> Though the things directly petitioned for, are not de&s;ired &s;o for them, as to be conferred upon them, they being not yet capable &s;ubjects thereof: Yet for as much as one main and great end of their being de&s;ired to be conferred on the Saints as they are capable of receiving them, is for the good of others, the&s;e prayers, I &s;ay, in re&s;pect of their end and tendencie are for all men; Of this nature is that prayer of our Saviour, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 9. he &s;aith, He doth not pray for the world, that is directly, and in the fir&s;t place, in the&s;e Petitions, or for the&s;e Ble&s;sings to be confer|red on them, they being not capable &s;ubjects of them; But for them that the Father had given him (through the prevalency of the
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heavenly Call) out of the world; not that they might be taken out of the world, but &s;till a &s;eed or generation of them pre&s;erved in the world, and therein kept from the evill of it, ver&s;e 15. And that they might be &s;anctified through the truth, to peculiar &s;ervice of him in the world, as he had &s;ent them into the world, even as the Father &s;ent him in re&s;pect of his Mini&s;tration, to be the light of the world, ver&s;e 17, 18. with <HI>Joh.</HI> 9. 5&punc; &amp; <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 14. And this not onely for the fir&s;t Apo&s;tles, but al&s;o for all tho&s;e that &s;hould after believe through their word, that they may be one with him and his Father, in their De&s;ign, love, and endeavour for the good of the world; All this, &s;aith he, ver&s;. 21. 23. he prayes for, for them, That the world may know that thou ha&s;t &s;ent me, and ha&s;t loved them, (namely, all &s;uch as through grace receive this word) as thou ha&s;t loved me; &s;o that all the&s;e prayers in re&s;pect of their end and tendency were for all men; And with this agrees <HI>P&s;al. 67. God be mercifull to us and ble&s;&s;e us, and cau&s;e the light of thy countenance to &s;hine upon us; That thy way may be known upon earth, and thy &s;aving health among all Nations.</HI> The fir&s;t ver&s;e we may take either as a prayer, e&s;pecially, and more peculiarly, for all the I&s;rael of God, but then for all of them, not onely of the Jewes, but of the Gen|tiles al&s;o, even all &s;uch as in his calling are per&s;waded to come to him, to receive him according to the manife&s;tations afforded them, to know the grace of God in truth, in every Nation; for &s;uch there are, even children of the Kingdome, as good &s;eed &s;own all over the world; And then compared with the next ver&s;e, it in&s;tructs, that peculiar, and &s;pecial particular ble&s;sings, as before, protections in, and pre&s;ervations from the evill of the world, &s;an|ctification and furniture through his truth, according to the ma|nife&s;tations given them, the light of his countenance &s;hining upon them, in more abundant opening his glorious grace, as appearing in, or through his Son unto them; And in, and with all this, his mercifull pardoning and pa&s;sing by their iniquities that other|wi&s;e might keep the&s;e good things from them, they being of a higher nature, and deeper dye, than other mens &s;inner. That the&s;e things are to be de&s;ired and prayed for onely for the I&s;rael of God, to be directly conferred upon them according to their needs and capacities. But to this end the&s;e prayers are to be prayed for them, that in Gods gracious an&s;wering, and &s;o by them, as they are by Gods providence &s;ent to, or &s;cattered among all Nations,
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<HI>His way may be known upon earth, and his &s;aving health among all Nations,</HI> to the end that all men, even all the people, may prai&s;e him. Or,</P>
<P>Secondly, we may take the fir&s;t ver&s;e as a Prayer generally for all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> after the fle&s;h, for the whole Nation, as a Nation to whom God had made known his Word, his Statutes, and Judgements, as he had not done to other Nations, and upon whom his Name was called, that by them it might be proclamed and known to other Nations; a Prayer for &s;uch peculiar National ble&s;&s;ings, protections, and Salvations among other Nations, and more abundant manife&s;ting him&s;elfe a|mong&s;t them, as a people called by his Name; but then in &s;uch a &s;en&s;e it was a prayer peculiarly and only for that Nation; &s;o <HI>Numb.</HI> 6. 23, 24, &amp;c. The ble&s;&s;ing where-with the whole Hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was to be ble&s;&s;ed, and &s;o compared with the next ver&s;e, it in&s;tructs us, That peculiar or &s;pecial, general or National ble&s;&s;ings, &s;uch as by which a|mong other Nations they may be known, as a People whom God hath re&s;pect unto for his Name-&s;ake, are to be prayed for, for &s;uch Nati|ons as upon which the name of God in Chri&s;t is called, that have his Word, Ordinances, and hold the profe&s;&s;ion and acknowledgement of him (though too generally, not in truth, nor in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e) and &s;o to be more abundantly, and e&s;pecially de&s;ired, for, &amp; upon &s;uch, as on whom his Name is more abundantly&punc; or more rightly called; but to this end they are &s;o to be prayed for, and ble&s;&s;ed in his Name, that &s;o by means of or through them, <HI>His way may be known upon earth, and his &s;aving health among all Nations;</HI> to the end that al the people may prai&s;e him.</P>
<P>And &s;uch is that prayer of <HI>Solomon,</HI> 1 King. 8. 59, 60. which is much of the end and &s;umme of all the former Petitions, that he may maintaine the cau&s;e of his Servant, and of his people I&s;rael at all times; <HI>That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and there is none el&s;e;</HI> which is that which being known by all, or any of the ends of the earth, wil move them to look to him, and be &s;aved, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45. 22. &s;o that even the&s;e prayers for peculiar Nationall ble&s;&s;ings, though directly only for tho&s;e Nations on whom his name is called, as wel as al&s;o tho&s;e fore-mentioned prayers for peculiar, particular, and per&s;onal ble&s;&s;ings, though directly only for the Saints and Servants of God in the world, yet and upon a like account the one and the other are prayers made for all men, for as much as one maine and la&s;t end of the things de&s;ired, and of the de&s;iring of them, is for the good of all men&punc; even for their be&s;t good. Of this nature are tho&s;e prayers for all Saints, exhorted to <HI>Eph. 6. 18, 19. Praying alwayes, with all prayer, and
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&s;upplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all per&s;eve|rance, and &s;upplication for all Saints, and for me, that utterance may be given me</HI> (to what end?) <HI>that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the my&s;terie of the Go&s;pel;</HI> which is equivalent with this, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 7, 8. <HI>Paul</HI> being appointed and furni&s;hed a Herauld, or Cryer of this Me&s;&s;age to the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> he wils therefore that men pray every where (namely) that he and others, with, and after him, may be ever furni&s;hed to, pre&s;erved, and ble&s;&s;ed in this &s;ervice, for the good of all tho&s;e <HI>Gentiles</HI> among&s;t whom they are &s;ent, And that this is the fir&s;t &s;ort of Prayers, and fir&s;t &s;en&s;e in which prayers are to bee made for all men, that is meant in this text, al&s;o appears by the &s;cope of the text as fore-con&s;idered.</P>
<P>2 Tho&s;e prayers that are made directly again&s;t them (in their evil purpo&s;es, and wayes, again&s;t his Name, his Go&s;pel and people) or a|gain&s;t &s;ome particular per&s;ons, and whole Nations of them in &s;uch their evil enterpri&s;es, are yet for them in re&s;pect of their end and tendencie, even for tho&s;e again&s;t whom directly they are made, and for the good of all men generally; &s;uch prayers, as in which Gods Judgements, to the bla&s;ting of them, and confounding them in their evil wayes, his breaking and cro&s;&s;ing them therein, his wrath, or the te&s;timonies of his di&s;plea&s;ure to be te&s;tified again&s;t them, are earne&s;tly de&s;ired, are yet in re&s;pect of their end and tendency, for their good, and the good of all, for as much as the end of the Judgements, and breakings de&s;i|red again&s;t them, and &s;o con&s;equently of &s;uch de&s;ires of them, is the &s;ealing home admonition, and in&s;truction to them, that they may bee a&s;hamed, and turne from the evils reproved, and that others al&s;o may by Gods Judgements on them, and cro&s;&s;ing of them, learne to beware of &s;uch evils. Of this nature tho&s;e prayers, and heavie imprecations a|gain&s;t the Families of <HI>Edom</HI> (in the fir&s;t place) <HI>Moab, I&s;hmael,</HI> &amp;c. and again&s;t all that joyned with them, in their con&s;ultations again&s;t his people, <HI>P&s;al. 83. Doe to them as to the</HI> Midianites, <HI>as to</HI> Jabin <HI>and</HI> Si&s;era&punc; <HI>Per&s;ecute them with thy Tempe&s;ts, make them afraid with thy Storme; fill their faces with &s;hame</HI> (ver. 16.) <HI>that they,</HI> even tho&s;e very people, while thy hand is lifted up, and thy Judgements on them and the &s;urvivors of them, in all the opportunities given them, <HI>may &s;eek thy name, O Lord, Let them be confounded, and troubled for ev<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r, yea let them be put to &s;hame and peri&s;h</HI> (that is in their con|&s;ultations and enterpri&s;es again&s;t his people, mentioned in the former part of the P&s;alm) to what end are the&s;e &s;ad imprecations? that men,
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they, and all others, in who&s;e &s;ight Gods Judgements are, may know that thou who&s;e name alone is Jehovah, art the mo&s;t high over all the earth (compare 1 <HI>King.</HI> 8. 60. with <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 21-23.) that &s;o the inhabitants of the world may learne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, when his Judge|ments are upon the earth; yet that the particular Per&s;ons, Families, or Nations, on whom his hand is lifted up, may &s;ee, and pour out their Prayer when his cha&s;tening is upon them, according to the de&s;ire and expectation of God, whence it is a note &s;til of greater wickedne&s;&s;e if they wil not doe &s;o, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26. 8, 9-11-16.</P>
<P>Doubtle&s;&s;e, if we diligently con&s;ider, and compare that, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. (as al&s;o compared with the Scriptures fore-cited) with <HI>Rom.</HI> 9. 13. and that with <HI>Mal.</HI> 1. 2, 3, 4, 5. and <HI>Obadiah,</HI> and <HI>Ezek.</HI> 35. &amp; 36. 1-7. where the execution of tho&s;e Judgements de&s;ired again&s;t them in their evil purpo&s;es, and wayes, in that 83 <HI>P&s;alme</HI> is denounced and threatned in <HI>Ezek. &amp; Obadi,</HI> and declared as done in <HI>Mal. 1. &amp; Rom.</HI> 9. we &s;hal &s;ee clearly, that that hatred te&s;tified again&s;t the whole Fa|mily of <HI>E&s;au,</HI> or <HI>Edom,</HI> in &s;uch their evil wayes (in re&s;pect of the fir&s;t end and tendency of it, in either the imprecations, or executions of it) was not tending to their eternal de&s;truction (though to their peri&s;h|ing for ever in tho&s;e enterpri&s;es, and that there might be none remai|ning of that Family or Kingdome in that &s;tate and po&s;ture, in which they had &s;ome power, and opportunity for accompli&s;hing their en|terpri&s;es, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. 17. with <HI>Ezek. 35. 9. Obad. 18. Mal.</HI> 1. 4.) But on the other hand, that they and the re&s;idue of the Heathen might be a&s;hamed, and &s;eek the Lord, &amp;c. compare <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. 16-18. with <HI>Ezek.</HI> 35. 9-12. &amp; 36. 7. And to the &s;ame end al&s;o after God had thus te&s;tified his di&s;plea&s;ure, and executed his hatred again&s;t them in their evil wayes, he &s;o rai&s;ed up Saviours on Mount <HI>Sion,</HI> &s;ent Am|ba&s;&s;adours with termes of Peace by the Go&s;pel, as coming from Chri&s;t exalted, to <HI>Edom</HI> and all the Heathen, that now they might be judged in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e according to that Go&s;pel, by which therefore he fir&s;t admoni&s;hed them all, and in every place to repentance, <HI>Obad.</HI> 21. with <HI>Act.</HI> 17&punc; 30, 31. and therefore did he rai&s;e up the tabernacles of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> in the Di&s;pen&s;ation of Chri&s;t, in and by his Apo&s;tles, that they might po&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e the remnant of <HI>Edom</HI> (that before-hated people) and of all the other Heathen Nations (again&s;t whom tho&s;e imprecations and Judgements, <HI>P&s;al. 83. Ezek.</HI> 35. &amp; 36.) upon whom by the grace of the Go&s;pel his name is called, and out of whom a people gathered and pre&s;erved, or &s;et among&s;t them for his Name, that the re&s;idue of
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men, even all the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> might &s;eek the Lord. Compare <HI>Amos</HI> 9. 11, 12. with <HI>Act.</HI> 15. 14, 15, 16, 17.</P>
<P>Likewi&s;e tho&s;e more grievous imprecations, prayers for, and threat|ning of Judgements of a higher and wor&s;e nature upon the hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI> the beloved people, as con&s;idered in their evil purpo&s;es, and wayes, again&s;t the more plentiful meanes and grace afforded them, that were executed in the beginnings of them, in and at the time of the <HI>Ba|bylonian</HI> Captivity, and more fully, when their &s;inne was grown ful, in the rejecting of the Go&s;pel, in and at the time of the de&s;truction of their place and Nation by the <HI>Romans,</HI> which was prayed for, and threatned again&s;t them, (they per&s;i&s;ting in, and going on farther to contract, and commit tho&s;e iniquities again&s;t which they were de|nounced) <HI>P&s;al. 69. 22, 23, 24, 25. &amp; I&s;a.</HI> 6. 9-11. 13. &amp; 29. 10. In which God is &s;aid, for their great ungodline&s;&s;e (as before concern|ing <HI>Edom,</HI> &s;o in the&s;e Judgements on his peculiar people) to hate his heritage, <HI>Jer.</HI> 12. 8. to abhor the excellency of <HI>Jacob,</HI> and hate his Palaces, <HI>Amos</HI> 6. 8. concerning this the Apo&s;tle propounds the que|&s;tion, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11. 11. telling us, That now the generality of that people or Nation (before &s;o peculiarly loved) even all that were not cho&s;en, and pulled out from having fellow&s;hip with the re&s;t in that rejection of Chri&s;t at &s;o high a rate, through the grace of God proclaimed and ex|tended unto them all to that purpo&s;e, they, even all the re&s;idue, were now given up to that fearful blindne&s;&s;e and Judgement, according to tho&s;e Prophe&s;ies, and to tho&s;e Prayers, or Imprecations of <HI>David</HI> fore-cited, to which he alludes; his Que&s;tion concerning them upon this Declaration is, <HI>Have they &s;tumbled, hath God given them o|ver to this in part</HI> (for it was not yet in full, as ver&s;. 25. then indeed there wil be no remedy, but hath God done this even in the&s;e begin|nings of Judgements of Reprobation) and that accotding to tho&s;e imprecations in <HI>David,</HI> hath God done it to this end (and &s;o con&s;e|quently was this the fir&s;t end or intention of <HI>David,</HI> in making &s;uch interce&s;&s;ion again&s;t <HI>I&s;rael</HI>) that they &s;hould fall? Did God intend in the&s;e beginnings of &s;uch fearefull Judgements, or did <HI>David</HI> intend in praying for them, or therein de&s;ire their eternal and everla&s;ting de&s;tru|ction by them? And in an&s;wer to this que&s;tion he &s;aith; <HI>God forbid, farre be it from us to entertaine &s;uch a thought;</HI> but on the other hand, God hath &s;uffered them in part to fall, and through their fall oc|ca&s;ioned the bringing Salvation to the <HI>Gentiles;</HI> the end of both is, to provoke them to jealou&s;ie, to admoni&s;h them to be jealous of them|&s;elves
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&s;elves, and their wayes, and bethink them&s;elves of the Grace they had &s;inned again&s;t, that &s;o they might not abide in their unbelief; and therefore the Apo&s;tle knowing the cordialne&s;&s;e of God here|in, being one with him in his de&s;igne, did &s;trive, if by any means he might provoke them to emulation, that he might be an in&s;tru|ment of &s;aving &s;ome of them, ver&s;e 14. His hearts de&s;ire and prayer to God for whole <HI>I&s;rael</HI> (now in part rejected) being, that they might be &s;aved, Chap. 10. 1. So that prayer again&s;t the hea|then, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 79. 6. breathed forth al&s;o by <HI>Jer.</HI> Chap. 10. 25. That God would poure out his wrath upon them, &amp;c. (namely in their Rebellious enterprizes, and lifting up them&s;elves again&s;t his name and people) For they, &s;aith the Text in both places, have devour|ed <HI>Jacob,</HI> and made him de&s;olate, yet the fir&s;t end and tendencie of the&s;e prayers, &s;o directly again&s;t them in their evill wayes, were for their good, con&s;idering that (as we afore&s;hewed in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 67.) for <HI>I&s;rael</HI> to be pre&s;erved among the heathen, and defended from their rage and malice, &s;eeing it was to this end, <HI>That by them his way might be known upon earth, and his &s;aving health among all Nations,</HI> was of all mercies, the mo&s;t conducing to their good; Therefore in the po&s;ture they were in, there could be no better prayer for the generality of them, than for God to poure out his wrath upon them, in revenging the bloud of his &s;ervants, and &s;o bla&s;ting and breaking their enterprizes, that his people might yet be pre&s;erved among&s;t them; though in the&s;e judgements many of the heathen might be &s;uddenly de&s;troyed and &s;natched away, yet even tho&s;e might receive admonition, and reproof from God, who doubt|le&s;&s;e was not wanting in giving it in due time while it might be for their good, even while his judgements were on them to the de&s;troying them from the earth, if they had not &s;o long provoked him before by their rebellions, that he had wholly rejected them.</P>
<P>And however the &s;natching away &s;ome in their &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e and rebellion, &s;o as Gods hand might be &s;een in it for his names &s;ake, was much conducing; and therefore oft u&s;ed by God as a gracious in&s;trument to the general admonition and good of all the &s;urviving enemies, as <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 1-6. That they might &s;ee and fear, and do no more &s;o wickedly, le&s;t they al&s;o peri&s;h in like manner; Therefore al&s;o is this prayer of <HI>David</HI> in the following ver&s;es, de|livered in &s;uch termes; See <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 79. 10. (equivalent with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. 16, 17.) <HI>Let God be known among the heathen, in our &s;ight, by reven|ging&punc;
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&amp;c.</HI> and &s;o the fir&s;t and direct end of the&s;e prayers, ver&s;e 13. is, that <HI>his people, and the &s;heep of his pa&s;ture, may give him thanks, and prai&s;e him to all generations;</HI> which is for this cau&s;e that the Gentiles may glorifie God for his mercy, and come in and laud him with them, compare herewith, <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 8, 9, 10. with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 67. So that even the&s;e prayers, in re&s;pect of their end, and tendencie, were for the heathen, again&s;t whom directly they were made. And in &s;uch manner are the&s;e prayers to be made for <HI>all men.</HI> But</P>
<P>2 There are al&s;o Intreaties, <HI>Supplications and Interce&s;sions</HI> to be made more directly for <HI>all men,</HI> even for mercies, favours, and good things to be conferred on them, according to their needs and capacities; And &s;uch as may conduce to the great De&s;ign of God, and his people, for their good, and tho&s;e &s;uch as may be more directly and properly &s;ignified by <HI>Interce&s;sions. Prayers</HI> are to be made for <HI>all men,</HI> for Gods gracious exten&s;ion of &s;uch pardon of their iniquities, in which they ill requite, rebell, and &s;in again&s;t the grace of God bringing &s;alvation to them all in the means fore|mentioned, and &s;o in all mercies, and cha&s;ti&s;ements, that judge|ments tending to their utter cutting off, may yet be kept off through the mediation of Chri&s;t, and for his &s;ake, that it may not be &s;peedily executed, but liberty, occa&s;ion, and opportunity yet put in their hands to enjoy the mercies of God that may lead them to repentance, and to repent and turn to him, as we have noted be|fore; <HI>Stephen</HI> at his la&s;t breathing kneeled down, and cryed with a loud voice, <HI>Father forgive them, or do not lay this &s;in to their charge,</HI> to execute judgement &s;peedily, but give them time yet againe to repent, that in repenting they may receive forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins, and inheritance. So the Apo&s;tle generally in&s;tructs us, <HI>If any man &s;ee his brother &s;in a &s;in not unto death, he &s;hall pray, and God &s;hall give give him life;</HI> &s;uch pardon of the &s;in to the &s;inner as that judgement be not executed, he not be cut off, but breathing-time afforded that he might repent; and in owning his &s;in as grace di&s;covers, and reproves, in repenting and turning to him, he &s;hall give him life in a further &s;en&s;e; the clean&s;ing of the con&s;cience, and healing of the nature, peace with God through our Lord Je&s;us, and hope of the glory to be revealed; neither are prayers to be made for them otherwi&s;e, or on other termes, and if we pray according to his will, we know he heareth us; But on tho&s;e termes, according to mens need and capacity, and as the Go&s;pel in&s;tructeth, we are to be in|&s;tant
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in prayer, not to cea&s;e to pray for them. Though God ha|ving many times in &s;uch ca&s;es, even when judgements have been prepared for them, graciou&s;ly delivered them, and not &s;tirred up all his wrath again&s;t them, and in &s;uch a &s;en&s;e forgiven their ini|quity, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78. 38. not laid it yet to their charge, that they might turne to him and be healed; yet they are &s;inning &s;till to provoke him to anger, and hardening their hearts again&s;t his goodne&s;&s;e that leadeth them to repentance; yet &s;till prayers are to be made for them, and with &s;o much the more earne&s;tne&s;&s;e, while it may be in due time, God yet giving opportunity, not having utterly &s;epa|rated them; That forbearance may yet be granted, That God may yet wait to be gracious, and not yet cut them up for their un|thankfulne&s;&s;e, and unfruitfulne&s;&s;e, as in that Parable, <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 6-9. our Saviours example in&s;tructeth us, and al&s;o in his praying for tho&s;e that added that to all their former iniquities of abu&s;ing the former &s;ervants they crucified him that was the Heir, <HI>Yet Father for|give them,</HI> and by his Spirit leading <HI>Stephen,</HI> after they had added yet more iniquity to iniquity, &s;till to intercede for pardon, and &s;o he in&s;tructeth us, <HI>To pray for them that per&s;ecute us, Ble&s;&s;e them that cur&s;e us,</HI> in &s;uch manner, and for &s;uch things, as in which we may be one in Gods De&s;ign, and render our &s;elves like him, who gra|ciou&s;ly, through the Mediation of his Son, extends &s;uch forgive|ne&s;&s;e, and long&s;uffering, and to &s;uch ends, That he &s;till cau&s;eth his Sunne to &s;hine, and his Rain to fall, and therein is really piti|full and kind to the unthankfull and evill, witne&s;&s;ing his goodne&s;&s;e to lead them to repentance, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5. 45, 46. <HI>Luke 6. 35, 36. Act. 14. 17. Rom.</HI> 2. 4.</P>
<P>The&s;e con&s;iderations of what the prayers are, and in what man|ner all prayers are to be made for <HI>all men,</HI> may afford us &s;ome di|rection in our prayers, to pray as we ought, which the holy Spirit teacheth, as he doth all other things, by opening the Te&s;timony of Je&s;us, and &s;hewing the things, of him, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 26. with <HI>Joh.</HI> 16. 13, 14. As therein he pre&s;ents us with good ground and founda|tion of Prayer (as we &s;hall after &s;hew) &s;o thereby he in&s;tructeth us what to pray for, and in what manner for all men, and how to pray as we ought for every man, in teaching us to pray, according to his will, as declared in that declaration of his name in his Son, for &s;uch things as the Father hath appointed him to give unto men, by vertue of his Sacrifice and Mediation, to each according
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to his need and capacity, and &s;o as according to the wi&s;dome of God may be for his good; and &s;o we are here directed, not to pray for tho&s;e peculiar ble&s;&s;ings, which men become capable and meet &s;ubjects to partake of onely in beleeving and comming to Chri&s;t, as <HI>Col. 1. 9-13. 1 Pet. 2. 3, 4.</HI> &s;uch as &s;anctifying and furniture to, and ble&s;&s;ing in the mini&s;tration of the Go&s;pel, and the like for any that is yet in the &s;tate, fellow&s;hip, and way of the world, and &s;o of it, yet to pray for the&s;e things for all Saints, that the world may be the better for them, as to the be&s;t good, <HI>Job.</HI> 17. 9-21, 23. nei|ther may we pray for Gods pro&s;pering any man in his evill way, or for &s;pecial National protections, ownings, and &s;alvations, to be afforded to any people or Nation openly &s;et in oppo&s;ition to him, or to any people that are called by his name, and e&s;pecially if for his names &s;ake called upon them; But we are to &s;uffer the grace of God to teach and lead us, as it certainly will, to pray again&s;t their evill works and inventions, and &s;o again&s;t them as abiding in the &s;aid wayes, and for &s;pecial protections, ownings, and &s;alvati|ons to be afforded to that people or Nation upon whom his name is called, or that do more rightly wor&s;hip and acknowledge him, and that for his names &s;ake, and both the&s;e intentionally for the good, not only of tho&s;e people for whom the prayers are directly made, but of their enemies al&s;o, and &s;o of <HI>all men.</HI> Our Saviours Admonition and In&s;truction to his Di&s;ciples, when upon &s;ome peoples unthankfulne&s;&s;e, and not receiving him, they would have prayed for fire to come down from heaven and con&s;ume them, as <HI>Elias</HI> did, may here &s;ea&s;onably be con&s;idered by us, <HI>Ye know not what manner of &s;pirit ye are of, for the Son of man came not to de&s;troy mens lives, but to &s;ave them,</HI> Luke 9. 55, 56. And therefore al&s;o, Though we are not, nor is it according to his will, to pray for forgivene&s;&s;e, peace, and joy, in a full and proper &s;en&s;e, to be given to any man abiding in his evill way, or in his natural &s;tate and condition, yet we may, and are taught by his grace, to pray for &s;uch pardon, for|bearance and renewing of goodne&s;&s;e to be conferred on them, and in due time, as may give them opportunity, and have tendency, and efficacy in it, to lead them to repentance, <HI>That &s;o they may receive forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins, and inheritance with tho&s;e that are &s;anctified by &s;aith that is in Chri&s;t. And &s;o the end of all prayers for all men, is, that they might be &s;aved.</HI> We come next to con&s;ider,</P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>What are tho&s;e thanksgivings joyned with prayers to be made
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for all men.</HI> This the Scripture plentifully &s;ets before us, That al manner of right prayer, is joyned with <HI>Thanksgiving,</HI> Phil. 4. 6. <HI>In every thing by prayer and &s;upplication with thanksgiving, let your reque&s;ts be made known to God.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 14, 15. and 95. 2. <HI>Come into his pre|&s;ence with Thank&s;giving, offer &s;acrifice of Thanksgiving, and call upon him:</HI> Yea all men are invited &s;o to do. Now what this <HI>Thanksgiving</HI> is, that is &s;o in&s;eparably joyned with all right praying, we &s;hall al&s;o finde in tho&s;e Scriptures that &s;peak to this matter, that it is &s;uch a commemoration and thankful acknowledgement of, and ble&s;&s;ing God for, his great love and mercy te&s;tified in what he hath already done for us, as in which Gods goodne&s;&s;e is only commen|ded and glorified (and not ours with it, as in that of the Phari&s;ee, <HI>God I thank thee that I am not &amp;c.</HI> Luk. 18. 11.) and that &s;o, as in the minding and con&s;ideration thereof, we have incouragement pre|&s;ented, to expect, and pray in faith for tho&s;e further &s;treamings forth of mercy, and good things, according to our needs and capa|city, which through the knowledge of his name we are lead to de|&s;ire, and ask accordingly to his wil. So our Savior teacheth us in that doctrine of <HI>Prayer, Mat.</HI> 6. 9. to acknowledge and commemorate the honor and prai&s;e due to his name, for what he hath done in, and by his Son, in the forefront of all the Petitions we ask of him, that therein we may glorifie him, and yeeld him the prai&s;e of his grace, who al&s;o for his names &s;ake meeteth with him that rejoyceth in acknowledging it, <HI>Though to us belong nothing but &s;hame,</HI> that therein al&s;o we may be minded of that which may inlarge and draw out our hearts with encouragement in God, though aba&s;ement in our &s;elves further to pray according to his will. And &s;o the holy Spirit for the helping of our infirmities, &amp; teaching us how to pray as we ought, as he takes of the things of Je&s;us, and &s;heweth (as is &s;hewed before) &s;o therein he glorifies him, in, and according to the Go&s;pel, minding us what cau&s;e of <HI>Thank&s;giving</HI> we have to God, continu|ally, by and in the name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and how that &s;erves for our in&s;truction, and encouragement further to pray; &s;ee examples and in&s;tructions to this. And fir&s;t in tho&s;e Thank&s;givings that are joyned with Prayers made for all Saints, and for &s;uch peculiar ble&s;|&s;ings to be conferred on them, as of which they only are capable &s;ubjects, though in re&s;pect of their end and tendencie the&s;e are al&s;o for all men, as afore is &s;hewed: In all the&s;e Thank&s;givings, there is not only an acknowledgement of that true in Chri&s;t for men as
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the bottom cau&s;e of all thank&s;givings, and of the great love &amp; goodne&s;&s;e of God to manward, as manife&s;ted therein; but with this there is al|wayes an acknowledgement, and commemoration of Gods great good|ne&s;&s;e in tho&s;e &s;pecial &s;treamings forth of the i&s;&s;ues and ver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ues of that Redemption, and grace of God in Chri&s;t to manward, which they have met with, and through his grace have had efficacie in them, to the &s;aving them, and making them meet to partake of the inheritance of the Saints, in tho&s;e peculiar ble&s;&s;ings de&s;ired and prayed for, for them; See our Saviours Prayer, <HI>Joh. 17. 7, 8. Now they have known &s;aith he, that all things what &s;oever thou ha&s;t given me are of thee, for I have given them the words thou gave&s;t me, and they have known &s;urely that I came out from thee; I pray for them</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>namely, that the peculiar ble&s;&s;ings, of which they through the prevalency of the grace of God are made capable &s;ubjects, may be conferred on them. I pray not</HI> (namely) <HI>this Prayer, the&s;e Petitions, and in this manner for the world, for whom yet he was &s;ent a Saviour,</HI> 1 Joh. 4. 14. <HI>and that not to condemn them, but that through him they might be &s;aved.</HI></P>
<P>He doth not make this Prayer, and in this manner, for all for whom he dyed, and gave him&s;elfe a ran&s;ome, nor for any of them, until by the prevalency of the grace of God upon them they be given him out of the world, and &s;o there is that as a peculiar matter of thank&s;giving al&s;o to be made for them. So <HI>Col. 1. 8-12. Since the day</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>that we heard of your love in the Spirit, wee cea&s;e not to pray, that yee might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wi&s;dome, and &s;piritual understanding,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance, which knowing, we make our reque&s;ts for the conferring of &s;uch pe|culiar ble&s;&s;ings as therein you are made capable &s;ubjects of with joy,</HI> as <HI>Phil. 1. 3, 4-9, 10. 1 The&s;.</HI> 2. 4, 5. This gives us occa|&s;ion to con&s;ider as the ground and rea&s;on of it, that it was not the end or intention of God in &s;ending his Son into the world, the Saviour of the world, appointing him by the grace of God to ta&s;t Death for every man, and exalting him by vertue of his &s;ufferings, a Prince, and a Savi|our; nor is it his mind, or wil, according to which all Prayers are to be made, that having done that in and by his Son for them, his Son &s;hould therefore nece&s;&s;arily give eternal Life to all of them for whom he dyed, and is become &s;uch a Saviour, or to any of them in their particulars, while remaining in their Natural &s;tate and condition, but only to tho&s;e
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that through grace according to the di&s;coveries of him vouch&s;afed, be|leeve in him; 'Tis true, <HI>he was made &s;in for us, that we might bee made the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God in him;</HI> not that all for whom he was made &s;in mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be thereupon made the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, but that they might be made &s;o in and through him, and &s;o tho&s;e only of all for whom he was made &s;in; that by faith of the opperation of God come in to him, are therein, and &s;o in him to be made the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 21. our Saviour therefore, as the rea&s;on of his pray|ing in &s;uch manner, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. namely, for &s;uch peculiar ble&s;&s;ings to be conferred only on &s;uch per&s;ons as for whom there was &s;uch peculiar matter of Thank&s;giving to be made as before, he fir&s;t layes down this Doctrin, ver. 2. That the Father hath given him power over all fle&s;h, (not only over all Creatures for admini&s;tation of the Government of God among&s;t men, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28. 18. but al&s;o over all Mankind, as a Prince and Saviour for them) That he &s;hould give eternal Life (he &s;aith not to all Fle&s;h, or to all Men who are given to him, and committed to his di&s;po&s;e and judgement by vertue of his &s;ufferings) but to as many as the Father hath given him; where the Fathers giving is evidently to be under&s;tood in a &s;en&s;e peculiar, and di&s;tinct from that &s;en&s;e of his gi|ving, after which it is &s;aid, That in giving him power over all fle&s;h, or committing the whole di&s;po&s;e and judgement of all men to him, as <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 22. he hath therein given and delivered over all men, even all the ends of the earth, and all things into his hands, as his proper inhe|ritance, by vertue of his &s;ufferings, <HI>P&s;al. 2. 6. 8. Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11. 27. &amp; Joh.</HI> 13. 3. with <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 8, 9-11. and that al&s;o in re&s;pect of the fir&s;t end towards All, not to condemn, but to &s;ave the world of Mankinde, and that through him they might be &s;aved, and brought back to God. The Fathers giving all men to him in this &s;en&s;e, and to this end as the fir&s;t end towards All, is evidently &s;ignified in the fir&s;t part of the ver&s;e, <HI>The Father hath given him power over all fle&s;h,</HI> as is &s;een by com|paring it with other Scriptures; therefore &s;eeing he di&s;tingui&s;heth from the&s;e &s;ome per&s;ons that the Father hath given him, he mu&s;t needs mean in a peculiar &s;en&s;e of giving, &s;o as all given him, and into his di&s;po&s;e, by vertue of his &s;uffering for them, that through him they might be &s;aved, yet are not &s;o given him, even a giving by an actual Election, or choy&s;e out from the re&s;idue of all Fle&s;h, into his &s;pecial charge, and protection, and &s;o explicated, ver. 9. with <HI>Joh. 15. 19. Given him out of the world, of which &s;ometime they were;</HI> but now are actually cho|&s;en out of it, redeemed from among men, in re&s;pect of their condition,
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way, fellow&s;hip, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> through the prevailing force of the grace of God in Chri&s;t to Man-ward, di&s;cerned, and believed by them; It is the will of the Father concerning Chri&s;t, and the ends and vertues of his coming down from heaven, and now being inve&s;ted with all power, <HI>That he &s;hould give eternal life to &s;uch,</HI> according to that, <HI>Joh. 6. 39. 40. It is the will of him that &s;ent him,</HI> that he might be impowred to accompli&s;h which he fir&s;t came down from heaven, <HI>That of all that he hath given him</HI> (not out of others, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 2. 9. but in a general and large &s;en&s;e without di&s;tingui&s;hing or oppo&s;ing them to other things or per&s;ons, <HI>All what&s;oever the Father hath given him) he &s;hould lo&s;e nothing, but rai&s;e it up at the la&s;t day.</HI> Now when he &s;peaks in &s;uch a ful &s;en&s;e without limitation or di&s;tingui&s;hing from, &amp; oppo&s;ing to other things, or other &s;en&s;es of giving, we can by no means exclude any thing that is in any &s;en&s;e given him, according to the Apo&s;tles rea&s;oning, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 8. with 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 27. Now all per&s;ons and things being given and delivered to him, as we &s;hewed before, <HI>Its the Fa|thers will he &s;hould lo&s;e nothing,</HI> but in the i&s;&s;ue bring all to him, <HI>Rai&s;ing it up at the la&s;t day;</HI> The Glory, Kingdome, Dominion, though now men detract much of it from him, and by rea&s;on of &s;in, the crea|ture is yet &s;ubject to the bondage of corruption; yet it &s;hall all arrive at him, <HI>and be &s;hall rai&s;e it up at the la&s;t day, when every knee &s;hall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and every tongue confe&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</HI> And &s;o neither &s;hall he lo&s;e any of tho&s;e per&s;ons redeemed by him, though many of them lo&s;e and bring de&s;truction upon them|&s;elves by denying him that bought them, yet they &s;hall not be lo&s;t to him, <HI>But he &s;hall rai&s;e them up at the la&s;t day,</HI> and bring them to his judgement &s;eat, as ver&s;e 37. <HI>All that the Father giveth me &s;hall come to me,</HI> even &s;uch as now will not come to him that they might have life, though graciou&s;ly drawn by the Father, as ver&s;. 35, 36. Them will he bring to be &s;lain for ever before his face, becau&s;e they would not that he &s;hould reign over them, who is their law|full Lord, and unto whom they were all given, that through him they might have been &s;aved.</P>
<P>But then it follows as another part of the Fathers will concern|ing him, <HI>That who&s;oever &s;eeth the Son, and believeth in him,</HI> or as v. 37. <HI>he that cometh to him,</HI> &s;peaking in the pre&s;ent ten&s;e, for as the &s;ame ver&s;e &s;aith, <HI>All &s;hall come, either here, or hereafter;</HI> but he that now in this day of Gods grace and patience, <HI>cometh in the Fathers draw|ings,</HI> which an&s;wers the Fathers giving to Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 2. or at
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lea&s;t is that in which they are made capable &s;ubjects of &s;uch giving&punc; It is the will of the Father concerning Chri&s;t that he &s;hould give unto &s;uch eternal life; <HI>For God &s;o loved the world, that he gave his onely begotten Son</HI> (the Saviour of it, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4. 14.) That who&s;oever of the world &s;o loved by him, and to whom love is &s;o te&s;tified in, and through the Son; doth through this grace beleeve in him (implying that all &s;o loved by him, do not &s;o an&s;wer his love again) <HI>that they &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life,</HI> Joh. 3. 16. And this is the rea|&s;on that &s;uch prayers for the peculiar ble&s;&s;ings of eternal life to be conferred on per&s;ons, are only to be prayed for; for tho&s;e on the be|half of whom there is al&s;o &s;uch peculiar matter of Thank&s;givings to be made; And &s;uch and of like nature, are tho&s;e Thank&s;givings to be joyned with prayers of the fir&s;t &s;ort, as already mentioned, and is to be &s;een in the Scriptures quoted; and although in them there be many things acknowledged and commemorated to Gods glory, and for our encouragement to pray tho&s;e prayers unto him, which are peculiar priviledges of the Saints, for whom &s;uch further things are directly de&s;ired, as they only are capable of, yet for as much as tho&s;e peculiar mercies acknowledged, as well as tho&s;e de&s;ired, are in re|&s;pect of their end, and tendency for the good of all men, as we &s;ee in that example of our Saviour, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. 18, 21, 23. and tho&s;e of like nature, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. 1, 2. &amp;c. &amp; 56. 9-13 &amp; 116. 16-18. even the&s;e Thank&s;|givings al&s;o, in a like &s;en&s;e, as the prayers of this &s;ort forementioned, may be truly &s;aid to be made for all men. According to that of our Saviour, <HI>Joh. 11. 41, 42. Father I thanke thee that thou ha&s;t heard me; And I know that thou heare&s;t me alwayes, but becau&s;e of the people that &s;tand by I &s;aid it, That they may believe that thou ha&s;t &s;ent me;</HI> Therefore his prai&s;e is of him in the great Congregation, becau&s;e of Gods furni&s;hing, and upholding, and hearing him for their good, <HI>P&s;al. 22. 22, 25. And for this cau&s;e he will confe&s;&s;e to him among the Gentiles, and &s;ing unto his name;</HI> Again he &s;aith, <HI>Rejoyce yee Gentiles, with his people, and laud him all ye Nations,</HI> Rom. 15. 8, 9, 10. there al&s;o is further to be con&s;idered, That the bottome matter of all Thank&s;givings, the foundation and root of all tho&s;e things for which thanks is to be gi|ven to the Father by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, That from which all the other &s;prings, is nothing el&s;e, but that which is true in Chri&s;t for all men, namely Gods &s;o loving the world, as not to &s;pare his only begotten Son, <HI>But to deliver him to death for us all; That he by the grace of God &s;hould ta&s;te of death for every man, and give him&s;elfe a ran&s;ome for
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All; A Te&s;timony in due time:</HI> This being true and cordially done, and the ends and vertues of this with the Father, is the only cau&s;e and rea&s;on, <HI>That with him, in, and through him, he gives all things per|taining to life and godline&s;&s;e,</HI> Rom. 8. 32. with 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 1, 3. So as who&s;oever believeth in him, and &s;o receiveth and clo&s;eth with him in the knowledge and faith of what he hath done, and is become for all men, and the love of God in him to Man-ward, doth therein receive, and is made capable of further receiving that eternall life in him by faith of it in him for them, and with him to be given them, and &s;o in a fir&s;t fruits of &s;pirituall enjoyment, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 16. and 1. 12. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 11, 12. <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 6-11. Therefore this is made the bottome matter of all the Thank&s;giving, and acknowledgement, as being the foundation root, and cau&s;e of all the re&s;t, <HI>Col. 1. 14. In whom we have redemption through his bloud, even the forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins;</HI> So <HI>Eph. 1. 7. P&s;al.</HI> 130. yea this the bottome of the rejoycing &s;ong to Eternity, <HI>Thou wa&s;t &s;lain,</HI> and out of the bowels and vertues of this, and of the love of God to Man-ward, and that was &s;o to us even when we were dead in &s;ins and tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, through Chri&s;t Je&s;us it i&s;&s;ued; And in the di&s;coveries and pre&s;entation of this was effect|ed, <HI>That they were redeemed from among men,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5. 9. with 1 <HI>Pet. 1. 18. Eph. 2. 4, 5, 8. Joh. 3. 16. Tit.</HI> 3. 4, 5.</P>
<P>And for this namely, That done, and perfect in Chri&s;t, and that cordially to this end, That the other might be done in them, as 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 14, 15. 21. And the furniture and faithfulne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t in the name of the Father for being a te&s;timony to men in due time, affording means, and therein inlightning, reproving, teaching, accor|ding to mens needs and capacity for the bringing them back to God. <HI>All men have cau&s;e to prai&s;e the Lord for his goodne&s;&s;e, and for his wonderfull works to the children of men.</HI> And if they will not, yet let the Redeemed of the Lord, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, do it for them&s;elves and them, <HI>P&s;al. 107. 1, 2, 8, 15, 16. &amp;c. For he hath broken the Gates of bra&s;&s;e in peeces, and cut the Bars of Iron a&s;under, &s;laine the enmity in him&s;elfe that was between God and mankind, that he might reconcile man to God,</HI> Eph. 2. 16. So that&punc;</P>
<P>There is great Thank&s;giving to be made directly for <HI>all men</HI> to the glory and prai&s;e of God, and the incouragement of his people to pray in faith for tho&s;e good things in their behalf, and for the good of them, and for good things to be directly be&s;towed on them according to their needs and capacities, that may tend to
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the furtherance of the great De&s;igne of God for the good of <HI>all men:</HI> And that not onely for the great love of God in the gift of his Son, and the redemption wrought in him for them; But al&s;o for all tho&s;e mercies and accommodations of the naturall life, means leading to repentance and forbearance hitherto extended, and his good Spirit accompanying the &s;ame, inlightning, re|proving, &amp;c. And all to bring men to God, That they might &s;eek him and live, as <HI>Job 33. 29, 30. Rom. 2. 2. 4. Act.</HI> 17. 27. And &s;uch is that great acknowledgement and Thank&s;giving to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, or in the name of Je&s;us, <HI>P&s;al. 68. 18, 19, 20. Thou ha&s;t a&s;cended on high</HI> (namely the Lord Je&s;us, <HI>Eph. 4. 8. He who fir&s;t de&s;|cended into the lower parts of the earth) Thou ha&s;t lead Captivity captive (de&s;troyed him that had the power of death, that is the Devill, That he might deliver tho&s;e who through fear of Death, were all their life time &s;ubject to bondage,</HI> Heb. 2. 14.) And received gifts in the man, and for men (as we may take it in both readings) <HI>even for the Rebellious,</HI> yea for &s;uch as per&s;i&s;ting in their Rebellions again&s;t this grace of God <HI>That brings &s;alvation to all men, denying him that bought them, Do after bring upon them&s;elves &s;wift de&s;truction,</HI> as appears by com|paring the&s;e 18. and 19. ver&s;es, with ver&s;e 21. yet for them the pre&s;ent and fir&s;t end of his working Redemption, de&s;troying Sa|tans works, and receiving gifts in him&s;elf for them, is, That now they might dwell with the Lord, and &s;o that mi&s;ery and de&s;tru|ction, which they after bring on them&s;elves, might in time be prevented to them; And therefore it follows farther in the Thank&s;giving or acknowledgement of what God hath further done to that end; and of that as i&s;&s;uing out of the bowels of the former, and being nothing el&s;e but a &s;treaming forth of the ends and vertues thereof. Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord God in Chri&s;t, That now on the account of his having a&s;cended and received gifts, daily loadeth us; <HI>The God of our &s;alvations, Selah.</HI> He that is thus our God, and a God of &s;uch &s;alvations to us in and through his Son; he is the God of &s;alvation in a more generall latitude; The Saviour of all men, e&s;pecially of them that believe; And therefore we are in&s;tructed to give thanks alwayes, and for all things in the name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 20. yea the Apo&s;tle exhorting us to fol|low that which is good, both among our &s;elves, and towards all men, directs us in pur&s;uance hereof to <HI>Rejoyce evermore, to pray without cea&s;ing, and in every thing give thanks, For this,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>is
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the will of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us concerning you,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 15, 16-18. And &s;o here in pur&s;uance of the great De&s;ign forementioned, <HI>To pray with Thanksgiving for all men;</HI> There is not a man to be pray|ed for, for whom there is not Thank&s;giving to be made to God in his behalf, and that in the name of Chri&s;t, nor any thing to be prayed for, for any man, for our encouragement, to which, we have not &s;omthing &s;uitable in, and by Chri&s;t, for, and towards that man to give thanks for. And this leads us to con&s;ider,</P>
<P>Fifthly, The ground or account upon which <HI>Prayers and Thank&s;|givings are to be made for all men;</HI> And that is no other, but the truth and verity of that which we have already mentioned, as the bottome cau&s;e, and occa&s;ion of Thank&s;giving which we have to God, in and by Chri&s;t for them; See for this the following ver&s;es, as joyned with this fir&s;t, and &s;o the word therefore ver&s;e 1. though as it refers to the end of the exhortation, and thing exhorted to, it points to the foregoing Chapter, as we have &s;een; yet as it hath reference to the ground of the exhortation, or things exhorted to; &s;o it leads us to the following ver&s;es for finding out and un|der&s;tanding it, as will appear by con&s;idering them. <HI>I exhort therefore that Prayers, and Thanksgivings be made for all men, &amp;c. For this is good and acceptable in the &s;ight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be &s;aved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth; For one God, or God is one</HI> (as <HI>Gal. 3. 20. And there is one Mediator between God and men, The Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who gave him&s;elf a Ran&s;ome for All, a Te&s;timony, or to be te&s;tified in due time, whereunto I am ordained a Preacher, and an Apo&s;tle, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, &amp;c.</HI> The ground of pray|ing for all men, is here cleerly rendred by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>To be.</HI> The verity, and certainty of the love and good will of God to Man|ward, to all men as manife&s;ted in that great Witne&s;&s;e and Te&s;ti|mony thereof in that done in, and by Chri&s;t for them; As it is a general ground and rule of all right prayer that is according to his will, 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. 14. For our better under&s;tanding this, and how it gives good ground of Prayers, and Thank&s;givings to be made for all men, and that without wrath, or doubting. Let us take a briefe view of the words; See ver&s;e 4. <HI>God will have all men to be &s;aved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.</HI> Some under&s;tand this as a Declaration of Gods ab&s;olute will concerning Chri&s;t, and what &s;hould certainly be accompli&s;hed by him.</P>
<P><PB N="51" REF="32">Fir&s;t, That he &s;hould &s;ave all men, with &s;uch &s;alvation, as fore|runs the knowledge of the truth, yea in re&s;pect of the greate&s;t work of it, &s;uch as foreruns their being called to it, as 2 <HI>Tim. 1. 9. He hath &s;aved us, and called us;</HI> That is, fir&s;t Work &s;alvation in him&s;elf for them, and &s;o &s;ave, or recover the whole nature in him&s;elf as the publick Per&s;on. And &s;econdly, that in the Admi|ni&s;tration of Gods Government, by vertue of what he hath done, and is perfect in him for them, he &s;hould &s;ave them, and &s;o they &s;hould be pre&s;erved by him, as they came to have beings given and continued here) to the comfortable enjoyment of the naturall life, the mercies, and accommodations thereof, and &s;o from peri&s;hing in, or under the &s;hadows of the fir&s;t Death. Thirdly, That he &s;hould procure, and extend forbearance of &s;ins, committed again&s;t the light, and grace of Redemption, and fruits thereof, &s;ave, or keep from Judgements, that being &s;peedily executed, might cut off for ever, That &s;o they may yet enjoy him a Te&s;timony in due time to them; And &s;o he is the Saviour of <HI>All men,</HI> according to the will of his Father concerning him. And Secondly, That he &s;hould bring them all to the knowledge of the truth, either now in this day while it might be to their everla&s;ting comfort, or el&s;e hereafter, if here they wilfully reject till they be rejected of him, when it will be to their everla&s;ting terror, <HI>I&s;a. 45. 23. Phil</HI> 2. 8, 9. with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 5, 6, &amp;c. And &s;o the will of God concerning what he was to do that men might be &s;aved, af|fording good and large ground to pray for them; and the terror appearing in that which &s;hal after be accompli&s;hed to their wo if now his grace be rejected affording motive to pre&s;&s;e to earne&s;tne&s;s in praying and be&s;eeching both them, and God for them, while it is an accepted time. Now all the&s;e in&s;tructions ari&s;ing from &s;uch a reading of the words are true, and &s;uitable to tho&s;e which ap|pear fully in the following words. But here this ver&s;e, &s;eems more properly to be read, as a Declaration of Gods good will, love, and de&s;ire towards men, and concerning them&punc; as con&s;idered in their faln, lo&s;t, and &s;infull e&s;tate, which was &s;uch, as in which he would have them &s;aved out of it, and brought back again to him; Such his great compa&s;&s;ions, &s;lowne&s;&s;e to anger, and riches in mercie, That he had no plea&s;ure in their de&s;truction, but that they &s;hould turn and live. And therefore de&s;ired they &s;hould come to the knowledge of the truth of his love and goodne&s;&s;e towards them that &s;o they might be drawn into love of him, and confor|mity
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to him, that were &s;o full of hatred, and antipathy again&s;t him. And then as a real demon&s;tration of this his love, &amp; de&s;ire for them and declaration of the way and means prepared that this might be (for though God loved them, and de&s;ired their good, yet they could have enjoyed no &s;treamings forth, or manife&s;tations of it, or benefit by it. If he had not devi&s;ed means that his bani&s;hed might not be expelled, as 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 14. 14.) He further tells us, That God is one, and unchangeable in all his holy Attributes; and there|fore in love to man, as his creature, and the end of his other creation, and while he was not yet become wholly one with, and of Satan, that had tempted and prevailed over him, could not yet give him up; And &s;o in holine&s;&s;e and truth, and therefore could by no means in clearing, clear the guilty, or forgive &s;in without a fulfilling of his truth, and &s;atisfying of his Ju&s;tice; And &s;o likewi&s;e in infinit wi&s;dome and goodne&s;&s;e in all, and therefore knew how to finde out a way of recovery that mercy and truth might meet together for mans recovery and helpfulne&s;&s;e in this lo&s;t condition (as well as to make him of nothing a creature to &s;uch excellent glory, and hath done it, <HI>God is light, and in him is no darkne&s;&s;e:</HI> And that appears in this that follows, <HI>There is one Mediator of God and man, and &s;o between God and man, Chri&s;t Je&s;us; A Mediator is not a Mediator of one; But God is one,</HI> Gal. 3. 20. A Mediator is of, and between two parties at a di&s;tance, and &s;o is ours; But whereas the u&s;uall work of Me|diators between man and man, is to lay his hand on both, and prevail with one to abate &s;omething, and the other to pay or &s;a|tisfie &s;omething; &s;o is not ours, for God is one, He was not turn|ed enemy, but loved us when we were enemies, &s;o as he &s;ent the Mediator, He is one, and &s;o infinit and perfect in holine&s;&s;e, and can abate nothing of what his Truth and Ju&s;tice requires, and therefore mu&s;t have full and perfect &s;atisfaction, though we are &s;o weak we can make none; The work therefore of our Media|tor is to make full &s;atisfaction, pay the full price, come up to Gods terms; and then to bring us up to, and inable us to accept of tho&s;e termes in him made, and accepted for us; And &s;o in the whole, and in each part of his work, That with God, and that with men, It is to reconcile man to God; The fir&s;t in, and by him&s;elfe without them, The &s;econd in their particular per&s;ons through him, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 19, 20, 21. And for the accompli&s;hing this&punc;
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He that is the one Mediator of God and man, and that he might be a &s;tanding Mediator between them; <HI>Gave him&s;elfe a ran&s;ome for all men; A Te&s;timony, or to be testified in due time, That &s;o through him they might come to the knowledge of the truth, and be &s;aved.</HI></P>
<P>For under&s;tanding the large ground of praying for <HI>All men,</HI> here &s;et before us, con&s;ider &s;ome of the particular in&s;tructions herein pre&s;ented.</P>
<P>1 That Je&s;us Chri&s;t by the will and appointment of the Fa|ther hath given him&s;elfe, and is accepted <HI>A Ran&s;ome for All.</HI> 2 That he is by vertue hereof become a &s;tanding and powerfull Mediator between God and men. 3 That by vertue, and by means of his Ran&s;ome accepted, and his Mediation continually made for them, he is of the Father to them, <HI>A Te&s;timony in due time, That they might come to the knowledge of the truth and be &s;aved.</HI> And in all this, <HI>God is light, and in him is no darkne&s;&s;e at all.</HI></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, That Je&s;us Chri&s;t by the appointment of the Fa|ther, hath given him&s;elf, and is accepted a Ran&s;ome for All, a price of Redemption, &s;o as he hath redeemed and bought them All, as hath been &s;hewed already, as to the per&s;ons for whom now we &s;hall apply our &s;elves to the con&s;ideration of the worke herein done for them.</P>
<P>And &s;o fir&s;t, he hath in and by him&s;elfe redeemed them from the cur&s;e of the Law, being made a cur&s;e for them, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 13.</P>
<P>Secondly, He hath by that his one offering for all, perfected through &s;uffering, and now pre&s;ented to the Father, obtained and received into him&s;elf eternal redemption, a full and perfect Re|covery and Re&s;toration of all that lo&s;&s;e contracted by &s;inne as charged on them by the fir&s;t Te&s;tament, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9. 12. 15.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath in, and by him&s;elf redeemed us from the cur&s;e of the Law, being made a cur&s;e for us, <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. 13. where that he &s;peaks not of that redeeming the heart and con&s;cience from under the bondage and accu&s;ation of &s;in by the Law, which is only wrought in the &s;pirit of the beleever, through the di&s;covery of that done in Chri&s;t for all men; but of that done, namely of the re|demption wrought in Chri&s;t for them before they knew it This is evi|dent in that he &s;aith, the Redemption here &s;poke of was done, and fi|ni&s;hed, by his being made a cur&s;e for us; whereas the other, though done by vertue thereof, yet is not effected, but through the di&s;cove|ries thereof, and in the receit by faith (as before) yea it is &s;till more evident, in that he mentions this as perfectly done, that means might be
<PB N="54" REF="34">
u&s;ed for the doing the other, namely, the redeeming men in their parti|cular per&s;ons, and that that might be wrought or received through faith. <HI>He hath redeemed us from the cur&s;e of the Law, being made a cur&s;e for us, that the ble&s;&s;ing of</HI> Abraham, <HI>the preaching of peace by Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> (Eph. 2. 14. 17. &amp; 3. 6.) <HI>might come on the Gentiles, that we</HI> (namely whoever beleeveth) <HI>might receive the promi&s;e of the Spirit through faith;</HI> according to that, <HI>Joh. 3. 16. God &s;o loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son</HI> (namely, the Saviour of the world, 1 <HI>Joh. 4. 14.) that whoever of the world &s;o loved by him, through this grace beleeveth in him whom he hath &s;ent, &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life;</HI> and &s;o that, <HI>Gal</HI> 3. 13. is opened, <HI>Gal</HI> 4. 4, 5&punc; where the query is fully an&s;wered, who they are encluded under the word <HI>us,</HI> Gal. 3. 13. <HI>that he hath redeemed from the cur&s;e of the Law, God &s;ent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeeme them that were under the Law, that we</HI> (there the per&s;on is changed) namely, <HI>whoever beleeveth might receive the adoption of children;</HI> but that done in Chri&s;t that this might be done, was done for all them that were under the Law, and who tho&s;e are, &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 19. though under it as a te&s;tament all Covenant, were only all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> after the fle&s;h, yet under the condemnation penalty and cur&s;e of it, and &s;o by it declared and concluded were all the world, for what the Law &s;aith, it &s;aith to them that are under the Law, that every mouth may be &s;topped, and all the world may become guilty before God&punc; <HI>By one man &s;inne entred into the world, and Death by Sinne, for that all have &s;inned,</HI> Rom. 5. 12. Compare that with ver. 18. As the di&s;obedience of one was unto, or upon all in the fir&s;t publique man to condemnation, &s;o the righteou&s;nne&s;&s;e of one is unto, or upon all in the &s;econd publique man, unto ju&s;tification of life, his one righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e hath &s;o prevailed with the Father, that he is ju&s;ti|fied in the nature and roome of all (That <HI>one dyed for all,</HI> is accepted with the Father as if all had dyed, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 14.) that they might live; and to that end live, that after this Grace appeares, they might not henceforth live to them&s;elves, but to him that dyed for them, and ro&s;e againe, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 15.</P>
<P>So that in Je&s;us the &s;econd publick Per&s;on, the whole nature is delivered from the fir&s;t condemnation and judgement; The truth and verity of which is proved in that <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 19. from this rea&s;on, <HI>For as by one mans di&s;obedience many were made &s;inners</HI> (namely in their particular per&s;ons) and that is &s;o many as ever came to have being from him, even from the beginning, ver&s;e 13&punc; 14
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which fully &s;hews, That that offence, was unto, or upon the whole nature in him as the publick Man to condemnation, before any of the individuals had their particular beings from him, &s;ee|ing there needs no other work or <HI>medium</HI> on their part, but deriving beings from him, to make them &s;inners in their own per&s;ons, <HI>Even &s;o, by the obedience of one &s;hall many be made righteous</HI> (even in their particular per&s;ons, by way of imputation, and application of the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of another to them, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 22. &amp; 4. 3, 4.) And that is &s;o many as receive that abundance of grace te&s;tified in that al|ready done in Chri&s;t for men, and that gift of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e by faith, ver&s;e 17. and &s;o come to have being in him, in beleeving on his name, That Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e that is unto All, it comes upon All that beleeve (even in their particulars) which fully &s;hews, that one Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e was unto, or upon the whole nature of man (as men con&s;idered) in him the &s;econd publick Man, to the ju&s;ti|fication of life, while all were out of him, &s;eeing there needs no other work or <HI>medium</HI> on their part, no di&s;covery, or receite of any peculiar grace or gift of grace for them while &s;inners and ene|mies that was not for others, nor any thing el&s;e is requi&s;ite for any one of this nature of man, to make them righteous in their particulars, but a receiving by faith that true in Chri&s;t, for, and towards them as men and &s;inners with the re&s;t, even that abun|dance of grace, that love of God to Manward, <HI>Tit. 3. 4. Rom.</HI> 5. 6, 8. and that gift of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, The Son of God &s;ent the Sa|viour of the world, <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. 16. and 4. 14. Therein they are made righteous by the imputation and application of the righteou&s;nes of another to them. By him all that beleeve are therein through his name ju&s;tified from all, from which they could not be ju&s;tified by the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es, Act.</HI> 10. 43. &amp; 13. 39. which &s;hews the truth of Ju&s;tification &amp; Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e perfect in him for them as men, and &s;inners con&s;idered, that &s;o in beleeving in him, without the works of the Law, or any other <HI>medium</HI> it might be received by any of that nature, the whole nature is ju&s;tified, and acquit of that fir&s;t di&s;obedi|ence, and &s;o of the guilt or condemnation of that &s;infulnes in them, as meerly and nece&s;&s;arily derived from it; In that he in the common nature, and in the room of them all as the &s;econd publick man, is ju&s;tified for them; <HI>In his Re&s;urrection, he was taken from the pri&s;on, and from the judgement,</HI> I&s;a. 53 8. And this &s;o verily, and vertu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lly for them all; <HI>That the Father now judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son,</HI> Joh. 5. 22. He doth not go to Law, or pro|ceed
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to Judgement with men, according to that Law and Judge|ment, by which without a Saviour they &s;tood as condemned be|fore him, under which Chri&s;t was made for them; Though men &s;till according to his Ordinance pa&s;&s;e through the fir&s;t mortality, and death, as the fruit of &s;in, yet not as the due, and proper wages thereof, and therefore &s;hall not peri&s;h in that death, he having ta|ken out the &s;ting and poy&s;on, that would have made it de&s;tructrive, by his coming, and pa&s;&s;ing through it, and &s;o aboli&s;hed it, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 10. nor according to that Judgement.</P>
<P>The truth of which appears, not onely in the&s;e &s;erious and full A&s;&s;ertions of it, but likewi&s;e by divers arguments, or rea&s;ons u&s;ed by the Scripture to evince it; As,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The nature of all pre&s;ent and eternal condemnations in the Scripture, <HI>They are not becau&s;e the fathers have eaten &s;owr grapes, and the childrens teeth, are thereby nece&s;&s;arily &s;et on edge, but every one for his own proper iniquity,</HI> Ezek. 18. 2-4. no man condemned, or abiding under the wrath of God for pre&s;ent, or &s;hall be eternally con|demned, meerly becau&s;e he was &s;imple or in darkne&s;&s;e, or becau&s;e he was filthy and poluted, but becau&s;e he loved his &s;implicity when the wi&s;dome of God was oft, and long reproving him, <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 22, 23, 24. &amp;c. <HI>When light came they loved darkne&s;&s;e rather,</HI> Joh. 3. 19. <HI>Becau&s;e in thy filthine&s;&s;e was lewdne&s;&s;e, or &s;tubborne&s;&s;e,</HI> and that thus evidenced, and of this nature;&punc; <HI>I have purged thee, and thou wa&s;t not purged</HI> Ezek. 24 13. <HI>They hardened their own hearts wilfully, when he &s;pake in his Spirit by the hand of the Prophets, Therefore came there a great wrath upon them from the Lord,</HI> Zech. 7. 9. 11, 12. And this could not have been the nature of condemnations, pre&s;ent or eter|nall&punc; neither had the world been capable of &s;inning &s;ins of that nature, as for which they are now charged, and under condemna|tion, if Chri&s;t had not done for them the things mentioned in this Text, given him&s;elf a Ran&s;ome for them, and become a Mediator, and by vertue thereof a <HI>Te&s;timony in due time unto them.</HI> See our Sa|viour &s;o rea&s;oning, <HI>Joh.</HI> 15. 22. 24. If he had not done that for them which never man did, or could do (namely, <HI>redeem his brother, or give to God a Ran&s;ome for his &s;oul,</HI> P&s;al, 49. 7.) yea if al&s;o he had not &s;poken to them, preached by his Spirit to their &s;pirits in the means he u&s;ed. They had not known, or been capable of &s;ins after this con&s;ideration, as now they are charged on them, that is of both &s;eeing and healing when by the light comming to them they &s;ee both him and his Father.</P>
<P><PB N="57" REF="35">2. The truth of that ran&s;oming or redemption from the cur&s;e of the Law perfect in Chri&s;t for men, appears further, from the grace of God extended unto men in the mercies and accommodati|ons of the natural life; yea, in the &s;evere&s;t of his cha&s;ti&s;ements there appears a great abatement, or taking off the greate&s;t part of the &s;troke, and that it is not &s;u&s;tained as the full and proper wages of &s;in, but is far le&s;s then our iniquities de&s;erve: the truth and holine&s;s of God was ingaged, that the &s;oul that &s;ins mu&s;t dye: and the death was &s;uch as was wholly de&s;tructive, and no intermi&s;&s;ion or mixture of any mercy; but the &s;oul to have been continually filled with mad|ne&s;s and confu&s;ion, the body with pains and all di&s;ea&s;es in the extre|mity, till it had been wholly turned to du&s;t; the rain of the land, powder and du&s;t; we to eat our bread in &s;orrow and angui&s;h of our hearts all our dayes; all cur&s;es to follow and overtake us till we peri&s;h; this was our portion, <HI>Gen. 3. 17, &amp;c.</HI> with <HI>Deut. 28. 15, &amp;c.</HI> neither may the truth and holine&s;s of God &s;uffer the lea&s;t im|peachment&punc; he cannot in clearing clear the guilty, <HI>Exod.</HI> 34. 7. There|fore in that man is pre&s;erved from &s;o much of the de&s;truction and confu&s;ion in his minde, and of the pains and angui&s;h in his body in this natural life, as that he is a capable &s;ubject of beholding, con|ver&s;ing with, and comfortable injoyment of the works of Gods creation and providence; that in&s;tead of the rain of our land being powder and du&s;t&punc; the Lord gives rain from heaven; and in&s;tead of eating our bread in the &s;orrow of our heart all our dayes, the Lord gives food and gladne&s;s; in&s;tead of thornes thi&s;tles, that the Lord in any mea&s;ure gives that which is good&punc; and our land yields her increa&s;e; herein Gods goodne&s;s is witne&s;&s;ed, &s;o as through a Saviour, and leading to repentance, all the&s;e having in them a te&s;ti|mony of a door opened again to God, mercy and truth met, redemption wrought in another for us, <HI>P&s;al. 85. 9, 12, 13. Acts 14. 17. Rom.</HI> 2. 4. upon that account it is, that God demeans him&s;elf towards men in his government <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ow by Chri&s;t, as if he did not &s;ee their iniquities, becau&s;e <HI>he is well plea&s;ed for his righ|teou&s;ne&s;s &s;ake,</HI> (I&s;ai. 42. 19, 21.) in whom truth is &s;prung out of the earth, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>3. The truth of this further appears, in that all &s;hall be rai&s;ed from the fir&s;t death, and then be judged according to the Go&s;pel; which they could not have been, if one had not by the grace of God
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died for them and ro&s;e again. 2 <HI>Cor. 5. 10, 14, 15. Acts 17. 30, 31. Rom.</HI> 2. 16. yea, if Chri&s;t be not rai&s;ed for them, then can there be no re&s;urrection of them: <HI>For &s;ince by man came death, by man came al&s;o the re&s;urrection of the dead. For as in</HI> Adam <HI>all die&punc; &s;o in Chri&s;t &s;hall all be made alive.</HI> 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22. Neither could there be any rea&s;on or rule for judging men accor|ding to the Go&s;pel, for whom there was no truth in the Go&s;pels Declarations propounded to them to be believed, if no grace ex|tended, by which they might have been &s;aved. They mu&s;t have peri&s;hed (if Chri&s;t had not died for them) in the fir&s;t death: but there could have been no ran&s;oming out of it, and &s;o no &s;econd death. But to proceed.</P>
<P>2. As Je&s;us Chri&s;t by giving him&s;elf a ran&s;ome hath redeemed us from the cur&s;e of the Law, and therein &s;aved us from peri&s;hing in that fir&s;t death and mi&s;ery, having in and by him&s;elf taken away our &s;ins from before the Father, the &s;in of the world after the fir&s;t con&s;ideration, as pa&s;&s;ing and being found on them, &s;imply and nece&s;|&s;arily through the fir&s;t di&s;obedience: &s;o he hath therein, and by ver|tue thereof obtained eternal redemption, even redemption of the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions under the fir&s;t Te&s;tament, <HI>Heb.</HI> 9. 12, 15. A perfect re&s;toration of all that was lo&s;t by that &s;in, and according to that judgement, a re&s;toration of it, not into their per&s;ons, but into him|&s;elf for them; that it might be enjoyed by faith, and in the fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit, and the hope of the harve&s;t by any of them in believing in him through his name: there it is perfect in him, as in a publique per&s;on, or trea&s;ury for us, who will never lo&s;e it; That in coming in to him, it might be enjoyned by us. <HI>In him God hath given us eter|nal life. He</HI> (of us to whom life is given in Chri&s;t) <HI>that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life.</HI> And yet it's given him in Chri&s;t, as before, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 11, 12. The &s;um of our lo&s;s, and that in which eternal life con&s;i&s;teth, is capacity and liberty to the enjoyment of the delightful favour of, and fellow&s;hip with God, in which is life. All have &s;inned and come &s;hort of the glory of God&punc; unto which they were created in the fir&s;t pub|lique man. Sin makes &s;eparation between God and men; fora&s;|much as by it we lo&s;t that Image of God, in which we were created, which was &s;uch, as in Soul and Body together we were capable &s;ubjects of immediate fellow&s;hip with our Creator, and
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in al&s;o our liberty to &s;uch enjoyment, we are in our &s;elves, and as in relation to the fir&s;t man, ju&s;tly bani&s;hed, as well as enemies in our mindes, and &s;o at a di&s;tance, &s;trangers to the life of God: but Je|&s;us Chri&s;t in our nature, as the &s;econd publique man, and for us, hath perfectly recovered that Image of God which we lo&s;t, and in a better maner, and that both in Soul and Body; &s;o as he is in our nature, and as the publique per&s;on, a capable &s;ubject of immedi|ate fellow&s;hip with God, and hath al&s;o liberty: he is entertained to &s;uch enjoyment, that now for us through &s;ufferings, he is entered into the actual po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of glory, that he may appear effectually in the pre&s;ence of God for us, and that who&s;oever comes in to him by faith, may in him appear perfect and righteous before the Fa|ther; yea, the fulne&s;s of the Godhead dwells in him bodily, ac|cording to that <HI>John 17. 4&punc; 5. I have fini&s;hed the work thou gave&s;t me to do on earth, and now I come to thee: holy Father, glorifie me with thine own &s;elf, with the glory I had with thee before the world was.</HI> Compared with <HI>Col. 1. 14. 15. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgivene&s;s of &s;innes. Who is the Image of the invi&s;ible God,</HI> &amp;c. 'Tis true, the 15. ver&s;e is a de&s;cription of the excellency of his per&s;on, <HI>In whom we have redemption:</HI> but it is al&s;o clearly a demon&s;tration of the redemption we have in him, the Image of God recovered into our nature, that through faith in him, it may be enjoyed by any of us who&s;e nature he took, as afore&s;aid. Seeing whatever Je&s;us Chri&s;t is inve&s;ted with, or is become now in our nature, though it be no other then what he had, and was before, as the eternal Son of God; yet his being &s;o in our nature, is as the publique per&s;on for us, and on a new account by vertue of his &s;uffering for us, and &s;o he is, and hath it in our nature, and for us, by way of redemption or recovery. Like to this is that <HI>Heb. 1. 3, 4. God hath &s;poken to us in the&s;e la&s;t dayes by his Son, who being the brightne&s;s of his glory and the expre&s;s image of his per&s;on: when he had by him&s;elf purg|ed our &s;inne, &s;ate down the right hand of God:</HI> and &s;o herein he hath re&s;tored our nature in him&s;elf, to all tho&s;e glorious privi|ledges, as Lord&s;hip over the creatures, as in their fir&s;t creation. Compare <HI>P&s;al&punc;</HI> 8. with <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 8. and &s;o the re&s;toration of the creatures to their fir&s;t &s;tate and purity is obtained, and in his hands for us, to give us &s;ome fruits or &s;treams of the vertues of it now for
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our good, and to draw us to him, in whom is all fulne&s;s: but the revelation of the thing it &s;elf in the full accompli&s;hment, is re&s;erved till the manife&s;tation of the Sons of God, which will be at, and not before the &s;econd appearing of Chri&s;t, <HI>Acts 3. 19, 20. Rom. 8. 18, 19. I&s;a. 11.</HI></P>
<P>But we &s;ee Je&s;us who was made a little lower then the Angels, for the &s;uffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God &s;hould ta&s;te death for every man. The in|finite vertues of his &s;ufferings forecon&s;idered and eyed by the Fa|ther, was that by vertue and on the account of which, he was counted worthy of that honor, to be &s;et as the &s;econd publique man, to undertake and do that for all men, which none could have done for him&s;elf or his brother; as well as al&s;o by rea&s;on of the vertues and efficaciou&s;ne&s;s of tho&s;e &s;ufferings with the Father, he having by the grace of God ta&s;ted death for every man, he is actually po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed of all the glory of God in our nature, and for us; for it became him for whom are all things. It did behove and was &s;uitable to Gods greatne&s;s, and the holine&s;s of his nature, in, or for the bring|ing many Sons to glory, to make the Captain of their &s;alvation perfect through &s;ufferings. 1. As all are Sons of God by crea|tion, <HI>Mal. 2. 10. Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us?</HI> &s;o for the bringing back the whole nature in the &s;econd publique man, who have all &s;inned in the fir&s;t, and come &s;hort of the glory of God; and therein for the opening an effectual door for their being delivered, and brought back to God in their particulars, as <HI>ver&s;. 14, 15. 1 Pet.</HI> 3. 18. For this it was ne|ce&s;&s;ary that the Captain of their &s;alvation &s;hould be made perfect in him&s;elf for them, through &s;ufferings for &s;in. And 2. as all that with the heart believe unto righteou&s;ne&s;s, are therein Sons of God by faith in Je&s;us; &s;o for the pre&s;erving them through faith in him, and bringing them to the enjoyment of the inheritance, who have yet much evil and &s;infulne&s;s in them, the &s;ame was al&s;o nece&s;&s;ary, that the Captain of their &s;alvation &s;hould be perfect through &s;uffe|rings, who being fir&s;t in him&s;elf made perfect, a perfect Saviour, Redeemer, and Recoverer of the lo&s;s for all men, is become the Au|thor of eternal Salvation to all that obey him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 14, 15. and 5. 9. Je&s;us Chri&s;t then according to the will and appointment of his Father, hath given him&s;elf a ran&s;ome or price of redemption for
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all men; which he hath redeemed them from under the fir&s;t judge|ment, the cur&s;e of the Law, and to be at his di&s;po&s;e, and judged by him according to the Go&s;pel; and obtained eternal redemption and recovery of their lo&s;s into him&s;elf for them as before. In which by &s;trong hand he hath al&s;o redeemed or ran&s;omed us from under the will and compul&s;ive power and &s;lavery of Satan having de&s;troyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil, in &s;poiling his fir&s;t work, in which he had prevailed, aboli&s;hing that death by his coming, in and by which he hath triumphed over him, and all the enemies of our &s;alvation in him&s;elf, and received all power to admi|ni&s;ter the Government of God over us, having led and leading captivity captive for us, that he might deliver tho&s;e in their particu|lars, that were all their life &s;ubject to bondage. And here we &s;hall come to the &s;econd particular in&s;truction, propounded for opening the large ground of praying for all men, here &s;et before us, to which we &s;hall &s;peak more briefly, having been large in this which is the ground of it.</P>
<P>2. That Je&s;us Chri&s;t by vertue of his having given him&s;elf, and being accepted a ran&s;ome for all men, he is become a powerful and &s;tanding Mediator between God and men. By this mediation, may be &s;ignified his whole work, in what he hath done, and is be|come, and doth as our Saviour; and &s;o he did officiate as the great Mediator between God and man, in giving him&s;elf a ran&s;ome to God for us, of which we have &s;poken already; and doth officiate as the Mediator, in being a te&s;timony of God and his goodne&s;s, in due time to us: of which we &s;hall &s;peak di&s;tinctly in the next place: but that which we &s;hall in this place &s;peak to under the terms of his being a Mediator, by, and with the vertues of the offering of his own body once for all, is his continued work with the Father for us, for the covering and taking away the &s;ins the world, as now charged on them, by and according to the Go&s;pel: God hath given him all power as a Prince and Saviour, by vertue of his &s;ufferings, and the &s;acrifice perfected through them, (the obtaining of which was one great end of his &s;ufferings) to take away following evils, by pre|&s;enting the infinite vertues of his blood in that perfect &s;acrifice of his own body, before the Father for them; <HI>By appearing in the pre&s;ence of God for us,</HI> Heb. 9. 24. <HI>Where he ever liveth to make interce&s;&s;ion for us,</HI> chap. 7. 25. to procure and give
<PB N="62" REF="38">
forbearance, and to keep off Gods di&s;plea&s;ure and judgements from being executed, that are provoked by their dayly fins of a new nature, that &s;o the door of life may be held open, and he may be &s;till a te&s;timony in due time of the Fathers goodne&s;s to them, in con|tinuing yet means and mercies leading to repentance; and that in coming to him, they may receive forgivene&s;s, and inheritance with tho&s;e that are &s;anctified by faith in Je&s;us: our high Prie&s;t needeth not, as the former, <HI>to offer &s;acrifice dayly, fir&s;t for his own &s;ins, and then for the &s;ins of the people: for this he did once, when he offered up him&s;elf.</HI> Heb. 7. 27. The fir&s;t end of that one offe|ring of his, was, that therein and thereby he might perfectly take away from before the Father, tho&s;e &s;ins of the world after the fir&s;t con&s;ideration, as nece&s;&s;arily derived and found upon it through the fir&s;t di&s;obedience, which &s;ins were charged upon him and ac|knowledged as his, though made &s;o by way of imputation, for he <HI>knew no &s;in.</HI> P&s;al. 40, 12. with 2 Cor. 5. 21. And this he hath perfectly done, he hath by him&s;elf purged our &s;in, and is &s;et down on the right hand of maje&s;ty. But this was al&s;o a &s;econdary end of the &s;ame one offering, yea, the end of the fir&s;t end, That by vertue of the infinite &s;atisfaction for &s;in made in his &s;ufferings, and the perfect righteou&s;ne&s;s compleated in his &s;acrifice, he might be im|powred in the name and maje&s;ty of his Father, to take away day|ly the &s;ins of the people after the &s;econd con&s;ideration even as they are now charged upon them, and the wrath of God abiding on them becau&s;e of them: namely, all &s;ins as wilfully continued in, and multiplied again&s;t the light and grace of the redemption ex|tended: he needs not come down again to &s;uffer, or make a new offering for the taking away any &s;in, but ever liveth and continueth in the pre&s;ence of God, pre&s;enting the vertues of that one offering, and thereby dayly &s;o taketh away the &s;in of the world, as now charged on them, even their wilful ignorance and unbelief of the grace of God by Chri&s;t, and &s;o all other &s;ins, as the love of them a|gain&s;t light is the occa&s;ion of their hardning in wilful ignorance to &amp; unbelief of the light that reproves them, that comes to &s;ave them; and &s;o as the continuing under the pollution and power of them, is occa|&s;ioned by &s;uch their wilful ignorance and unbelief: &s;ins of this nature, I &s;ay, he &s;o taketh away, from before the Father, by his continual interce&s;&s;ion for the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, as <HI>I&s;a. 53. 12. Luke</HI> 13. that
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judgement is not &s;peedily executed, but the for bearance, patience, and renewed goodne&s;s of God, yet extended, to admoni&s;h, allure, and lead to repentance, until any have wholly filled up the mea&s;ure of their &s;in, giving up them&s;elves to, and becoming one with Satan, and &s;o fully made them&s;elves ve&s;&s;els of wrath fitted to de&s;tructi|on: and to leave or give men up wholly thereto, al&s;o God is very &s;low, through the continuance and prevailing of Chri&s;ts mediation for men, and for all them that turn in his reprovings, through his name believe in him, that he &s;hould give them forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, eternal life, and &s;o through his name <HI>&s;ave them to the ut|mo&s;t;</HI> he is fully impowred on the &s;ame account of the ends and ver|tues of his one offering, <HI>&s;eeing he ever liveth with it, to make interce&s;&s;ion for us.</HI> Heb. 7. 25. See how all this is &s;et before us. 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 1, 2. in that ground given us for praying for any mans &s;in, which it doth not appear to us to be &s;o wholly fini&s;hed, as to have occa&s;ioned or brought forth death in an utter &s;eparation from God. The Apo&s;tle having before directed them to the &s;ame foun|tain for forgivne&s;s and healing of their own &s;ins; in the beginning of this chapter he gives them this caution, that the end of his thus in&s;tructing them to a fountain for their clean&s;ing, is, <HI>Not that they &s;hould continue in &s;in, that grace may abound; but that they &s;in not:</HI> and then proceeds to in&s;truct and direct them to an u&s;efulne&s;s of, and running to the &s;ame fountain for other mens &s;ins; <HI>If any man &s;in we</HI> (believers) <HI>have an Advocate with the Fa|ther, Je&s;us Chri&s;t the righteous:</HI> we have or enjoy him by faith, and &s;uch u&s;efulne&s;s of him, as our Advocate appearing e&s;pe|cially for us, to plead our cau&s;e, and pre&s;ent our matters according to his wi&s;dom, and with the odors of his incen&s;e, the vertues of his &s;acrifice: and therefore we may pre&s;ent all our needs and matters to, and by him, becau&s;e he that is our Advocate&punc; is al&s;o the pro|pitiation for our &s;ins, that having made peace by the blood of his Cro&s;s, is al&s;o the &s;tanding propitiation, or Mercy-Seat with the Fa|ther; The &s;in-offering, and &s;o the great and con&s;tant mediation for the dayly covering and taking away the iniquities and mixtures, that otherwi&s;e might hinder our prayers. And therefore we may make &s;uch u&s;e of him, as for the pre&s;enting our &s;upplications for pardon of any mans &s;in, according to his will declared in the Go&s;pel, be|cau&s;e he that is the propitiation for our &s;ins, is al&s;o the propitiation
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for the &s;ins of the whole world, even &s;uch as yet lye in wickedne&s;s, that being the explication of the <HI>whole world,</HI> as oppo&s;ed to <HI>be|lievers</HI> by this Apo&s;tle. 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 18, 19.</P>
<P>The &s;ins for which he here is &s;aid to be the propitiation, are &s;uch, or &s;ins after &s;uch a con&s;ideration, as in which we are to pray for pardon of them dayly, as we &s;ee them in our &s;elves or others, which are onely &s;ins after the &s;econd con&s;ideration, that is, all or any &s;ins, as they are found in us, continued in, or multiplied again&s;t the light, or powerful in&s;tructions and reproofs of <HI>the grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men, and come to redeem or &s;ave them from any of their iniquities,</HI> as Acts 3. 26. Tit. 2. 11. 'Tis after this con&s;ideration onely, that God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t charges &s;in upon us as our &s;in, and for which his wrath or di&s;plea&s;ure a|bides upon us, that when light comes, <HI>Men love and willingly chu&s;e darkne&s;s rather, becau&s;e their deeds are evil.</HI> All the wrath on the former account being taken away, and the &s;in perfectly covered and purged in Chri&s;t; now, 'tis our &s;ins as they are again&s;t this grace in &s;o delivering or ran&s;oming us in and by Chri&s;t, and bringing this Salvation to us, for which he is angry; and that doth &s;tir up new wrath and di&s;plea&s;ure; for the removal or taking away of which, we are dayly to pray with thank&s;giving for the o|ther perfectly done, as the ground that this may be done for us. See this clear in our types, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 85. 1, 4. As for &s;in in either guilt or pollution, as it pa&s;&s;ed on us, and yet may be con&s;idered as in or upon us, meerly and nece&s;&s;arily through the fir&s;t di&s;obedience, and the poy&s;on of it, &s;o we are not to pray for the pardon of it, or that it may be taken away from before the Father, and he may not lay it to our charge, or to the charge of any man: but in all our prayers to acknowledge and give thanks for that as already perfectly done in and by Chri&s;t; which if it had not, we had had neither ground nor door to approach or pray to the Father for any thing; and therefore with thank&s;giving to God in the name of Chri&s;t for this as already done, we are to pray that both our eyes, and the eyes of others, may be opened to &s;ee and under&s;tand how great things he hath done for us: and as this in&s;tructeth, we are to pray on this ground for pardon and healing of &s;in as wilfully contracted in us again&s;t light, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> or either as the occa&s;ion or fruit of ignorance or unbe|belief in Chri&s;t as before; that &s;in as found in us and others after
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this con&s;ideration, may not be laid to our charge, but forbearance and forgivene&s;s admini&s;tred according to the Go&s;pel: now for the&s;e &s;ins, or &s;ins after this con&s;ideration it is, that he is here &s;aid to be the propitiation, the &s;tanding propitiatory &s;acrifice or mercy-&s;eat, for the dayly covering with the infinite vertues of his &s;atisfacti|on, and offering for &s;in once made, and &s;o taking away dayly from before the Father the &s;ins of the world after this con&s;ideration, and &s;o his being the propitation for our &s;ins, which might hinder our prayers, and for the pardon of which, we have dayly to pray, and not onely for ours but al&s;o for the &s;ins of the whole world, is equivalent and the &s;ame with his being the continual and &s;tanding Mediator between God and men, by, and with the vertues of that one offering of him&s;elf. 'Tis true, his making the atonement, or propitiation and peace in him&s;elf for us, in that at fir&s;t perfectly done in giving him&s;elf a ran&s;ome, is here more &s;trongly implyed and &s;ignified, &s;eeing without it, or if that had not been done and perfect for them in Chri&s;t, this could not have been done for them by him: if he had not made peace, he could not have been a &s;tand|ing propitiation for &s;in; but that which is here directly &s;poken to, and &s;ignified by his being affirmed to be the propitiation, is according to the latter &s;ence.</P>
<P>And &s;o God hath &s;et him forth to be a &s;tanding propitiation, that through him his righteou&s;ne&s;s may be declared, not onely in giving the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins through faith in his blood, but in granting forbearance of the &s;ame to men that do not believe, that they might have opportunity and &s;pace afforded thereto: as well as al&s;o to be a propitiation to, or in them, and &s;o of them in their particular per&s;ons, through faith in his blood, as <HI>Col. 1. 22. 2 Cor.</HI> 5. 18. And all this through, by vertue, and by means of the re|demption that is in him, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. 24, 25. Behold then that Lamb of God that having by him&s;elf perfectly purged our &s;in, is now &s;et down on the right hand of God, and there dayly taking away the &s;in of the world as now charged on it, the great Mediator between God and men, by, and with the vertues of his having given him&s;elf a ran&s;ome for all men, and that he may be &s;o viewed by us, con&s;ider,</P>
<P>3. That by vertue of his ran&s;ome given and accepted, and his Mediation continually made with the Father for all men, he is in the name of the Father a Te&s;timony, or to be te&s;tified to them in
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due time, to each in their &s;everal and proper ages, and to every one at &s;uch time and &s;ea&s;ons, as may be mo&s;t for their advantage and good; and now in the&s;e la&s;t ages, (the mo&s;t &s;ea&s;onable time for that, for divers con&s;iderations) by the coming of Chri&s;t, and his bringing light, and immortality to light, by the Go&s;pel to the Gen|tiles, 2 <HI>Tim. 1. 10. Heb.</HI> 1. 1, 3. of which more directly is here &s;po|ken, in which the ground of making prayers with thank&s; givings for all men, is more opened then formerly; though it was the &s;ame in Chri&s;t before. But he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e for brevity &s;ake we &s;hall onely &s;hew how in general he is, and alwaies was unto all men every where, and in every age by vertue of his &s;acrifice, accepted and vertuous with the Father from the beginning, a Te&s;timony in due time, of the truth of the redemption in him, and the Fathers goodne&s;s through him; And that in the&s;e two things.</P>
<P>1. In affording to all as they come to capacity and need of it, means, opportunity, and &s;pace to repent.</P>
<P>2. In &s;ending forth his good Spirit, in the &s;upernatural light and power of it, in, and with tho&s;e mercies and means to bring the light, and under&s;tanding of his goodne&s;s to the heart, and thereby to reprove men of their evils, and turn them to God.</P>
<P>1. In affording to all as they come to capacity and need of it, means and opportunity to repentance: for children that know not any thing, and &s;o are not capable of actual doing good or evil, as they are not capable of hearing and rejecting the word of Chri&s;t, of voluntary chu&s;ing and &s;etting up idols in their heart, and departing from the Lord, under who&s;e &s;pecial care and protection, and graci|ous government by Chri&s;t they are: &s;o there is no condemnation or charge of &s;in upon them, by, or according to the Go&s;pel, and &s;o no repentance needful, or required of them: for though born under the guilt of &s;in according to the Law, (under which Chri&s;t was made for them) and &s;o with a corrupt and polluted nature; yet by rea&s;on of him that hath redeemed us from the cur&s;e of the Law, they are not by God held under condemnation on that ac|count neither, nor &s;hall peri&s;h in that death.</P>
<P>And as they have no capacity in their particulars per&s;onally to adhere to, and clo&s;e with the grace of God in Chri&s;t, and &s;o actu|ally to believe in him; &s;o neither is that required of them by him, that requires not, but according to what he hath &s;own, and in his givings
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furni&s;hed to, yea, he that imputes righteou&s;ne&s;s without works, and doth not charge with unbelief, where there is not a hearing and rejecting, (as <HI>John</HI> 3. 19. and 12. 47.) doth gra|ciou&s;ly accept and own them, by vertue of the Redemption wrought in Chri&s;t for them; yea, and reckons them as believers, and &s;o of the kingdom; and as a te&s;timony of that, would have them brought to him, and accepts that as their coming, and &s;aith, <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall receive one &s;uch little child in his name, therein receiveth and acknowledgeth him,</HI> Mat. 18. 5, 6. and 19. 13, 14. yet in them Chri&s;t is a te&s;timony of the truth of the Redemption in him, and the Fathers goodne&s;s through him unto all men, in pre&s;erving their natural life, while he continues it to them, to the comforta|ble injoyment of his mercies, and free from the &s;ting and poy&s;on of the fir&s;t death, and ea&s;ing them of &s;o much of the pains and mi&s;eries of tho&s;e &s;hadows of that death and mortality that is upon them, as he &s;ees good for them and for us. In which as there is no de&s;tructivene&s;s in that which remaines, &s;o there is a great abate|ment and taking off, even of the greate&s;t part of the &s;troke or cur&s;e which the truth of God required &s;hould have been executed upon us in them, by rea&s;on of our &s;in; not onely to bring forth in &s;or|row, but for trouble without ca&s;e, <HI>Cur&s;ed &s;halt thou be in the fruit of thy body,</HI> Gen. 3. 16. Deut. 28. 18. we may &s;ay, (as &s;ometimes concerning <HI>Jo&s;eph, Gen.</HI> 45. 7.) It appears by Gods pre&s;ent gratious dealing with us in them, that God hath &s;ent a <HI>Je|&s;oph</HI> into our condition of mi&s;ery, and made him under our Law and cur&s;e before us, and he is now through &s;ufferings entered into glory, become a Prince and a Saviour. All is committed into his hands, to pre&s;erve to us a po&s;terity in the earth, and to &s;ave our lives together, to the comfortable enjoyment of his mercies by a great deliverance; yea, this will be to them a te&s;timony of Gods goodne&s;s through the Redemption, when they come to be capa|ble of con&s;idering it, and &s;uch as may be &s;o di&s;cerned by them, and u&s;eful to them, if they put not from them the in&s;tructions of the grace of God, as it was to <HI>David, P&s;al. 71. 6. Thou art he that ha&s;t pre&s;erved or holden me up from the womb, as well as taken me of my Mothers Bowels: my prai&s;e &s;hall be con|tinually of thee.</HI> Whence we are exhorted in youth, and its the fir&s;t and main thing we &s;hould mind our children of, as they are ca|pable,
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To remember our Creator, to call to minde his goodne&s;s in creating, and &s;o in pre&s;erving us hitherto, that through his good|ne&s;s in his Son may be &s;o comfortably and profitably remembred by us: but as they come to capacity to know any thing and act accordingly, though the grace of God that brings &s;olvation to all men, in&s;truct and require of them to clo&s;e with it according to the means and capacities afforded, yet they are all generally going a|&s;tray naturally, and not regarding to under&s;tand or know the way of peace, but clo&s;ing their eyes again&s;t the light, and corrupting them|&s;elves more and more; notwith&s;tanding which, &s;uch is the love of God to manward, <HI>He would not that any &s;hould peri&s;h but come to repentance, and be &s;aved:</HI> he heartily de&s;ires, they &s;hould ac|cording to the in&s;tructions and reproofs of his goodne&s;s, turn from their dumb Idols and evil wayes, unto the living God; and as a te&s;timony of it, having opened in and by his Son, &s;uch a large and effectual door to this purpo&s;e, and that at &s;o co&s;tly a rate, he al&s;o gives his Son in the i&s;&s;ues and &s;treamings forth of the vertue of his &s;acrifice, a continual witne&s;s or te&s;timony to them while it is in due time. And &s;o concerning &s;uch we &s;ay, Je&s;us Chri&s;t is by vertue of his &s;acrifice and mediation, &s;till pre&s;erving this natural life (while he plea&s;es to continue it) unto the comfortable enjoyment of his mercies, and renewing gracious means and opportunities to them, <HI>That they might repent and &s;eek after God, who is not far off from every one of them,</HI> but neer them in the gracious o|perations of his hands, and in his good affection and de&s;ire of their good by them: <HI>for therefore, in by or through him we live, and move, and have our being,</HI> Acts 17. 24&punc; 27. And &s;o by him they are pre&s;eved from &s;o much of the de&s;truction and confu&s;ion of minde, and of the pains and torments on the body, that is the pro|per wages of our &s;in&punc; that they are (unle&s;s in &s;ome rare examples, in whom God al&s;o requires not more or otherwi&s;e, then according to what he hath &s;own or furni&s;hed with) capable &s;ubjects of be|holding and con&s;idering the mercies of God and under&s;tanding, and making &s;uch u&s;e of them&punc; as may tend to the comfortable being of the natural life; and &s;o of conver&s;ing with, and attending to tho&s;e outward mediums, in which Gods Spirit is conver&s;ant and work|ing to lead them to repentance, (of which more anon.) And indeed all tho&s;e mercies and accommodations of the natural life are made
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&s;uch mediums, and to that purpo&s;e is he al&s;o by vertue of the &s;ame &s;acrifice and mediation, continuing and renewing in his providences as he &s;ees good, his mercies, in Creatures, Scriptures, or both; and ordering al&s;o favourable cha&s;ti&s;ements, in which he debates with them in mea&s;ure, and changing his providences about them, that they may not &s;ettle on their l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es. <HI>All the&s;e things worketh God oft times with man, to bring back his &s;oul from the pit, to be en|lightened with the light of the living,</HI> Job 33. 29 30. to give them &s;pace and opportunity to repent. And herein is Je&s;us Chri&s;t a great and continual Witne&s;s of Gods goodne&s;s and pro|pitiou&s;ne&s;s towards them, and of the truth of the Redemption in him declared in the Go&s;pel, as is fore&s;hewed in the &s;econd Rea&s;on propounded for demon&s;tration of the truth of his having redeemed us from the cur&s;e of the Law, being made a cur&s;e for us.</P>
<P>2. Je&s;us Chri&s;t is al&s;o a Te&s;timony, and &s;o he, and the Father in him te&s;tified to men in due time, in &s;ending forth the &s;upernatural light and power of his good Spirit, in, and with all the&s;e outward means, to bring the light of the knowledge of his goodne&s;s to their hearts, and therein open their ears, and give capacity by his words and in his calling, that men might hear and an&s;wer: for though the former be done, the natural life pre&s;erved, the outward mediums afforded, and man a capable &s;ubject of beholding, injoying, and attending to tho&s;e mediums without di&s;traction; yet is he not &s;im|ply hereby, or by any power in him, as naturally of him, capable of finding out the knowledge of the things of God in Chri&s;t, or clo&s;ing with them, as declared and witne&s;&s;ed in tho&s;e mediums: the world by wi&s;dom found not out God in the wi&s;dom of God; the carnal minde is enmity to God; it is not &s;ubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be, &s;o that they that are in the fle&s;h, all have fle&s;h in them; but they that are in it, wholly given up to it, &s;way|ed and guided by the teaching or operation of the wi&s;dom, affecti|ons, or lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, they cannot plea&s;e God; we have no &s;ufficiency in our &s;elves, as of our &s;elves, not &s;o much as to think any thing as we ought; But our &s;ufficiency is of God, and &s;o of God, as not of our &s;elves; not by a meer natural ble&s;&s;ing, or &s;tir|ring up and &s;trengthening any thing that is naturally of us&punc; though tho&s;e natural faculties and powers may be well imployed as far as renewed by grace, but then they mu&s;t be renewed and acted by &s;uch
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light and power of the grace of God given and heeded, as though certainly admini&s;tred in, and through outward mediums, yet is &s;u|pernatural to us, 1 <HI>Cor. 1. 21. &amp; 2. t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t. Rom. 8. 6, 7&punc; 8. 2 Co</HI> 3. 5. &s;o that the natural man, as a natural man, by any thing natural in him receiveth not the things of God.</P>
<P>There is therefore requi&s;ite &s;uch a maner of putting forth of light, and exerci&s;e of the power of Gods Spirit in the natural faculties of the Soul or Spirit of man, to make it capable of comprehending, perceiving, or clo&s;ing with the things of God in Chri&s;t, as is to man &s;upernatural, he being naturally, in and of him&s;elf, as unca|pable of hearing the voyce of the Son of God in the Go&s;pel, as tho&s;e that are in the graves are in and of them&s;elves uncapable of hearing and complying with that voyce of the Son of God, by which they &s;hall be rai&s;ed; and therefore tho&s;e deaths are compa|red the one to the other, <HI>John</HI> 5. 25, 28. though the&s;e are capa|ble (as before &s;hewed) of attending to tho&s;e means, in which the &s;u|pernatural light and force of the Spirit of God is put forth and exer|ci&s;ed for bringing the voyce of the Son of God nigh to them, and o|pening their ears, and giving capacity to hear it, and quickening by it, an&s;werable to which the other have no &s;uch capacity; And there|fore the voyce of the Son of God &s;hall come forth to that immedi|ately: however then it is requi&s;ite, that in, or through tho&s;e outward mediums there be &s;uch a maner of coming forth and operation of the Spirit of God, as is an&s;werable to that by which Je&s;us Chri&s;t was rai&s;ed from the dead, <HI>and the dead &s;hall be rai&s;ed:</HI> 'tis the &s;ame Spirit by which he moved, and acted, and walked up and down in his life, in the fle&s;h, or in the dayes of his weakne&s;s and mortality, and &s;o the &s;ame Spirit by which men are taught and &s;trengthened to their natural motions, actions, or imployments in things tending to the good or comfortable being of the natural life, but not in the &s;ame maner put forth or exerci&s;ed; but as we may &s;ay, In a natural or ordinary way, by ble&s;&s;ing natural faculties, and abilities, in, and according to a natural improvement, in &s;uch maner, as the nature of man by that which God hath already fur|ni&s;hed it withall, is capable of receiving&punc; and complying with&punc; But for this, though that light and power of the Spirit is to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e put forth into, and exerci&s;ed in the dark heart and dead faculties of the &s;oul that they may be renewed and &s;trengthened by it; yet it mu&s;t be
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&s;uch as brings with it its light, &s;trength, and capacity for the receiv|ing it, &s;uch as hath in it a &s;upernatural force, or maner of opera|tion, <HI>for opening the deaf ears, and the blinde eyes,</HI> &amp;c. (I&s;ai. 42. 18. 7. and 49. 9.) <HI>that they may &s;ee and receive what it di&s;covereth.</HI> There being no &s;uch capacity before, or naturally in the &s;ubject to which it comes. Therefore the A po&s;tle de&s;iring for the believing <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> That they might through the knowledge of him more abundantly experiment the exceeding greatne&s;s of his mighty power or arm that is in the Go&s;pel, that it might more have its prevalency with them, as it is put forth through that know|ledge of him for the &s;pecial &s;aving of them that believe, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 16, 17. he compares it <HI>to the maner of the working of his migh|ty power, which he wrought in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, when he rai&s;ed him from the dead,</HI> Eph. 1. 17, 19, 20. Now this is that which we have here further to &s;ay on Gods behalf, a&s;cribing righteou&s;|ne&s;s to our maker; That according to mans need by rea&s;on of his natural weakne&s;s and depravedne&s;s God is certainly liberally giving to all men without upbraiding any, &s;uch gifts as may conduce to their getting wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him&punc; and &s;o being recon|ciled to him; for he gives nothing but good and perfect givings, not onely out of a cordial heart and affection, but &s;uch as would pro|duce what they come for, and in&s;inuate them&s;elves by their own light and force, and make the &s;ubject capable of receiving and complying with them, and this is given us as a general ground for any man to ask wi&s;dom of God (<HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 5, 17.) and that without wrath or doubting, and not to murmur or rebel a|gain&s;t him in his Go&s;pel, or the in&s;truction thereof, in which his arm is thus &s;tretched out: &s;o <HI>P&s;al. 68. 18, 19. Thou ha&s;t a|&s;cended on high, and led captivity captive, and received gifts in the Man, for men, even for the rebellious, that they might dwell with the Lord.</HI> And from thence it follows&punc; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord that dayly loadeth us,</HI> &amp;c. Yea, (to &s;hew this truth in expre&s;&s;ions &s;uitable to tho&s;e, in which we have demon&s;trated the nature of mans weakne&s;s and nece&s;&s;ity) &s;ee 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 18, 19, 20. By that Spirit by which Je&s;us Chri&s;t was rai&s;ed from the dead, or by &s;uch maner of the putting forth of the light and power of that Spirit, he went and preached not to their ears onely, but to their Spirits, which are now in pri&s;on for their di&s;obedience to his
<PB N="72" REF="43">
Spirit then, when the long-&s;ufferings of God waited on them in the mini&s;tration of <HI>Noah;</HI> and &s;o his Spirit was then, and before &s;triv|ing with them in all the means vouch&s;afed them, and that all the day long, and in due time, whence that, <HI>my Spirit &s;hall not alwaies &s;trive with man:</HI> yea, after, he &s;pake in his Spirit in the light, evi|dence &amp; power of it by the hands of his &s;ervants the Prophets: and that &s;o to their hearts, as that in rejecting or refu&s;ing to hear them, they were &s;aid to harden their hearts again&s;t his &s;oftning and melt|ing operations, <HI>Zech.</HI> 7. 9&punc; 11, 12. yea, all the day long while in tho&s;e means he u&s;ed he was calling them to behold him, he al&s;o therein, in and with his words, &s;tretched out his hands, his power or Spirit unto a rebellious people&punc; that yet were not overcome thereby, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 1, 2. He did lift up the yoke of thraldom while he &s;et meat before them, though they would take no notice of his healing them, he was in all ages in <HI>the world, though the world would not know him; the light &s;hineth in darkne&s;s, though the darkne&s;s compre|hend it not; he came unto his own, though they received him not;</HI> &s;o when the voice of the Son of God came forth in the Go&s;pel, it was his promi&s;e, <HI>The dead &s;hould hear it;</HI> and that &s;o, as hear|ing, in hearing, or according to the capacity given, they &s;hould live, <HI>Joh.</HI> 1. 3. 10. and 5. 25. And therefore God gives up men in his ju&s;t Judgement to blindne&s;s, <HI>That hearing they &s;hould hear, and not under&s;tand</HI> &amp;c. becau&s;e they made it fir&s;t their voluntary &s;in, in hear|ing not to hear; but clo&s;ing their eyes, &s;topping their ears, &s;hunning the light when it came, becau&s;e their deeds were reproved by it, and le&s;t they &s;hould be converted from them. <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 11, 13, 15. <HI>John</HI> 3. 19. <HI>They received not the love of the truth that they might be &s;aved.</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 2. 10, 11. Ho&s;ea 11. 27. Ezek. 24. 11, 13&punc; 'Tis true, <HI>no man can come to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, except the Father which hath &s;ent him, draw them.</HI> John 6. 44. which &s;ignifies the nece&s;&s;ity of u&s;ing or putting forth &s;ome &s;uch power, in, and with tho&s;e Arguments he u&s;eth to per&s;wade, as is to the man &s;uper|natural: and 'tis as true, that the Father was then drawing, and had before drawn tho&s;e very per&s;ons, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 35, 36. <HI>He that cometh to me, &s;hall never hunger: he that believeth on me, &s;hall never thir&s;t: but I &s;aid unto you, That ye al&s;o have &s;een and believe not:</HI> which (comparing it with the former ver&s;e, where believing is the explication of coming) is as much as if he had &s;aid,
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You have been drawn and come not, as tho&s;e <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 11. 2, 7. but did break his bands by murmuring among them&s;elves, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 3, 5. &s;o here compare <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 43. and 44. The doctrine in 44. <HI>ver&s;. No man can come unle&s;s the Father draw,</HI> or <HI>it be given him of my Father,</HI> ver&s;. 6 5. is a ground of the admonition, <HI>v.</HI> 43. <HI>Murmur not among your &s;elves:</HI> &s;ignifying, that his Father was now in his mini&s;tration drawing them with &s;pecial and powerful cords leading them to repentance; and therefore he admoni&s;h|eth, not &s;till to break his bonds by murmuring, becau&s;e without them they could not come; and it might be much feared God would re&s;train his Spirit from &s;triving any longer, if &s;uch &s;pecial influ|ences of him, in &s;uch &s;pecial means were rejected.</P>
<P>Therefore even now more earne&s;tly and heartily to receive, while the Father was giving to them, as he affirms the Father was then giving to them, or did then give them the true bread, though they did not accept or feed on it, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 32. And thus it fully agrees with that, <HI>John</HI> 12. 35, 36. <HI>Yet a little while is the Light with you; walk while ye have the light, le&s;t darkne&s;s come, and then ye cannot walk:</HI> and that, Jam. 1. 18, 19, 20, <HI>&amp;c. Of his own good will,</HI> or willingly <HI>begat he us through the word of truth,</HI> (which is preached to every man, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 27, 28, 29.) wherefore let every man be &s;wift to hear, &s;low to &s;peak, &s;low to wrath, or murmuring again&s;t that Word of truth, &s;eeing it's Gods Arm &s;ent to &s;ave him: and like to this, that, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 12, 13. <HI>It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do,</HI> &amp;c. Do all things without murmuring and di&s;putings, that ye may not fail of the ef|ficacies of his grace in you, as <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 15, 16. And indeed the grace of God bringeth &s;alvation to all men, in all the &s;everal ap|pearances and &s;treamings forth thereof, in his mercies, cha&s;ti&s;ements, providences, though more fully and plainly in the records and plain Declaration of the Go&s;pel, and e&s;pecially as now come forth: yet even in his works of creation and providence, which by vertue of the redemption wrought in Chri&s;t, men do behold, and have a comfortable enjoyment of, even where they do not enjoy the other more plain Declarations of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the choice means; yet therein, and to them, in and with tho&s;e means they have, Je&s;us Chri&s;t by his Spirit is witne&s;&s;ing the goodne&s;s of God to their &s;pi|rits, &s;o that God is not without a witne&s;s in tho&s;e mercies they
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enjoy, <HI>Acts</HI> 14. 17. yea, the word or te&s;timony of Gods good|ne&s;s as preached in them, is not afar off, but nigh them, in their heart, in their mouth, that it might be &s;een and acknowledged; and it is leading, per&s;wading, and drawing their hearts to repeatance in the acknowledgement of the truth: that which may be known of God in tho&s;e di&s;coveries of him vouch&s;afed, is manife&s;t in them, and that is Go&s;pel or good news of goodne&s;s and propitiou&s;ne&s;s in God; yea, &s;o as through a Saviour, this is preached in every creature, though that Saviour is not di&s;tinctly revealed as in the Scriptures, <HI>Acts</HI> 17. 24, 27. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 19, 21. <HI>Colo&s;.</HI> 1. 23. Neither doth God require of them any Repentance, Faith, or Acknowledgement of him, but according to the capacities and manife&s;tations given them; and is very favourable and full of forbrearance, though all men ge|nerally fail and come &s;hort of that; and is yet waiting to be graci|ous to them, in continuing the mediums of calling, and while he is doing &s;o, &s;tretching out his hand all the day long: and if God &s;ee it good for them or any of them, to give them &s;ome more di&s;tinct revelation and di&s;covery of the per&s;on and work of Chri&s;t, as he hath al&s;o promi&s;ed, that in turning in his reproofs, he will &s;till fur|ther pour out his Spirit&punc; and make known his words: and however, I &s;ay, what di&s;covery or revelation of Chri&s;t &s;oever he &s;ees good and needful for any of them, though they have not the Scriptures, the outward means thereto, he can teach the &s;ame things without them; yea, where by his providence they are not vouch&s;afed, his Spirit is &s;o conver&s;ant, and in &s;uch maner with the books of creation and providence, as to teach and lead to that u&s;e of them, which by the Scriptures he teaches us to make of them, as it hath been &s;een in the ca&s;es of &s;uch as have been deaf and dumb; God hath taught them the &s;ame things concerning Chri&s;t, and his goodne&s;s through him, by tho&s;e things which they &s;aw and had to do with, which o|thers have learned through di&s;cour&s;e, and in u&s;e of tho&s;e Organs they wanted: and if they had wanted the other al&s;o, he could have taught the &s;ame things without that too, for he &s;peaks to the heart, and gives wi&s;dom to the inward parts; none teacheth like him; and though he ever make u&s;e of outward mediums where and according to what he vouch&s;afes, yet he is bound to none of them; and is al&s;o e&s;pecially tender towards &s;uch as enjoy lea&s;t of them, being by his providence deprived, in requiring le&s;s of them,
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and no more then according to what he gives, and by his provi|dence, in keeping &s;trong temptations and &s;tumbling-blocks from before them, and out of their way, and in dealing with them ac|cording to their need and wants; whence exhorting us to be like him, he directs particularly in this, <HI>Thou &s;halt not cur&s;e the deaf, nor put a &s;tumbling-block before the blinde,</HI> Levit. 19. 1, 14. but e&s;pecially open thy mouth for them, <HI>&amp;c. Prov.</HI> 31. 8, 9, yea, expre&s;ly they have all heard, and that &s;o, as by &s;ent Preachers, and that &s;o, as that they might believe; and to that end &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 15, 18. After he hath told us, that they cannot believe without &s;ent Preachers among them; making this conclu&s;ion, <HI>Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing,</HI> even capacity to hear, <HI>by</HI> or with <HI>the word,</HI> according to the preaching thereof vouch&s;afed: then he propound the que&s;tion, <HI>I &s;ay then, Have they not all heard?</HI> and an|&s;wers generally, Yes, they have; and particularly to tho&s;e that have not obeyed, yet they have heard, and that by means of &s;ent Preachers too, which by the next ver&s;e, alluding to <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. the works of creation and providence are, <HI>who&s;e line is gone out into all the world, and their words to the ends of the earth,</HI> and by them he &s;aith, All have heard; and then di&s;tinctly &s;peaks of I&s;raels having more &s;pecial means of knowledge. Je&s;us Chri&s;t then is <HI>the true light, that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world:</HI> he is to all, by vertue of his ran&s;ome, a Te&s;timony in due time, the Light of the world, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> See, for further under&s;tand|ing and u&s;efulne&s;s of this, the fir&s;t in&s;truction propounded by way of u&s;efulne&s;s of the fir&s;t propo&s;ition, and particularly the explica|tion of tho&s;e two Scriptures compared&punc; <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49. 8. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 2. I &s;hall not here otherwi&s;e in large to u&s;efulne&s;s, having been already more large then I intended, in this demon&s;tration or opening of the ground of praying with thank&s;giving for all, in the&s;e three heads: That Chri&s;t by the gracious will and appointment of God, gave him&s;elf, and is an accepted ran&s;ome for all: And that by vertue of this, he is become a &s;tanding Mediator between God and men, ap|pearing in the pre&s;ence of God for them: And by means of both the&s;e, that he is in the name and maje&s;ty of the Father, a te&s;timony in due time to them: onely here let me adde, In all this, and this is the &s;umming up of the me&s;&s;age, <HI>God is light, and in him is no darkne&s;s at all;</HI> he is perfectly one and the &s;ame according to this
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manife&s;tation of his good will, that men &s;hould be &s;aved and come to the knowledge of the truth, in and through the Mediator.</P>
<P>There is not two divided and contrary wills in God, one re|vealed, and another &s;ecret: he is one in his will, as well as in his E&s;&s;ence, and in all his holy and glorious Attributes, and that one will of God is a good, perfect, and acceptable will for men to know, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 2. and revealed, that it may be under&s;tood, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 17. Therefore they &s;hall be beaten that did not know it accor|ding to the manife&s;tations given them, becau&s;e though of them|&s;elves they could not, yet by his grace bringing &s;alvation to all men, they might have known it, <HI>Luke 12. 48. Tit.</HI> 2. 11. And though there be many di&s;tinct things in that will of God (as <HI>John</HI> 6. 39, 40. &s;ee the opening of that before, in the Explication of the Thank&s;givings to be joyned with Prayers made for all men,) yet no cla&s;hings or contradictions; for if his Kingdom be divided a|gain&s;t it &s;elf, it cannot &s;tand; according to our Saviours Argu|ment. And therefore though many things in it not before &s;o revealed as now they are, <HI>Deut.</HI> 29. 29. with <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 3, 9.) <HI>By the appearing of Chri&s;t, who hath brought life and immortality to light by the Go&s;pel,</HI> 2 Tim. 1. 10. and many things not yet &s;o revealed as they &s;hall be at the &s;econd appearing of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3. 2. yet there is nothing in tho&s;e Revelations we have contrary to tho&s;e before, but more full Declarations and openings of that life that was from the beginning, and of the love of God to manward, as appearing in the face of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>John 1. 1, 5. Rom.</HI> 16. 25, 26. with <HI>Acts</HI> 26. 22. And &s;o neither is there any thing not revealed, contrary to that which is already revealed; but the truth and goodne&s;s of that as re|vealed, &s;hall more fully and brightly be manife&s;ted, for God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who gave him&s;elf a ran&s;ome for all men, a Te&s;timony in due time.</P>
<P>The&s;e things con&s;idered, afford plentiful ground to make Prayers and Thank&s;givings for all men, 1. For the end of all Prayers for them, that Gods way may be known upon Earth, and his &s;aving health among all Nations; that mens eyes might be opened to &s;ee it, that &s;o they might be turned from darkne&s;s to light, and from the power of Satan to God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that they might be &s;aved, there is
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good ground for Prayers to be made with Thank&s;givings to this end. For, fir&s;t, There is certainly and truth in the grace of God to manward, as manife&s;ted in and through Chri&s;t; and &s;econdly, That is, and is to be manife&s;ted to all men by one means or other, and in due time, &s;o as, and to that end, that it might be known, that through him they might be &s;aved: <HI>God will have all men to be &s;aved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.</HI> Men not believing this, mu&s;t needs pray &s;uch Prayers doubtingly.</P>
<P>2. For tho&s;e particulars of forgivene&s;s, or forbearance of &s;ins, and renewed patience and goodne&s;s to be extended, &s;o as may con|duce to the great end of all Prayers for them; good ground to make our Prayers with Than&s;giving, and without wrath and doubting: for Je&s;us Chri&s;t by vertue of his ran&s;ome given for all, is the great Mediator between God and them, that he may be te&s;tified in due time.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle <HI>wills therefore, that men pray everywhere;</HI> and that therein <HI>Supplication, Prayers, Interce&s;&s;ions and giving of Thanks be made for all men.</HI> It follows,</P>
<P><HI>For Kings, and all that are in Authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</HI></P>
<P>We &s;hall hence note a third general In&s;truction, which is fully contained in this ver&s;e, as compared with the former, and with the occa&s;ion of the exhortation before &s;hewed; and in the opening of which, we may meet with the under&s;tanding and u&s;efulne&s;s of what is &s;et before us in this part of the Apo&s;tles exhortation and in&s;tructi|on. Namely,</P>
<P>3. That in pur&s;uance of this great de&s;igne, for the good of all men, and more particularly, as mainly tending to the furtherance of the &s;ame; that believers <HI>may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty: Prayers, and Thanksgivings, are to be made</HI> (as in general <HI>for all men,</HI> &s;o) particularly <HI>for Kings, and for all that are in Authority.</HI> We &s;hall open it in the&s;e branches:</P>
<P>1. That it tends very much to the good of all men, that believers <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty</HI> a|mong them.</P>
<P>2. That therefore God likes it well, and requires it, that tho&s;e whom he &s;ets in Authority, or eminent place, places of Govern|ment,
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&s;hould all of them have a &s;pecial eye at this, that his peo|ple that wor&s;hip him, and would live quietly in the land, that they <HI>may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty,</HI> under their protection and Government.</P>
<P>3. We &s;hall con&s;ider, what tho&s;e things are in general that will tend to this, and which are required of Governours, that believers may lead &s;uch a life.</P>
<P>4. What that is that will e&s;pecially furni&s;h them to the&s;e things, and &s;o is e&s;pecially to be de&s;ired for them.</P>
<P>1. That it tends very much to the good of all men, that believers <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty</HI> a|mong them. We &s;hall here,</P>
<P>1. Con&s;ider what it is to <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</HI></P>
<P>2. See how this tends &s;o much to the good of all men to be de|&s;ired by us.</P>
<P>1. For the fir&s;t, what it is to <HI>lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</HI> Note, That it is not every, or any kinde of leading the life quietly or peaceably, that is commendable in the believer, and will be profitable unto others; but the <HI>leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty:</HI> like that, <HI>Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men, and holine&s;s, without which no man &s;hall &s;ee the Lord:</HI> holine&s;s, and &s;o here godline&s;s and hone&s;ty is the main thing to be pur&s;ued, and in which the be|liever is alwayes to continue and be exerci&s;ed; and holding fa&s;t and exerci&s;ing him&s;elf therein, he is to follow peace with all men, to &s;tudy to be quiet, as much as is po&s;&s;ible to live peaceably with all men, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 17, 18. He is not to wave, &s;werve, nor &s;hrink from his continuance in, and exerci&s;e of godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, to get peace with any, or live quietly with them: that will be worthily reputed a loving the things of the world, and the love and fellow&s;hips of, or peace with men more then him, or the prai&s;e of men more then the prai&s;e that comes of God alone, and will render a man unwor|thy of him, <HI>Mat. 10. 32, 39. John</HI> 12. 42, 43. Yet a man living in all godline&s;s and hone&s;tly, he may lead his life quietly and peaceably, with and among&s;t tho&s;e that are ungodly, turbulent, unju&s;t, and devi&s;ing deceitful matters again&s;t him, and that for Chri&s;ts &s;ake and the Go&s;pels; or at lea&s;t he may endeavour it as
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much as is po&s;&s;ible, by being for peace even while they are for war, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 35. 13, 14, 20. and 120. 6&punc; 7. and yet not joyne or com|port with them in their ungodly principles or wayes, nor allow or have fellow&s;hip with their unfruitful works of darkne&s;s; but in a con&s;tant holding fa&s;t faith and a good con&s;cience exerci&s;ing him|&s;elf in godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, be alwayes fleeing from and avoid|ing them, departing from iniquity according to the teaching, of that name and grace of Chri&s;t profe&s;&s;ed by him, and &s;o reproving them, bearing witne&s;s and &s;triving again&s;t their &s;in, and that with meekne&s;s, long-&s;uffering, and doctrine, and yet with con&s;tancy, <HI>Heb. 12. 3, 4. 2 Tim.</HI> 2. 19, 26. and 4. 1, 5.</P>
<P>However then, this is fir&s;t to be minded; the Saints of God, &s;uch as through grace believe, they are to lead their lives, and be conti|nually exerci&s;ed, each according to their capacity, in godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</P>
<P>Godline&s;s is the true or right wor&s;hipping of God, the honouring or glorifying of him, and walking in a right acknowledgement of him in all things, and &s;o in &s;ervice of him according to the teach|ings of that grace, that brings &s;alvation to all men, which in that appearance of it by Chri&s;t: teacheth that denying all ungodline&s;s,&mdash;we &s;hould live godly. See it explicated by this Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 8, 10. Having exhorted <HI>Timothy</HI> to exerci&s;e him&s;elf to godli|ne&s;s on this account&punc; that it's profitable to all things, he proves that thus, <HI>ver&s;e 10. For therefore we both labour, and &s;uffer re|proach becau&s;e we tru&s;t in the living God&punc; who is the Saviour of all men, e&s;pecially of them that believe:</HI> where comparing the ver&s;es, it appears, that the tru&s;ting in, and &s;o the whole wor&s;hip|ping of the living God in and according to that declaration of his name in his Son, where he hath revealed him&s;elf to be the living God, the Saviour of all men, e&s;pecially of them that believe; This is godline&s;s or right wor&s;hipping of God: and &s;o to be exerci&s;ed herein and hereto, was to exerci&s;e him&s;elf to godline&s;s, which he &s;hould finde profitable to all things, even to his teaching and &s;trengthening in this pre&s;ent day to all his &s;ervice and &s;uffering. And &s;o with this 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 7, 8, 10. agrees that de&s;cription of a godly per&s;on, <HI>P&s;al. 1. He that walks not in the coun&s;el of the ungodly nor &s;tands in the way of &s;inners, nor &s;itteth in the &s;eat of the &s;cornful,</HI> he refu&s;eth fooli&s;h and unlearned que&s;tions and
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po&s;itions of &s;cience fal&s;ely &s;o called, &s;uch teachings, coun&s;els, and documents, about the wor&s;hip and acknowledgement of God or of Chri&s;t, as in which God in Chri&s;t is not honoured accor|ding to his word; But the great te&s;timony of God concerning him, which is the &s;umme of all the matter of the Fathers teaching or learning, (<HI>Joh. 6. 45. Eph.</HI> 4. 20, 22.) and the key of knowledge for opening all things pertaining to the knowledg and wor&s;hip of God, is laid by. And &s;o the fear and wor&s;hip taught by the precepts of men, or after the wi&s;dom of this world, which is fooli&s;hne&s;s with God, and teaches enmity to the truth, and way of wor&s;hip|ping God as it is in Je&s;us: he avoids, refu&s;eth, and &s;huns &s;uch un|godline&s;s, and al&s;o flees youthful, and fle&s;hly or worldly lu&s;ts, and exerci&s;eth him&s;elf to godline&s;s: (1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 7. and 6. 11. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 22, 23.) that is, as in the <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> his delight and continual exerci&s;e is in the law or doctrine of the Lord, the old Command|ment preached from the beginning, the te&s;timony of God concern|ing Chri&s;t the law of liberty, as explicated <HI>James</HI> 1. 25. he look|eth into it, and continueth therein; his faith, his fear, his whole wor|&s;hip, acknowledgement, and &s;ervice, is taught by and according thereto; he &s;hall be &s;table, &s;ucce&s;sful, and &s;o ble&s;&s;ed in his deed: and accordingly we have a de&s;cription of ungodly per&s;ons, though hav|ing a form of godline&s;s, yet denying the power, the root and life thereof. And with it a declaration of the general rea&s;on they are &s;o un&s;table and ea&s;ily to&s;&s;ed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, (as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1. 4. with <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 14.) and do &s;o much mi&s;carry in their apprehen&s;ions of all things pertaining to the knowledge and wor|&s;hip of God, <HI>They erre in vi&s;ion, they &s;tumble in judgement:</HI> I&s;a. 28. 7. and 29. 9. the de&s;cription of them, I &s;ay&punc; and the gene|ral rea&s;on of &s;uch their erring and in&s;tability, we have, <HI>I&s;a. 29. 11. The vi&s;ion of all was become unto them as the words of a book that is &s;ealed,</HI> &amp;c. and &s;o rendered by them to others: and this fundamental blindne&s;s, it may &s;eem, God had now in part given them up unto; but it was becau&s;e they had fir&s;t wilfully clo&s;ed their own eyes&punc; and made it their own proper wilful iniquity, again&s;t the light and reproof of grace, (as <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28. 10, 11, 12, 13. with <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 13&punc; 14&punc; 15.)</P>
<P>The Vi&s;ion of all is Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as declared in the Go&s;pel, in who&s;e face now God hath manife&s;ted the light of his glory, &s;o as
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he that &s;eeth him, &s;eeth him that &s;ent him; he that believeth on him, believeth on him that &s;ent him, <HI>John 12. 44, 46. 2 Cor.</HI> 4. 6. yea, he is that true light, that in revealing the Father, doth manife&s;t all things in their proper colours. The Light of the world, <HI>John</HI> 8. 12. and 12. 46. with <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 13. That vi&s;ion &s;poken of, <HI>Hab.</HI> 2. 2, 3. compare <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 37. 'Tis to us Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as now de|clared in that preaching of the Cro&s;s who was before witne&s;&s;ed in the Law and Prophets: compare <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 29. 11, 14. with 1 <HI>Cor. 1. 18, 19. &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>This therefore called the Vi&s;ion of all, becau&s;e it's the Vi&s;ion of all Vi&s;ions; the foundation and key of knowledge for the open|ing of all doctrines, the great things of Gods Law, <HI>Ho&s;ea 8. 12. Mat. 23. 13, 23. Luke</HI> 11. 52. and al&s;o becau&s;e it's the Vi&s;ion of, for, and to all men; the light of the world; it holds forth tidings of great joy, of greate&s;t and mo&s;t excellent concernment for them all, and at all times, <HI>Luke 1. 10, 11, 14. Prov. 8. 1, 6, 7. 1 Tim.</HI> 1. 15. This is rendered as a &s;ealed book, when the Go&s;pel as preach|ed by the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, in, and according to the import of its own expre&s;&s;ions, is looked upon and pre&s;ented as a Riddle, or hidden thing, in which truth is not plainly manife&s;ted, but one thing &s;poken, and another meant; or the meaning locked or &s;ealed up from us under other expre&s;&s;ions (contrary to 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 1, 4.) when the pen of the Scribe, e&s;pecially in tho&s;e things main and fundament|tal, is rendered as vain and too empty to give his &s;ence and meaning: and yet men pretend wi&s;dom, and that they have the Law of the Lord with them, <HI>Jer.</HI> 8. 8, 9.</P>
<P>This Vi&s;ion of all being a &s;ealed book, upon this account it's af|firmed of &s;uch, Their whole fear and wor&s;hip, though they honour him with their lips, is taught by mens precepts, and therefore not right wor&s;hipping.</P>
<P>The rea&s;on of &s;uch an A&s;&s;ertion concerning the whole wor&s;hip meerly on this account, is this: The &s;umme of the Go&s;pel being hid&punc; they are lo&s;t, or out of the way, and cannot have any right un|der&s;tanding, or u&s;efulne&s;s of the in&s;tructions of the word of the Lord, as to their wor&s;hip of him, having rejected the &s;umme and funda|mentals of it; and that in which the fellow&s;hip of the Spirit is to be met with for opening the re&s;t. <HI>They have therein rejected the word of the Lord, and what wi&s;dom is in them?</HI> Jer. 8. 8, 9. 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4.</P>
<P><PB N="82" REF="48">And this is the rea&s;on of their roeling and erring in all things hard to be under&s;tood, they are unlearned and un&s;table, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 16. that is, not having learned Chri&s;t aright; and &s;o all truth as it is in Je&s;us, that Vi&s;ion of all; or not attending and waiting to learn, and have the u&s;efulne&s;s of all truth, according to their needs and capacities, through the knowledge and u&s;efulne&s;s of that &s;umme of the Go&s;pel, the te&s;timony of God concerning him, as <HI>I&s;a. 28. 10, 11, 12, 14, 16. John 6. 45&punc; 46. Eph.</HI> 4. 21. They therefore pre&s;ently pervert tho&s;e things in the Scriptures hard to be under|&s;tood; and then al&s;o to frame their apprehen&s;ions in every thing to &s;uch pervertings of the Scriptures, in things hard, they pervert all other Scriptures to their own de&s;truction. The&s;e are &s;uch ungodly ones&punc; as yet have a form of godline&s;s, but deny the power, re&s;i&s;t and oppo&s;e the truth, as it is in Je&s;us. The Father is not rightly honour|ed or wor&s;hipped by them: <HI>The true Wor&s;hippers wor&s;hip the Father in Spirit and truth&punc;</HI> John 4. 23. The truth of all types, promi&s;es, and former revelations of God to men&punc; in, and according to which the Father is to be wor&s;hipped, is Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 3. The te&s;timony of Je&s;us, as now come forth, is to us the Spirit of prophe&s;ie, through, and according to which the Father and Son, God in Chri&s;t is to be acknowledged, believed in and wor&s;hipped by us, <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 10. And thus our Saviour explicates that <HI>John</HI> 4. 23. according to the&s;e two Scriptures compared, in <HI>John 5. 22, 23, 24. The Father judgeth no man,</HI> (that is, otherwi&s;e then as fol|lows) <HI>but hath committed all judgement to the Son, to this end, that all men &s;hould honour the Son, even as they honour the Fa|ther:</HI> that now in honouring the Son, as come forth and glorified in our nature through &s;ufferings, they may therein truely &amp; acceptably honour or wor&s;hip the Father. And for further opening how and wherein the Son is rightly honoured&punc; and &s;o the Father in him, he addes, <HI>He that heareth my word,</HI> (that revelation of the Father, that he was delivered to death for our offences, &amp; rai&s;ed for our ju|&s;tification, as declared in the Go&s;pel giveth) and through and accor|ding to it <HI>beliveeth on him that &s;ent me, he hath ever la&s;ting life,</HI> &amp;c. Therefore believers are exhorted to hold fa&s;t the believing re|membrance of the things heard from the beginning, the word of the beginning of Chri&s;t, and to have recour&s;e thereto, (as to that Spirit or Unction; it being the immediate birth or off-&s;pring of
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the Spirit it &s;elf, and &s;o Spirit, according to that rule, <HI>John 3. 6. His name an oynment poured forth,</HI> Cant. 1. 2.) for under|&s;tanding all things, for pre&s;erving from every evil word and work, for direction and furniture to all &s;ervice and &s;uffering, <HI>1 Cor. 15. 1, 4. 2 Tim. 2. 7, 8. 1 John 2. 20, 24, 27.</HI> And therein, and &s;o they &s;hall be found exerci&s;ing them&s;elves to godline&s;s.</P>
<P><HI>Hone&s;ty</HI> &s;ignifies righteou&s;ne&s;s, equity or ju&s;tice in our demeanour towards all men, and that &s;uch as in which there is cha&s;tity or &s;incerity to the main de&s;ign for which we are &s;et in the world; pu|rity of heart, and cleanne&s;s of hands, in pro&s;ecuting the good of all men, working righteou&s;ne&s;s, or walking righteou&s;ly in all our conver&s;ation with and among&s;t them, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 15. and 24. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33. 15. According to the teachings of that grace of God, that bring|eth &s;alvation to all men: and &s;o in like expre&s;&s;ions, it is joyned with living godly, in that <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 11, 12. and oppo&s;ed to worldly lu&s;ts: <HI>The grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men, hath appeared, teaching us, That denying ungodline&s;s, and wordly lu&s;ts, we &s;hould live righteou&s;ly, &s;oberly, and godly in this pre|&s;ent world; looking for that ble&s;&s;ed hope, and the glorious ap|pearing of the mighty God our Saviour: who gave him&s;ef for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, that he might purifie to him|&s;elf a peculiar people zealous of good works.</HI> So 1 Pet. 2. 11&punc; 12. it's oppo&s;ed to fle&s;hly lu&s;ts; which being heeded and li&s;tened to, do hinder the Soul of &s;o living hone&s;tly. <HI>Therefore dearly beloved,</HI> (&s;aith Peter) <HI>I be&s;eech you as &s;trangers and pilgrims, ab|&s;tain from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts that warre again&s;t the Soul, having your conver&s;ation hone&s;t among the Gentiles, that in the day of their vi&s;itation they may glorifie God.</HI> Like that, Phil. 2. 15, 16. <HI>Do all things without murmurings and di&s;putings, that ye may be blamele&s;s, harmle&s;s&punc; the Sons of God in the mid&s;t of a crooked ge|neration; among&s;t whom &s;hine ye as lights in the world&punc; holding forth the word of life;</HI> and that both in word and conver&s;ation. The doing that which is ju&s;t and equal between man and man, and &s;o unto all, or that which is &s;o in the &s;ight of men, this is certainly here meant by, or contained in living hone&s;tly, as <HI>Phil. 2. 16. Rom. 12. 17. 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 15. and 3. 16. But this alone is too &s;cant a definition of the living hone&s;tly here meant: yet all that is &s;igni|fied by it, is no more, but a walking righteou&s;ly, and doing that
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which is lawful &amp; right; but that which is &s;o in the &s;ight of God&punc; and according to the teachings of that <HI>grace of God that brings &s;al|vation to all men,</HI> goes further then that which is &s;o <HI>in the &s;ight of men:</HI> and they are both together in this living hone&s;tly, as may be &s;een in one in&s;tance, 2 <HI>Cor. 8. 20, 21. That no man might blame them in the abundance admini&s;tred by them, they did provide things hone&s;t not onely in the &s;ight of God, but al&s;o in the &s;ight of men:</HI> &s;ignifying, that they did provide things hone&s;t, or walk hone&s;tly in the &s;ight of God, in admini&s;tring abundantly of what|ever God had given them for the good of others; which was &s;o far beyond what men would have required as their rea&s;onable &s;ervice, or judged to have been but their hone&s;ty, that they would rather watch for advantages again&s;t them to blame them, as if their zeal and forwardne&s;s in freely and abundantly admini&s;tring &s;uch as they had, for the good of others, did hinder them from looking well to them&s;elves, or their own hou&s;e or relations, or made them uncapa|ble of walking ju&s;tly in all their dealings. They could not (they thought) do &s;o much, and be &s;o free in &s;pending them&s;elves in &s;uch &s;ervices, if they did not defraud or wrong &s;ome body. But this blame, or all ju&s;t cau&s;e of it is avoided by us, &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, in pro|viding things hone&s;t al&s;o in the &s;ight of all men, even in &s;uch ca&s;es as aforementioned: the mercies of God, (as <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1.) even that <HI>grace that brings &s;alvation to all men,</HI> teacheth and requi|reth of us, as our rea&s;onable &s;ervice, as that which on the account of that grace is due from us to all men, (as hath been &s;hewed before) even as we would not be unju&s;t or injurious in withholding good from them to whom its due, &s;o to hold forth the faithful word in the mid&s;t of a crooked generation, according to all that capacity and opportunity for the &s;ame, he is plea&s;ed to furni&s;h us with, and what|ever we may lo&s;e or &s;uffer therein; and to do this cordially and fer|vently for the good of others, that they may be &s;aved, and therefore in &s;implicity and godly &s;incerity, renouncing the hidden things of di&s;hone&s;ty, in &s;uch our &s;ervice, nor cloaking covetou&s;ne&s;s over with it, or de&s;ire of glory from men, or the like, &s;uch is the Apo&s;tles de|mon&s;tration of their hone&s;ty or living hone&s;tly, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12, 13. Our rejoycing is this, the te&s;timony of our con&s;cience, that in &s;im|plicity and godly &s;incerity we have had our conver&s;ation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which is thus &s;hewed, for we write none other things unto you, then what
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you read, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> we intend not to &s;ignifie in our writing any other thing then what we plainly expre&s;s in our words. So 2 <HI>Cor. 4. 1, 2. Seeing we have this mini&s;tery as we have received mercy;</HI> (&s;o in the former) by the grace of God minded by us, the in&s;tructions and operations thereof, we have thus had our conver&s;ation, according to that <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1. By the&s;e mercies give up your bodies, <HI>&amp;c. As we have received mercy,</HI> &s;ayes he, <HI>we faint not, but have renounced the hidden things of di&s;hone&s;ty, not walking in craf|tine&s;s, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by mani|fe&s;tation of the truth:</HI> commending, declaring, and committing our &s;elves, our minde or meaning, and principles to every man in our words, &s;o as in the &s;ight of God; who otherwi&s;e would charge us with di&s;hone&s;ty, though men could not, if we did either for fear or &s;hame, hide any thing that he hath made known to us, that may tend to the good of others, and was made known to us, to be made known to them; or if in admini&s;tring it, we u&s;ed fle&s;hly wi&s;dom or policy, re&s;erving much of that which might mo&s;t expo&s;e us to &s;uf|ferings, though mo&s;t material &amp; needful to be mo&s;t plainly uttered, or for other cau&s;es re&s;erving the in&s;ide of our thoughts and meaning to our &s;elves &amp; &s;o handling the word of God deceitfully&punc; &amp; happily to &s;uch ends following cunningly-devi&s;ed fables, as 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 16. But this, &s;aies he, we have renounced; and thus they lived hone&s;tly among their neighbours, and thus have they by the mercies of God charged and exhorted every one of us &s;o to live among&s;t men, according to what capacity and opportunity God gives us. See 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 3 11, 12. When he hath told them their <HI>Exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncle anne&s;s, nor in guile; but as they were allowed of God &s;o they &s;pake; not as plea&s;ing men, but God, which tryeth the hearts:</HI> and further addes and appeals to their con&s;ciences for te&s;timony, <HI>They had not u&s;ed flattering words, nor a cloke of covetou&s;ne&s;s, nor had &s;ought glory of men, or been burthen&s;ome, when, and as they might as the Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t:</HI> and here|in walked holily, ju&s;tly, unblameably: he then addes this, <HI>As al&s;o you know how we exhorted every one of you, even as a father his child,</HI> &amp;c. like that <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 13, 15, 16. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 1, 2. Yea, this grace teaches that as our rea&s;onable &s;ervice, to hold forth this faithful word in conver&s;ation, that they that will not be won by the word, and it may be not to hear it, as holden forth
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by believers under reproach, yet may be allured and overcome by the cha&s;te and hone&s;t conver&s;ation coupled with fear; <HI>When they &s;ee our good works, they may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven.</HI> Therefore to &s;hew forth his vertues in all cha&s;tity or hone&s;ty, as oppo&s;ed to fornication and all uncleanne&s;s, filthine&s;s, or fooli&s;h talking or je&s;ting, <HI>Eph. 5. 2, 3. 1 The&s;&s;. 4. 3. 4, 5. 1 Pet.</HI> 2. 11, 12. and &s;o as oppo&s;ed to covetou&s;ne&s;s which is idolatry, and the fruits thereof, fraudulency, or endeavouring to go beyond or circumvent any in buying &s;elling, or the like, as in the forecited Scriptures; and &s;o in all &s;obriety and moderation in the u&s;e and enjoyment of any thing of this world, as &s;trangers and pilgrims, or in lu&s;ting and pur&s;uing after them, fleeing from &s;uch things; yea, in all goodne&s;s, righteon&s;ne&s;s and truth, which is, and as it is the fruit of the Spirit, bringing and opening the in&s;tructions and grace of the Go&s;pel, leading and moving thereto. And this cordially al&s;o, in &s;implicity and godly &s;incerity, and for the profit of others, that they may be &s;aved. All this is but out rea&s;onable &s;ervice by the mercies of God, even towards all men: though they will nei|ther challenge the greate&s;t part of this debt of us, nor any of it upon &s;uch an account, nor will they re&s;pect or look upon our &s;ervice as &s;uch; yet as that man that is betru&s;ted with much trea|&s;ure, or the tidings, di&s;coveries, and patterns of it, that belongs, and is to be &s;hewed to others, of purpo&s;e to let them know of it, and where and how they may come to enjoy it, though they to whom &s;uch trea|&s;ures and the tidings or patterns of it belong and ought to be &s;hew|ed by him, being ignorant, though happily wilfully &s;o, do not de&s;ire or expect any &s;uch thing from him, nor happily will ea&s;ily be per|&s;waded to accept or regard the &s;ame, though matter of greate&s;t concernment to them; yet &s;eeing he knows of what concernment it is, and to what end he is furni&s;hed with the knowledge&punc; experience, and patterns of it, as a Steward for them; he is not an hone&s;t man, or faithful Steward if he conceal the &s;ame, but very injurious; <HI>'Tis required of Stewards&punc; that a man be found faithful,</HI> 1 Cor. 4. 2. Even &s;o tho&s;e that are called out of darkne&s;s into his mar|vellous light, that they &s;hould &s;hew forth the prai&s;es of him that hath called them, and that among&s;t and for the good of others; though tho&s;e among whom they live, neither acknowledg it, nor de|&s;ire it, yet are to pro&s;ecute it as their main de&s;igne, to give them that
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which is due to them; namely, To let them know of, and &s;ee the grace of God in Chri&s;t towards them, and the in&s;tructions and re|proofs thereof in the tidings and patterns of it, according to capaci|ty and opportunity given them, and therefore to ab&s;tain from fle&s;h|ly lu&s;ts, and to deny them&s;elves in whatever might hinder them; as the grace of God in Chri&s;t, that brings &s;alvation to all men, teach|eth them, for the good of others; and in &s;o doing &s;hall live hone&s;t|ly.</P>
<P>The&s;e two, godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, are an&s;werable to tho&s;e two great Commands, on which hang all the Law and the Prophets: (the grace of God that bringeth &s;alvation to all men requiring and affording motive and motion to the &s;ame) <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy minde, with all thy &s;oul, with all thy &s;trength.</HI> The &s;econd is like unto it, a Spring or Fruit of it: <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy neighbour as thy &s;elf.</HI> Yea, the&s;e are contained and found in tho&s;e two great Commands of the Go&s;pel, which it gives ground for, and moves to, and writes in the heart of the believing receiver of it: To believe on the name of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in which the Father is believed in, loved, and &s;o rightly wor&s;hipped, as is fore&s;hewn. The other is like unto it, and indeed but the Fruit of it, and part of the &s;ame Command|ment; and therefore both are called one Commandment, 1 <HI>John 3. 23. That we love one another, as he</HI> by the grace of the Go&s;pel obligeth, and <HI>hath given us Commandment.</HI> And &s;o this living in godline&s;s and hone&s;ty an&s;wers to, and gives explication of that <HI>chap. 1. 18. Holding faith and a good con&s;cience;</HI> which are begotten and ingendered, and we &s;trenghthened to hold fa&s;t and walk in them, through his grace, as declared in that name of his in his Son, in our looking, &s;eeking, or adhering to it, according as by that grace extended, we are directed and &s;trengthened. There|fore the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, P&s;al.</HI> 24. after he hath given this de&s;cription of tho&s;e per&s;ons that are capable &s;ubjects of everla&s;ting dwelling, abiding, and having fellow&s;hip with God, <HI>ver&s;. 4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, that hath not lift up his &s;oul to vanity, nor &s;worn deceitfully:</HI> which ver&s;e in each of the parts an&s;wers to godline&s;s and hone&s;ty here. Then in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 6. he gives the fundamental, or bottom-de&s;cription of them; or rather, a de|claration who they are in whom the truth of the former de&s;crip|tion
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found: <HI>This is the generation of them that &s;eek him, that &s;eek thy face, O God of Jacob:</HI> now the glorious face of God is clearly manife&s;ted in the face of his Son, as delivered to death for our offences and rai&s;ed again for our ju&s;tification: and in &s;eeking, look|ing to, or beholding his face as there revealed in righteou&s;ne&s;s, the heart is therein &s;prinkled from an evil con&s;cience, and the body wa&s;hed with pure water, as <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 22. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18. the heart purified through obedience to the truth, to unfeigned love of God and Brethren. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 22. For therefore hath God condemned &s;in in the fle&s;h, in condemning his Son in the fle&s;h for &s;in, that the righteou&s;ne&s;s of the Law, not onely life and peace the end of it, but even the righteous affections and &s;ervices towards God and men which it required, but gave no &s;trength to perform, might be fulfilled in them who walk not after the fle&s;h, con&s;ulting with it, or minding the things of it; but after the Spirit, that bears witne&s;s of, and glorifies Je&s;us, and the glory of God as in the face of him; and &s;o &s;uch u&s;e of the Law is good, as is according to and taught by that glorious Go&s;pel, <HI>That Je&s;us Chri&s;t came into the world to &s;ave &s;inners,</HI> 1 Tim. 1. 11, 15. Thus having &s;een what that is in which the believer is continually to be exerci&s;ed and lead his life, as here expre&s;&s;ed under the&s;e terms, In all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty; We come here to con&s;ider, How in this exerci&s;e, not neglecting, wavering or &s;hrinking from it, but in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, the grace of God teaches them, and for the good of others, to lead a quiet and peaceable life.</P>
<P>Quietne&s;s and peaceablene&s;s, is &s;ometime oppo&s;ed to timerou&s;|ne&s;s, doubtfulne&s;s and ha&s;tine&s;s; and &s;ignifies, quietne&s;s, patience, and confidence in waiting for the accompli&s;hment of Gods word, and his own bringing to pa&s;s the good things he hath promi&s;ed in his own time and way, without making &s;uch unrea&s;onable ha&s;te&punc; as is un&s;uitable to believing in God for the accompli&s;hment of his word; as &s;ometimes <HI>Abraham</HI> began to do, in concluding <HI>E|leazer</HI> to be his heir; and after, in taking <HI>Sarahs</HI> advice, to go in to his Maid; and then becau&s;e that brought forth &s;omething &s;uita|ble to their expectation, concluding pre&s;ently, that birth of the wi&s;dom and &s;trength of the fle&s;h was the promi&s;ed &s;eed; in this &s;ence quietne&s;s is to be under&s;tood in that coun&s;el to <HI>Ahaz, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted:&mdash;if ye will
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not believe, &s;urely ye &s;hall not be e&s;tabli&s;hed,</HI> I&s;a. 7. 4, 9. And that to I&s;rael, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. 15. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, In returning and re&s;t &s;hall ye be &s;aved, in quietne&s;s and confidence &s;hall be your &s;trength; though they would not take it,</HI> but would tru&s;t to their &s;trength and &s;wiftne&s;s. And &s;o al&s;o quietne&s;s and a&s;&s;urance, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 32. 17. may in the fir&s;t place &s;ignifie; for the work of righte|ou&s;ne&s;s that is already wrought in Chri&s;t is peace, <HI>He hath made peace by the blood of his Cro&s;s, by him to reconcile all things:</HI> take out the enmity that came in by &s;in, and re&s;tore the whole crea|tion, which yet waiteth for the manife&s;tation of the Sons of God; but &s;hall then as certainly be accompli&s;hed, as that which he hath already actually fini&s;hed in him&s;elf, that the other may be brought to pa&s;s by him, when he &s;hall take to him his great power and raign, and bring tho&s;e that &s;leep in Je&s;us with him: Then &s;hall his people dwell in a quite habitation, and &s;ure re&s;ting places, and their eyes that now &s;leep in him, &s;hall &s;ee <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> a quiet habi|tation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> compare the whole chapter with chap. 32&punc; 22, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and chap. 11, and 12. Now the effect of this righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, as manife&s;ted in that don<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, and from thence expected in ac|compli&s;hing that to come, is quietne&s;s and a&s;&s;urance for ever. It being believed, begets and works quietne&s;s and confidence in wait|ing now&punc; as well as it &s;hall bring forth quietne&s;s, and a&s;&s;ured re&s;t and peace for ever, in enjoyment by way of actual po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion then, when that King &s;hall reign in righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And &s;o al&s;o the words quietne&s;s and a&s;&s;urance are here to be under&s;tood: &s;urely <HI>it is good both to hope and quietly to wait for the &s;alvation of God&punc;</HI> Lam. 3. 26. Yea, he that truely hopes for tho&s;e things he &s;ees not, will with patience wait for them: it is to be feared, our hopes are for &s;ome &s;en&s;ual glory, as if Chri&s;ts Kingdom were of this world; and that makes us imagine and &s;trive by &s;en&s;ual means, and car|nal weapons to bring it about: and having no ground for &s;uch hope in the word of the truth of the Go&s;pel, (though did we believe it, we might there have good ground for that which is infinitely better) we are al&s;o making ha&s;te, and catching at every thing we &s;ee, and ready to conclude, Lo here is Chri&s;t, or there is Chri&s;t; in this part of the world, or in that; in this form of Government, or in that; and many the like. We mu&s;t needs be in a confu&s;ion, when there is &s;carcely found faith confidently to expect, and quietly to
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wait for the appearing of Je&s;us Chri&s;t from Heaven; rather &s;cof|fing at that promi&s;e of his coming&punc; and every one taking up &s;hort, in &s;omething or other, before the time.</P>
<P>Quietne&s;s and peaceablene&s;s in our demeanor towards men, is &s;ometimes oppo&s;ed to much noi&s;e, clamour, or &s;tir, that is made ei|ther in proclaming mens own goodne&s;s, or in crying up this and that Order, Wor&s;hip or Precepts of men, or in crying down and cla|mouring others; &s;o in that <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 9. 17. <HI>The words of wi&s;e men are heard in quiet,</HI> (when there are no &s;uch tumultuous noi&s;es &s;tirred up) <HI>more then the cry of him that ruleth among fools.</HI></P>
<P>But more frequently 'tis oppo&s;ed to war, &s;trife, contention, or envy, vexation, and frowardne&s;s of Spirit again&s;t any, So <HI>Prov.</HI> 17. 1. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 4. 6. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 120. 7. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 3. 8. So to our pre&s;ent bu&s;ine&s;s, &s;ee <HI>Jam.</HI> 3. 13, 17 <HI>Who is a wi&s;e man and endued with knowledge among you? let him &s;hew out of a good conver|&s;ation his works with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom: but if ye have bitter envying and &s;trife in your hearts, glory not, lye not a|gain&s;t the truth; for where envying and &s;trife is, there is confu&s;ion, and every evil work: but the wi&s;dom from above, is fir&s;t pure,</HI> &s;hewing forth it &s;elf, and directing the &s;ubject in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty: <HI>then peaceable gentle, and ea&s;ie to be en|treated; full of mercy and good fruits, and that without partia|lity or hypocri&s;ie.</HI> It directs to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty: for the fruits of righteou&s;ne&s;s, which is by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is &s;owne in peace, in quietne&s;s (as oppo&s;ed to wrath and ha&s;tine&s;s) of them that make peace, who through the grace of God bringing &s;alvation to all men, are made peace-makers, &s;et for the good of all men, and therefore making prayers and interce&s;&s;i|ons with thank&s;givings for them&punc; <HI>From whence then come wars and fightings?</HI> &amp;c. chap. 4. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The grace of God in&s;tructs and teacheth the believing receiver thereof&punc; in all his exerci&s;e and walking in godline&s;s and hone&s;ty a|mong&s;t all men, and for the good of them therein &amp; according there|to and as they are taught by that grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men, to lead a quiet and peaceable life, 1. With reference to tho&s;e in place of Government, 2. Towards all men. 3. E&s;pecially one with another.</P>
<P><PB N="91" REF="52">1. The quiet and peaceable life that is according to godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, and to which we are in&s;tructed in the Go&s;pel and grace of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as with reference to tho&s;e that by Gods pro|vidence are in eminent place or in authority over us, whether as particular Ma&s;ters, or as publique Magi&s;trates, Standeth in a quiet &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion or &s;ubjection to their power, living under it without murmuring or di&s;puting again&s;t it di&s;turbance, mole&s;tation, or re&s;i&s;t|ing of it. My bu&s;ine&s;s is not here to di&s;pute what believers as publique men, &s;et in any publique place of tru&s;t and authority for the good of the Nation or people where they live, may or ought to do, with reference to &s;ome others in place of tru&s;t and authority with them; nor what any private Chri&s;tian, as joyned in a politick or national body, or required and &s;o called out by &s;ome higher powers, may or ought to do with reference to &s;ome other powers or per&s;ons in authority, that are oppre&s;&s;ive or de&s;tructive to them. About the&s;e, I &s;ay, I have not here to di&s;pute or &s;peak: but how believers as private Chri&s;tians, in their &s;everal places, or as members of, or joyned in any Societies or Congregations, if never &s;o many, for and in the wor&s;hip and acknowledgement of God, and waiting upon, and &s;ervice of him as Chri&s;tians in his Ordinances, and for the good of others; (for &s;o al&s;o they are con&s;iderable as private Chri&s;tians, and to live under Government) and how they are to be in &s;ubjection, and to demean them&s;elves with reference to Go|vernours or Magi&s;trates by Gods providence &s;et over them, is that we have here to &s;peak to.</P>
<P>1. They are to account and acknowledge them worthy or meet for all that honour, tho&s;e places of tru&s;t and authority over them, that God hath plea&s;ed by his providence to put upon them, or permit unto them; and &s;o in their demeanour to te&s;tifie &s;uch their account and acknowledgement of them. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 1. <HI>Let as many &s;er|vants as are under the yoke, count their ma&s;ters,</HI> (though unbe|lieving ones, as is fully &s;ignified, by comparing this with the next ver&s;e) <HI>worthy of all honour:</HI> of all that honour that by their place is due from us to them. It's the &s;ame in the ca&s;e between the people, and &s;o believers as private Chri&s;tians, and their Governours, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 7. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 17&punc; 18. And herein they are every &s;oul to be &s;ubject to tho&s;e powers that be (that at any time at pre&s;ent are over them) without di&s;pute about the lawfulne&s;s or rightne&s;s of their being &s;et
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up there; they being by Gods providence or permi&s;&s;ion in &s;uch place of ma&s;ter&s;hip or authority over them, they are to yeild them that fear, honour, reverence and acknowledgement, that by rea&s;on of the place in which God hath &s;et them, is due to them, and account it meet it &s;hould be &s;o, becau&s;e God &s;ees it good, and in his infinite wi&s;dom hath ordered the &s;ame to us. And if their Ma&s;ters or Governours be believers, then neither are other believers, as private Chri&s;tians, Servants or Subjects to de&s;pi&s;e them, becau&s;e they are brethren, as if therefore they &s;hould not yeild them &s;uch re&s;pect, ho|nour and acknowledgement as is due to them by their place of tru&s;t and power put in their hands, becau&s;e they are brethren and all one in Chri&s;t; for grace de&s;troys not nor confounds either natural or civil relations. It's according to the wi&s;dom of God, that there &s;hould be &s;uch degrees among men, as the Rulers and Ruled, Ma&s;ter and Servant, and that for the order, benefit and good of them all. Therefore the rather do them &s;ervice, and yeild them all the honour due according to their place, becau&s;e they are faithful and beloved. And if any man teach otherwi&s;e, he therein con&s;ents not to the words of our Lord Je&s;us, nor to the doctrine which is according to godline&s;s; yea, &s;uch are proud, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> To this therefore con&s;ider,</P>
<P>1. That it is by the wi&s;dom and power of God, as exerci&s;ed in and through Chri&s;t for the good of men, which otherwi&s;e it could not have been, <HI>That Kings reign, and Princes decree ju&s;tice: that Princes rule, and Nobles, even all the Judges of the earth,</HI> Prov. 8. 15, 16. And for him, that they &s;hould do his will, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 16. The mo&s;t high ruleth in the kingdom of men, and yet giveth it, or commits the outward admini&s;tration of it in this world into the hands of men, and re&s;erves it in his own hands and plea&s;ure, to give it to whom&s;oever he will, <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. 32. God &s;tandeth in the Congregation of the mighty, he is as it were at the &s;tern of Govern|ment, and his eyes are upon them, to &s;ee whether they will ob&s;erve his coun&s;el: which becau&s;e they will not, he will take away their places and power from them one after another: but in the mean time, while he continues it to them, he hath &s;aid, They are Gods, and all of them children or re&s;emblers of the mo&s;t high, who is <HI>the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,</HI> P&s;al. 82. 1, 6. <HI>For promo|tion cometh not from the Ea&s;t, or We&s;t, or North, or South: but God is the Judge; he putteth down one, and &s;etteth up ano|ther.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="93" REF="53">2. Con&s;ider his in&s;tructions and coun&s;el to us, directing us in what maner honour and acknowledgement is to be yeilded them from us, <HI>Exod.</HI> 22. 28. <HI>Thou &s;halt not revile the Gods&punc; nor cur&s;e the Ruler of thy people:</HI> which the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> citing, <HI>Acts</HI> 23. 5. by what he &s;aith upon it, &s;ignifies, That had he wi&s;t that had been Gods high Prie&s;t, he would not have reprehended him in &s;uch maner of expre&s;&s;ions, with &s;o little reverence or re&s;pect to his per&s;on, as in that &s;aying, <HI>God &s;hall &s;mite thee, thon whited wall:</HI> he would rather have ob&s;erved that coun&s;el he gives to o|thers, <HI>Not to rebuke and Elder,</HI> but &s;o as with humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;i|on and intreaties, as a Father, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 1. where if by Elders he mean Elders in the Church, &s;uch as went before others in the word of the Lord, yet then by Fathers, to which in re&s;pect of honor or reve|rence due to them, he compares them, mu&s;t needs be meant after the fle&s;h, in natural and civil relation; and &s;o Children are to honour their Parents, Servants their Ma&s;ters, Subjects their Rulers. <HI>Cur&s;e not the King,</HI> de&s;pi&s;e not, contemn not, as if not meet for that place or honour that God hath put upon him over thee; <HI>no not in thy Bed-chamber or thought,</HI> Eccle&s;. 10. 20. If God &s;hould by his providence order over us, as our Parents, Ma&s;ters, or Rulers, &s;uch as them&s;elves were evil, and &s;o give us &s;ometime a Governour or Go|vernours in anger, and as a cha&s;ti&s;ement; yet while they are by him &s;o ordained and &s;et over us, they are to be honoured and acknow|ledged by us as &s;uch, and we to be &s;ubject to them. <HI>Saul</HI> was a King given unto <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in Gods anger, yet when by providence he was &s;et over them, they were reputed &s;ons of <HI>Belial</HI> that de&s;pi&s;ed him, and refu&s;ed to acknowledge him, by bringing him pre&s;ents, and reviled him, &s;aying, <HI>How can this man &s;ave us?</HI> 1 Sam. 10. 27. Yea, the people of God when in <HI>Babylon</HI> under captivity, yet have owned and acknowledged tho&s;e things, &amp; the power given them over them as of God, and yeilded honour and &s;ubjection to them; &s;ee <HI>Dan.</HI> 2. 37, 38. <HI>Thou Oh King art the King of Kings, for the God of Heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and &s;trength, and glory: and where&s;oever the children of men dwell&punc;&mdash;he hath made thee Ruler over all.</HI> So did <HI>Shadrach, Me&s;hach,</HI> and <HI>A|bednego</HI> acknowledge and repute him worthy the honour of being King, while God did give him that power, though he &s;o ill u&s;ed it, <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. 17, 18. &s;o <HI>Daniel</HI> again, <HI>chap.</HI> 6. 21, 22. &s;o <HI>Paul</HI> to
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King <HI>Agrippa,</HI> Acts 26. 2, 13, 19&punc; and &s;o in all their com|plaints to God of the greate&s;t idolatries and wickedne&s;s found in them, yet they have accounted them worthy of that honour, to be owned and acknowledged as their Kings and Princes, while God had not rejected them from being &s;o, <HI>Ezra.</HI> 9. 7. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 9. 34. yea, the &s;ubjection required, and to which the grace of God in Chri&s;t that brings &s;alvation to all men in&s;tructeth, goes further then onely to account them worthy all honour, and yeild the reverence and fear due; namely,</P>
<P>2. To obey them, to be &s;ubject to their power in obedience to their Commands and Ordinances, either by doing the things required, and that with more readine&s;s if good works&punc; and without gain&s;aying al&s;o to do the things required, though oppre&s;&s;ive, if it may &s;tand with god|line&s;s and hone&s;ty, with holding fa&s;t faith and a good con&s;cience: and where the doing of the things required will not &s;tand with that, that we cannot obey them in the Lord by doing, yet then to obey and be &s;ubject to their power by &s;uffering, yea, if we in &s;uch a capa|city as private Chri&s;tians (as before) could re&s;i&s;t&punc; yet we are exhort|ed to be &s;ubject; for he that re&s;i&s;teth the power, re&s;i&s;teth the Ordi|nance of God, of whom it is ordained to be his in&s;trument, and &s;o they in whom it is as his mini&s;ters, for the puni&s;hing of evil doers, and for the prai&s;e of them that do well; and he oft makes u&s;e of them as in&s;truments for the doing this in things within their &s;phere, though they be evil men, and know him not, and &s;ometimes otherwi&s;e then they thought or intended; and though they too frequently lift up the horn, and u&s;e their power contrary to his coun&s;el, and again&s;t his people, yet fora&s;much as they are Gods mini&s;ters appointed to better &s;ervice, and for general good, they mu&s;t not be re&s;i&s;ted, their power not de&s;pi&s;ed, while God &s;ees good to continue them in it: therefore &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ye mu&s;t needs be &s;ubject, not onely for wrath,</HI> or becau&s;e you are forced to it, and cannot avoid it, <HI>but</HI> if you might, yet <HI>for con&s;cience &s;ake,</HI> Rom. 13. 1, 5. So <HI>Peter</HI> exhort|ing to &s;hew forth the vertues of Chri&s;t, and to have the conver&s;ation hone&s;t among the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> ab&s;taining from fle&s;hly lu&s;ts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> he addes, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 13, 18. <HI>Submit your &s;elves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords &s;ake;</HI> as in the ca&s;e of &s;ervants&punc; <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 5. <HI>Obey in all things your Ma&s;ters, in &s;inglene&s;s of heart as unto Chri&s;t:</HI> &s;o here every Ordinance of man, either by doing or &s;uffering, as may
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&s;tand with, and be in the acknowledgement and &s;ervice of the Lord the great Ma&s;ter, and for his &s;ake, whether it be to the King as Su|pream, or &s;o to any power that is by his providence the Supream power over us; or unto Governours as &s;ent by them, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and &s;o the nature of the &s;ubjection required (as before opened) to be ei|ther in doing, or in quiet and patient &s;uffering, though wrongfully, yet not re&s;i&s;ting the power, is &s;hewed in the ca&s;e of &s;ervants to their ma&s;ters&punc; following this, and propounded as equivalent with it, in <HI>ver.</HI> 18, 19. and &s;o the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> to <HI>Titus,</HI> mentions this as one of tho&s;e things which the <HI>grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men,</HI> teacheth the believing receiver of it, <HI>To be &s;ubject to prin|cipalities and powers, to obey Magi&s;trates, to be ready to every good work:</HI> &s;ignifying, that we are to be &s;ubject to, and obey the power, where we cannot with chearfulne&s;s, or if not at all do the work required, <HI>Tit.</HI> 3. 1. with <HI>chap.</HI> 2. 11, 12. they well knew that it would be found too frequent in the&s;e latter dayes, e&s;pecially in &s;uch as retaining a form of godline&s;s, a great &s;hew and pretence of wor&s;hipping God, yet deny the power of it (that Vi&s;ion of all, the truth as in Je&s;us) not onely without fear to &s;peak evil of dig|nities, and de&s;pi&s;e dominion, as <HI>Jude</HI> 8, 9. but al&s;o to be proudly di&s;obedient to Parents, truce-breakers, incontinent, fierce, traytors, heady, high-minded, loving plea&s;ures, ea&s;e, kingdom, glory, and to have their will here, more then God, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 2, 5. and there|fore have &s;o plentifully in&s;tructed, exhorted, and charged us in this particular.</P>
<P>2. The believers life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty is to be led quietly and peaceably, towards, and as much as is po&s;&s;ible with all men, with whom he leads his life and conver&s;ation, or hath occa&s;ion to conver&s;e: toward all men, he is to demean him&s;elf quietly and peaceably in his holding forth the tidings and patterns of that <HI>grace of God that bringeth &s;alvation to them;</HI> though therein he &s;hall have occa&s;ion to contend earne&s;tly for the faith with &s;ome, and to re|buke and reprove others, yet he is to do this with all long &s;uffering and doctrine: Let him &s;hew out of a good conver&s;ation his works with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom&punc; though not the wi&s;dom of this world, or &s;uch meekne&s;s as that teacheth to hide mince, or be a&s;hamed of his words before an adulterous generation; to be negligent, remi&s;s, or &s;paring in &s;triving for the truth of the Go&s;pel, or again&s;t mens &s;in, as the truth
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we have learned in Je&s;us in&s;tructeth and leadeth us; that is &s;o far from being the meekne&s;s and gentlene&s;s of Chri&s;t, that it is on the other hand, ungodline&s;s, di&s;hone&s;ty, and a &s;hunning the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t: yet in doing the work of an Evangeli&s;t, or holding forth the faithful word, and &s;hewing forth the vertues of Chri&s;t, and that both in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on, with diligence and con&s;tancy, we are therein, and according thereto, to &s;hew forth all meekne&s;s to all men, gentlene&s;s ea&s;ine&s;s to be intreated, <HI>Jam.</HI> 3. 13, 17. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 1&punc; 5. For the wrath of man works not the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, and therefore we are to avoid fooli&s;h and unlearned que&s;tions, and &s;trife of words, which tend to no profit, but to the &s;ubverting of the hearers from a right and plain under&s;tanding, knowing that they do gender &s;trifes; and the &s;ervant of the Lord mu&s;t not &s;trive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekne&s;s, in|&s;tructing the ignorant and them that oppo&s;e them&s;elves, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 23. 25. and &s;o therein patiently enduring and &s;uffering, not one|ly Gods cha&s;ti&s;ements, his gracious afflictions more immediately ordered from his own hand; but al&s;o their wrongs and inju|ries: <HI>Let every one of us plea&s;e his neighbour, for his good to edification: for even Chri&s;t plea&s;ed not him&s;elf; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell on me,</HI> Rom. 15. 2, 3. which in the place where it is written, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 69. 9. is joyned with this other &s;aying, <HI>The zeal of thine hou&s;e hath eaten me up:</HI> which is applied to, and &s;aid to be verified in his driving the buyers and &s;ellers out of the temple; in which acti|on (mentioned <HI>John</HI> 2. 14, 17, 18, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) he did not directly plea&s;e them, but as may appear by the Evangeli&s;t compared with the <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> did therein render him&s;elf and became a &s;tranger to his brethren, <HI>&amp;c. P&s;al.</HI> 69. 8. he di&s;plea&s;ed them, and was de&s;pi&s;ed in their eye, and they thought it &s;trange, as <HI>John</HI> 2. 18. but though he could not plea&s;e them in winking at, and &s;uffering with|out &s;harp reproof their profanation of his Fathers hou&s;e, the truth of which as now come forth, is the temple of his Body, his per&s;on as delivered to death by the Father, de&s;troyed and crucified by them&punc; and rai&s;ed up again in three dayes, as plainly explicated by him&s;elf in the following ver&s;es of that <HI>John</HI> 2. neither would it have been for their good, therein or &s;o to have plea&s;ed them; yet, in doing that, and having done it, and &s;o in all his doings among them, he
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plea&s;ed them for their good to edification, in not regarding or &s;eeking in any of the&s;e things to plea&s;e him&s;elf, or to glorifie and get honour and prai&s;e to him&s;elf among them; doing nothing through &s;trife and vain-glory, but in lowline&s;s of minde preferring them before him|&s;elf in giving honour to them, &s;o as in tendering of them, and bear|ing with their evil manners, enduring their contradictions quietly and patiently, &s;uffering them without reviling again: he in all his zeal and con&s;tancy for his Fathers name and glory, yet therein plea&s;ed not him&s;elf, <HI>but as it is writien, The reproaches of them that reproached thee, fell upon me:</HI> and he willingly without &s;triv|ing or retorting bore and &s;uffered them. So though we cannot at any hand plea&s;e them in having fellow&s;hip with them in their unfruit|ful works, in their notions and wayes of ungodline&s;s, nor in their fle&s;hly lu&s;ts, not run with them to the &s;ame exce&s;s of ryot, wherein they will think it &s;trange, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 3, 4. <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 4, 11. neither would it be for their good to edification, therein or &s;o to plea&s;e them: <HI>The grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men,</HI> teacheth us rather and for their good to reprove them, and not by any means, or what|ever befal us from them, not to de&s;i&s;t from &s;triving again&s;t their &s;in, but this &s;o as with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom; and in doing this, not to plea&s;e our &s;elves, &s;eek our own glory or prai&s;e from or among&s;t men, but quietly bearing their injuries, reproaches, wrongs, with|out retorting the like on them, or &s;eeking to vindicate our own name, or walking unlovingly towards them, and this will be a means to plea&s;e them, and that, &s;o as for their good to edification: therefore <HI>Pauls</HI> exhortation to <HI>Timothy</HI> (2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.) is, To ex|hort, rebuke, repove, in his preaching the word, with all long&s;uffering and doctrine, and therein to endure affliction; and &s;till go on, doing the work of an Evangeli&s;t or Me&s;&s;enger of peace: True, <HI>they are to &s;trive together for the faith of the Go&s;pel, and in nothing to be terrified by their adver&s;aries, from their holding fa&s;t faith and a good con&s;cience, or walking in godline&s;s and ho|ne&s;ty,</HI> Phil. 1. 27. but yet they are therein to go on in a quiet endu|ring the contradiction of &s;inners they meet with, &s;till &s;triving again&s;t their &s;in &amp; &s;o re&s;i&s;ting their contradictons, with patient enduring and pa&s;&s;ing by even unto blood; (as well as al&s;o neither de&s;pi&s;ing nor faint|ing under his cha&s;ti&s;ements, but &s;uffering patience to have its perfect work in all tribulation, which bringeth forth the quiet and peace|able
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fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;s to them that are exerci&s;ed thereby, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 1, 3&punc; 4, 9.) <HI>Recompence to no man evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrarywi&s;e, ble&s;&s;ing, knowing, that ye are thereunto called, that ye &s;hould inherit a ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> 1 Pet. 3. 9. <HI>Provide things hone&s;t in the &s;ight of all men, as much as is po&s;&s;ible live peaceably with all men, Dearly beloved&punc; avenge not your &s;elves, but rather give place unto wrath: yea, if thine E|nemy hunger, feed him,</HI> &amp;c. Rom. 12. 17, 18, 19. <HI>Ye have heard,</HI> &s;aith our Saviour, <HI>An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth: but I &s;ay unto you, that ye re&s;i&s;t not evil,</HI> that is, <HI>with evil,</HI> as Rom. 12. 17. Nay, rather &s;uffer wrong, and &s;uffer your &s;elves to be defrauded then &s;trive to avenge or right your &s;elves; yea, love your Enemies, ble&s;s them that cur&s;e you, ble&s;s, and cur&s;e not, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 38, 39, 44, 45. <HI>Luke</HI> 6. 27, 28, 29. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 7, 8. And to all this al&s;o, <HI>That grace of God that bringeth &s;alvation to all men,</HI> in&s;tructeth and teacheth the believing receiver of it, and therefore not onely in <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. it's one of tho&s;e things to which we are exhorted by the mercies of God <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. both as the motive and motion to the doing of it, but in <HI>Tit.</HI> 3. compared with <HI>chap.</HI> 2. it's added to that before mentioned, as one of tho&s;e things which that grace teach|eth, <HI>To &s;peak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle; to &s;hew all meekne&s;s to all men: for we our &s;elves were &s;ometimes fooli&s;h, di&s;obedient, deceived &s;erving divers lu&s;ts, living in envy and malice, hateful, and hating one another: but after the kindene&s;s and pity of God our Saviour towards man ap|peared, not by works of righteou&s;ne&s;s which we have wrought, but according to his mercy he &s;aved us,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>3. They are al&s;o in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, <HI>To follow peace, e&s;pectally with all that call on the Lord out of a pure heart,</HI> 2 Tim. 2. 22. <HI>To endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,</HI> Eph. 4. 3. That unity or onene&s;s into which the Spi|rit of God, bringing and opening the te&s;timony of Je&s;us, bringeth the believing receiver thereof: in which, <HI>There is one Body, one Spirit, even as they are called in one hope of their calling: one Lord, one Faith, one Bapti&s;m, one God and Father of all,</HI> &amp;c. But unto every one of them is given grace in the manife&s;tation of the Spirit, or gifts of grace to profit withall diver&s;ly, according to the gift and good plea&s;ure of Chri&s;t; in the exerci&s;ing of which by
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each, and &s;o in their &s;everal admini&s;trations, as well as in their ac|knowledgement, Faith and Fellow&s;hip in tho&s;e things forementi|oned, in which there is &s;uch ab&s;olute onene&s;s&punc; <HI>The unity of the Spirit is to be endeavoured to be kept in the bond of peace,</HI> Eph. 4. 3, 7. with 1 Cor. 12. Therefore the Apo&s;tle exhorting to be <HI>of one minde,</HI> addes, <HI>Live in peace, and the God of love and peace &s;hall be with you,</HI> to pre&s;erve you in that one minde, heart, and way, and&punc; &s;o through faith unto the &s;alvation ready to be revealed, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. 11. See this exhortation explicated, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 2, 3, &amp;c. <HI>If any con&s;olation in Chri&s;t, any comfort of Love, any fellow&s;hip of the Spirit,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Then fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the &s;ame love, being of one accord, of one minde:</HI> (it follows as a direction to the &s;hewing forth, and walking in this, as well as to the way in which they might be pre&s;erved and grow therein) <HI>let nothing be done through &s;trife or vain-glory, but in lowline&s;s of minde, let each e&s;teem other better then them|&s;elves:</HI> alwaies fitter to be born with, tendered and &s;erved. So <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 2. <HI>Be kindly affectioned one to another with bro|therly love, in honour preferring one another: look not every man on his own things, but every man al&s;o on the things of others,</HI> Phil. 2. 3, 5. <HI>Looking diligently, le&s;t any man fail of the grace of God, le&s;t any root of bitterne&s;s &s;pringing up trouble you, and there by many be defiled,</HI> Heb. 12. 15, 16. which roots of bitterne&s;s, envies, evil &s;urmi&s;es, and &s;uch-like may be occa&s;ioned divers wayes; as &s;ometimes by partiality or re&s;pect of per&s;ons a|mong brethren generally, or with reference to &s;uch in&s;truments, as by whom the word of the Lord hath been brought or opened to us; as when one &s;aith, I am of <HI>Paul;</HI> another, I am of <HI>Apollo;</HI> ano|ther, I am of <HI>Cephas;</HI> which occa&s;ions &s;ome to run out in another extream, and they will not onely be of neither of the&s;e, but they will be of Chri&s;t immediately, and as not needing, or loo&s;e from any of their brethren or &s;uch in&s;truments. Therefore the Apo&s;tle admoni&s;hing the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians, To know them which are over them in the Lord, and admoni&s;h them, and to e&s;teem them very highly in love for their works &s;akes;</HI> he addes, <HI>And be at peace among your &s;elves,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 12, 13. And how they may be &s;o in ob&s;erving the forementioned coun&s;el, he explicates, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 17, 21. <HI>Let the Elders that rule well, be counted
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worthy of double honour, e&s;pecially they who labour in the word and doctrine.</HI> It follows, <HI>I charge thee before God, and the elect Angels, that thou ob&s;erve the&s;e things without prefer|ring one before another, doing nothing by partiality</HI> (namely, in the things forementioned, as well as al&s;o in tho&s;e things mentioned <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. 20.) <HI>Again&s;t an Elder receive not an accu&s;ation, but before two or three witne&s;&s;es: them that &s;in</HI> (e&s;pecially of the Elders, or &s;uch as &s;hould go before others in the word of the Lord:) and in things common and publick, tending to publick &s;candal or harm, and being &s;o convict as afore&s;aid, or it evi|dently appearing:) <HI>rebuke before all, that others al&s;o may fear.</HI></P>
<P>Likewi&s;e &s;uch roots of bitterne&s;s and breach of the peace a|mong Chri&s;tians, may be occa&s;ioned through too har&s;h cen&s;uring or judging one another, in the doing or not doing things that are in them&s;elves &s;o circum&s;tantial, and may be either done or let alone, as that eating or not eating, <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. or in the manner of the ob|&s;ervance of &s;ome of Gods Ordinances. Therefore the Apo&s;tle coun|&s;els us, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 17, 18, 19, 20. whatever things they are in which the Kingdom con&s;i&s;teth not, as righteou&s;ne&s;s, peace, and joy in the holy Gho&s;t, are the things in which it doth con&s;i&s;t, and in which he &s;aith, He that con&s;tantly and &s;tedfa&s;tly &s;erveth Chri&s;t, is acceptable to God, and profitable to men; for any other thing, he would not have us be &s;tiff, or earne&s;t to bring men to our practice, until grace &s;et free thereto; nor in judging them if they joyne not with us, le&s;t &s;o we de&s;troy the work of God; but on the other hand, to <HI>follow after tho&s;e things that make for peace, and things where|with one may edifie another.</HI> And in &s;o doing, if in any thing the whole or part be otherwi&s;e minded then is right, God &s;hall in due time reveal even that unto them. Neverthele&s;s whereto we have attained through the light and in&s;tructions of the Go&s;pel, that Vi&s;ion of all, the Key of knowledge for the opening all particular Precepts and Ordinances; Let us walk or go an end by the &s;ame Rule, not lay|ing down any of his Ordinances, becau&s;e others cannot joyne with us in them: though we may and are to lay down any thing meerly indifferent, and &s;o any thing circum&s;tantial in Ordinances, as to the maner of ob&s;ervance, as far as is indifferent, and may be without evil, when and as it may be for the greate&s;t good of our brethren,
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and to avoid offence; yet not to throw by any of his gracious ap|pointments, but to go on in &s;uch ob&s;ervance of them as grace teach|eth us, minding the &s;ame thing, without &s;everity or rigidne&s;s to|wards, or judging of our brethren that are &s;crupulous in many of the things we do. <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 14, 15. Divers other occa&s;ions we might have mentioned of di&s;turbing and breaking the peace among believers, which therefore as, well as becau&s;e they are otherwi&s;e hurtful, and in them&s;elves very evil, we are admoni&s;hed of; as idlene&s;s, or be|ing tatlers, bu&s;ie-bodies, not diligently, and &s;o as may be in and with fervency of Spirit &s;erving the Lord, minding their own bu|&s;ine&s;s; that (after any con&s;ideration in &s;piritual or temporal af|faires) which God by his providence layes before them, and ac|cording to the in&s;tructions of the Go&s;pel requires of them, but being &s;lothful and negligent therein, and medling with the matters of others, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 11. 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 6, 10, 11, 12. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 13, 14. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4. 15. Tho&s;e exhortations are to this purpo&s;e good and needful, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 9, 10, 11. as al&s;o they have refe|rence to the foregoing ver&s;es; likewi&s;e readine&s;s to entertain or har|bour evil reports or thoughts of others, or keeping in minde the weakne&s;s, evils, or things injurious to us, found in any of our bre|thren; with many the like, (which I &s;hall not particularly men|tion) will be occa&s;ions of di&s;turbing the peace and quiet of the be|lievers in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty among them&s;elves. To conclude therfore, I may &s;ay as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter, Finally,</HI> that our prayers for all men, for our &s;elves and others be not hindered, <HI>Be all of one minde, having compa&s;&s;ion one of another, love as brethren, be pittiful, be courteous,</HI> &amp;c. 1 Pet. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. <HI>Let all bitterne&s;s, wrath, clamour and evil &s;peaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kinde one to another, tender hearted, forgiving and forbearing one another, even as God for Chri&s;ts &s;ake hath forgiven you:</HI> who did forbear and walk tenderly towards you, before you did acknowledge any evil, and until by his goodne&s;s you were moved thereto; and then gave you forgivene&s;s, &amp; entertained you into fellow&s;hip again without upraid|ing: <HI>And let nothing be done through &s;trife or vain-glory, nor in hypocri&s;ie, or with partiality,</HI> Eph. 4. 31, 32. Phil. 2. 3 4. Rom. 12. 9, 11. Jam. 3. 17. <HI>That &s;o you may be at peace a|mong your &s;elves; for God is not the Author of confu&s;ion, but
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of peace,</HI> 1 Cor. 14. 33. Thus having &s;een what it is for the <HI>believer to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty;</HI> We come in the next place to con&s;ider,</P>
<P>2. How the believers leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, tends &s;o much to the good of all men. We &s;hall &s;hew it in the&s;e two things,</P>
<P>1. It tends much to the believers own advantage, profit, and fur|niture for the good of others.</P>
<P>2. It tends to the adorning the name and doctrine of our God and Saviour, and &s;o manife&s;ting the truth and goodne&s;s of the Go|&s;pel, and way of it before them.</P>
<P>1. This tends much to the believers own advantage, furtherance and growth in grace, and in the knowledge of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, which is for the good of all, and to be made to appear unto them. Therefore the Apo&s;tle exhorts <HI>Timothy, To exerci&s;e him&s;elf to Godline&s;s, to give him&s;elf wholly to the&s;e things, that he might be a good mini&s;ter to others, by growing him&s;elf; being nou|ri&s;hed up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine, where|unto he had attained, that his profiting might appear to all; for in doing this</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>thou &s;halt &s;ave thy &s;elf, and them that hear thee,</HI> 1 Tim. 4. 6 7, 15, 16. Great is the gain of godline&s;s, if the believer walk hone&s;tly in it, and be content with what he hath, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 6, 11. It's the way in which the believer &s;hall certainly meet with &s;trength again&s;t, pre&s;ervation and deliverance from the e|vil of Satans temptations, and his &s;nares laid, in &s;omething or other of this world, after which we are naturally lu&s;ting, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 10, 16. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 7, 8, 9. Yea, Satan will be herein deprived of the opportunity he de&s;ires for getting advantage over us, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 2, 10, 11. This I &s;ay then, Walk in the Spirit, in the light, in&s;tructi|on, motion, and direction of the Spirit, which is in and with the te&s;timony of Je&s;us; and of the glory of God as manife&s;ted in the face of him, taking and &s;hewing of the things of him, and &s;o lifting up and glorifying him; and &s;o by that Vi&s;ion of all, lead|ing into all truth, in&s;tructing and directing to and in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty: <HI>Walk in the Spirit,</HI> if we live in it, <HI>and ye &s;hall not fulfil the lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h,</HI> Gal. 5. 16. Yea, it's the way by which we &s;hall get more victory, and be dayly more in&s;tructed and &s;trengthened to turn from tho&s;e idols of iniquity &s;et up in our
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hearts, (that hinder our Prayers, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 14, 4, 7. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 7.) and to wait for his Son from Heaven, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. 3 9, 10. and &s;o meet with &s;aving to the utmo&s;t, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 16. 17. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 1. 3 4. <HI>Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Je&s;us is the Son of God?</HI> 1 John 5. 4, 5. <HI>Who&s;e keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected,</HI> 1 John 2. 5. <HI>Therefore thy word have I hid in my heart,</HI> (&s;aith David) <HI>that I might not &s;in again&s;t thee.</HI> And again, <HI>Order my &s;teps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me,</HI> P&s;al. 119. 11, 133. For by that Law of liberty, or joy|ful &s;ound, as then witne&s;&s;ed in the Law, Oracles, and Prophets, was he warned; and in keeping thereof had great reward, as to the di&s;co|very and purging out &s;ecret iniquity, and preventing pre&s;umptuous tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. Yea, hereby the&s;e things being in us and abounding, a more abundant entrance &s;hall be admini&s;tred to us, into the everla&s;ting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour. Yea, <HI>they will make us, that we &s;hall be neither barren nor unfruitful therein; but he that lacketh the&s;e things is blinde, and cannot &s;ee afar off, and hath forgoten that he was purged from his old &s;ins,</HI> 2 Pet. 1. 11. <HI>In abiding and walking in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as we have received him, we &s;hall grow more rooted in him, and built upon him, e&s;tabli&s;hed in the faith as we have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving,</HI> Col. 2. 6, 7. For being ju&s;tified by faith, (of what Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath done, and is become in him&s;elf for us, by being delivered to death for our offences, and rai&s;ed again from the dead for our ju&s;tification:) and &s;o having peace with God through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, we have al&s;o by him through the &s;ame faith in him, according to his name, dayly more acce&s;s into that grace of God to manward, appearing in and through that gift of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, (which was that grace in which they &s;tood) &s;o as to be made able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the height, length, depth, and breadth of that love that pa&s;&s;eth knowledge, and more to prove and ta&s;te the &s;weetne&s;s and vertues of it; and &s;o through it to rejoyce in hope of the glory of God; and not onely &s;o, but to rejoyce in tribulations al&s;o, (meet|ing with this knowledge and proof of the truth of it, in having dayly acce&s;s or inlet into that grace) <HI>That tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and
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hope makes not a&s;hamed; and all from hence, the love of God be|ing &s;hed abroad in our hearts:</HI> while we have our recour&s;e and acce&s;s thereinto, by a believing mindefulne&s;s thereof in all things, the &s;ame is more di&s;played and opened to us, <HI>by the holy Gho&s;t which is given unto us;</HI> &s;till further reminding us of, and open|ing to us this te&s;timony of Je&s;us, <HI>That when we were yet without &s;trength, in due time Chri&s;t died for the ungodly.</HI> Rom 4. 24. with chap. 5. 1, 6. Therefore &s;aith our Saviour, <HI>If ye abide in me, and my words in you, continue in my love, keeping my Commands, &amp;c. ye &s;hall ask what ye will; and it &s;hall be done unto you;</HI> (for thereby you &s;hall be taught to pray as you ought, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 26.) for nothing but according to his will, (1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 13, 15.) and for that <HI>without wrath or doubting,</HI> (1 Tim. 2. 1, 8.) Yea, <HI>and ye &s;hall bring forth much fruit; and herein is my Father glorified,</HI> John 15. 1, 6, 8, 11. And this leads us to the next.</P>
<P>2. The believers leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godli|ne&s;s and hone&s;ty, tends very much to the adorning the name and doctrine of God our Saviour, and to the manife&s;ting the truth and goodne&s;s of his Go&s;pel and Way before them. Hence that is one great end propounded, to move Servants to &s;uch demeanor towards their Ma&s;ters, and every Soul to the higher powers; and &s;o all Chri&s;tians in their &s;everal places towards one another, and towards all men, as is according to godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, <HI>Even as that grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men teach|eth, That the name of God and his doctrine be not bla&s;phem|ed,</HI> 1 Tim. 6. 1. <HI>That they may adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things,</HI> Tit. 2. 10. <HI>That ye may be blamele&s;s, harmle&s;s, the Sons of God without rebuke, in the mid&s;t of a crooked generation; among&s;t whom, &s;hine ye as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life,</HI> Phil. 2. 15, 16. <HI>And that &s;o, as men &s;eeing your good works may glorifie your Father; the Gentiles in the day of their vi&s;itation may glorifie God,</HI> Mat. 5. 13, 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. And this general coun|cel, a full direction in every ca&s;e, <HI>Onely let your conver&s;ation be &s;uch as becometh the Go&s;pel,</HI> Phil. 1. 27. For a little demon&s;tra|tion hereof, &s;ee it in &s;ome particulars.</P>
<P>1. The believer in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty living under Govern|ment,
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being &s;ubject to the higher Powers as ordained of God over him, yea, though there be no &s;uch ju&s;tice or righteou&s;ne&s;s i&s;&s;uing from them as he could de&s;ire, as well as in other parts of &s;uch demeanor as is forementioned; he declares plainly to others thereby, That the grace of God in Chri&s;t in&s;tructs and leads to &s;uch high e&s;teem of the infinite wi&s;dom, goodne&s;s, and faithfulne&s;s of God, that <HI>hath not &s;pared his own Son, but delivered him up to death for us all, and that in due time:</HI> and to &s;uch a&s;&s;urance that the &s;ame wi&s;|dom, goodne&s;s, truth and faithfulne&s;s, is exerci&s;ed in all his order|ings and di&s;pen&s;ations towards us; according to that &s;tanding te&s;ti|mony of it in his Son, whom he hath given to be a continual wit|ne&s;s of his love and glory, in the exerci&s;e of all his holy attributes for our good, in all his dealings with and about us, and in ordering to us mercies and cha&s;ti&s;ements, that though by &s;ence in mo&s;t par|ticular matters, at pre&s;ent it be not &s;o di&s;cernable, yet by faith in him we may be helped to keep &s;uch right judgement at all times, and from &s;uch right judgement, taught and &s;trengthened to all things through him; and &s;o for the Lords &s;ake that hath done &s;o much for us, willingly &s;ubmit to any Power or Ordinance of men, that God by his providence orders over us, and that either in doing or &s;uffering &s;o as in the Lord, as judging that place and condition of &s;ervitude, and under &s;uch a ma&s;ter or power, to be at the pre&s;ent the be&s;t for us, mo&s;t &s;ea&s;onable for the accompli&s;hing of Gods will, in either mercy or cha&s;ti&s;ement for our good. And &s;eeing his will is good and acceptable towards us in both, (as manife&s;ted in his Son) that grace in&s;tructs not to be &s;olicitous or ha&s;tily inqui&s;itive to know, whether for one or for another it be &s;o ordered, yet quietly to wait for that al&s;o; that as he is by grace enabled to under&s;tand or perceive it, &s;o he may receive and minde others of the in&s;truction &s;uitably in it; con&s;idering, that it is the great Ma&s;ter of us and them that is in Heaven; yea, it's he that gave his Son to the death for us, and now governs all things by his word; and in the &s;ame exerci&s;e of wi&s;dom grace, and faithfulne&s;s in and through his Son, that hath ordered to us &s;uch an inferiour Ma&s;ter or Government, and us to &s;uch place of &s;ubjection. Hence in tho&s;e particular ex|hortations as to this matter, we are &s;o oft exhorted to do the honour and &s;ervice, and yeild the &s;ubjection to them, as to the Lord, the great Ma&s;ter that hath &s;o ordered them over us, to be &s;ubmitted to
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by us; and not as to men, or as men-plea&s;ers; kowing that it's he that pulls down and &s;ets up at his plea&s;ure; <HI>And for this cau&s;e to pay tribute al&s;o, for they are Gods Mini&s;ters.</HI> Servants and In&s;tru|ments, permitted and ordered over us by him, <HI>attending continu|ally upon this very thing; render therefore to all their dues,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>as unto the Lord,</HI> and &s;o in &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion and reverence to the great Ma&s;ter in Heaven, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 5, 6, 7. <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 6, 7, 8. <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 22, 23. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 13, 14. hallowing his name:</P>
<P>2. Herein al&s;o, as likewi&s;e in tho&s;e other branches forementioned of leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, he plainly declares, That what&s;oever good thing any man doth, in either &s;ervice or &s;uffering for his name &s;ake, or for the good of o|thers, this grace doth and will in&s;truct them to know and a&s;&s;ured|ly expect, they &s;hall receive their reward from the hand of their great Ma&s;ter the Lord, that hath ordered them to &s;uch &s;ervice; and &s;o &s;hall others for the wrong they do, whether Bond or Free, Sub|ject or Governour, <HI>for there is no re&s;pect of per&s;ons with God:</HI> and therefore to be patient &amp; contented, though &s;uch reward be not equally admini&s;tred from the hands of men; yea, to rejoyce in the glory to be revealed, expect and wait for the kingdom to come, and therein and then, look for the great and total &s;alvation of all tho&s;e that love and wait for his &s;econd appearing, who &s;hall cer|tainly appear to their glory, and then render every man according to his work; and therefore not to &s;eek great things, as glory, king|dom, or ea&s;e and freedom from trouble in this world; but to be contented here to &s;erve and &s;uffer, as tho&s;e longing and yet pati|ently waiting for his appearing; knowing that when their Lord comes, and all his Saints with him, they &s;hall &s;it down with him in his kingdom, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. 7 8. <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 23, 24, 25. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11, 12, 15. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 6. 7, 8. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66. 5. <HI>Heb.</HI> 9. 28.</P>
<P>3. The believer being adorned with &s;uch demeanor as afore&s;aid, further declares or manife&s;teth, That &s;uch is the great &s;atisfaction and con&s;olation that is found and met with in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in the believ|ing, mindefulne&s;s and con&s;ideration of him, according to that which is already done in and by him, to make way for the goodne&s;s of God to be extended, in and through all his dealings; and as a &s;tand|ing witne&s;s (as before) in which the name of God is &s;o gloriou&s;ly declared, and in minding al&s;o the hope laid up for them in Heaven.
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as they have been in&s;tructed in it, in the word of the truth of the Go&s;pel; and &s;o in that expectation and looking for it, begotten in them from the con&s;ideration of that already done; yea, the pro|mi&s;e of this life and that to come, given them in Chri&s;t, appropria|ted to godline&s;s; &s;uch the comfort and encouragement of Gods love therein met with, &s;uch the fellow&s;hip of the Spirit, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> there|in enjoyed, that the&s;e waters being drunk, will and do certainly and abundantly pre&s;erve from thir&s;ting after other waters, and make carele&s;s of them&s;elves or their own things; yea, willing to lay down and deny them&s;elves in any thing, that his will may be done, and for the pro&s;ecuting the great de&s;igne that is according to it, the one thing needful for our &s;elves and others, more knowledge of and conformity to his grace; and therefore cheerful in whatever we may &s;uffer therein; and knowing that the will of God is one and good, perfect and acceptable, this grace in&s;tructs and leads to de&s;ire that may be done, and to rejoyce in the doing of it, or in it being done, though in things unplea&s;ing to the fle&s;h, even in tribulations, Great peace have they (it appears in &s;uch demeanor as afore&s;aid, not by &s;ence, but by faith;) that love Gods Law, nothing &s;hall of|fend them; they manife&s;t to all men, that that teacheth them, though free, yet not to u&s;e their liberty in Chri&s;t as a cloak of maliciou&s;|ne&s;s or pride; <HI>That &s;o with well-doing, they may put to &s;ilence the ignorance of foli&s;h men,</HI> knowing that <HI>&s;o is the will of God,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 13, 15, 16, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> P&s;al. 119. 164, 165, 166. 2 Cor. 4. 15, 18. and 5. 1. 7.</P>
<P>4. They likewi&s;e &s;hew forth in &s;uch their demeanor as afore|&s;aid, how that grace teacheth them to account of them&s;elves as Strangers, Travellers and Pilgrims here, and that as tho&s;e that are &s;eeking and looking for another and better Country, Kingdom and Glory, even one to come, the new Heavens and new Earth, in which dwells Righteou&s;ne&s;s. They &s;hould not, nor have cau&s;e to be mindeful of the Country out of which they are called, nor &s;olici|tous or careful for the things of it, onely their dayly bread in it as he &s;ees good for them; that is, their Conductor and Leader in and through it; &s;uch protection, accommodation and pre&s;ervation by the way, and according as every dayes need requires, and as may in the wi&s;dom of their Leader mo&s;t tend to their furtherance in the journey, and their &s;trengthening and accommodation in their &s;ervice
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and &s;uffering for him. <HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 11, 12. Seeking the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteou&s;ne&s;s thereof, not being careful in any thing el&s;e; but pre&s;enting their needs and committing their matters to him, to adde all other things as he &s;ees good, and in a &s;ub&s;erviency to the main de&s;igne, and the great things of his love, to which is the de&s;ire of the Soul in all. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 17, 18, 19, 20. <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 32, 33&punc; 34. with <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 5 6.</P>
<P>5. They likewi&s;e manife&s;t to all men in &s;uch their demeanor, that this grace of God that bringeth &s;alvation to all men, teacheth even the believers, To look at them&s;elves as great &s;inners and very unworthy, and &s;o much the more, as their evils are again&s;t &s;uch grace conferred on them: and therefore have no cau&s;e to boa&s;t or lift up them&s;elves above others; but great need them&s;elves to come with them dayly to that common fountain, owning their evils, and &s;eeking pardon and healing on the account of, and through that pre|cious blood, and prevalent mediation, which is al&s;o for others to come unto God with them by: and that the heart being &s;ea&s;oned with the apprehen&s;ion of Gods great goodne&s;s, and the infinite ver|tues of the blood of Je&s;us, in &s;o gracious pardoning, healing and helping them, that will make them, that they cannot be rigid towards or again&s;t others, and move them to be kinde, tender-hearted, for|giving, as Chri&s;t hath forgiven them. <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. 21, 33. <HI>Eph.</HI> 4, 32. And &s;o al&s;o by &s;uch love, &s;o like to the love of God in Chri&s;t, and &s;o expre&s;&s;ed in &s;uch lowline&s;s and meekne&s;s, they are manife&s;ted before all men to be his Di&s;ciples. And the name of God and his grace exceedingly magnified and commended in them: Yea,</P>
<P>6. They do al&s;o by &s;uch demeanor (as afore&s;aid) te&s;tifie, That they are evermore by that grace of God in Chri&s;t minded, and in heeding of it made &s;en&s;ible of their own weakne&s;s, and the &s;ubtilty, evil, and poy&s;on of the temptations of Satan and the World; and therefore will not, nor dare pre&s;umptuou&s;ly &s;in again&s;t God, in ru&s;hing into temptations, or willingly entangling them&s;elves with the occa&s;ions of them, being in&s;tructed, warned, and awed by that grace to &s;erve the Lord with fear, and though with rejoycing al&s;o, being made willing and cheerful in all their &s;ervice, through the &s;weetne&s;s and powerfulne&s;s of the Arguments of his grace; and al&s;o confident, rejoycing in hope, and &s;o patient in tribulation; yet
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thus to rejoyce before him with godly fear and trembling, and that for loves &s;ake, left they &s;in again&s;t &s;o good a God, knowing that &s;o many are the occa&s;ions within and without them, to entice and provoke them thereto, and &s;o deprive them&s;elves of &s;uch infinite mer|cies, and of &s;uch abundant entrance into the everla&s;ting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, the enjoyment of which is &s;et before them in and with Chri&s;t, and do therein al&s;o deprive others of the mercies they might and &s;hould have by them, and therefore with this rejoycing in hope, and patience in tribulation, it in&s;tructs al&s;o to continue in&s;tant in Prayer; yea, withall to make no provi&s;ion for the fle&s;h to avoid the occa&s;ions and appearances of evil to flee from them as from death, le&s;t of them they &s;hould reap corruption, and &s;o be led into and overcome of the evil of the temptation. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 11. <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 28. <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 12. <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. 7, 8. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 14. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5. 22. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. 9, 10. 11. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2&punc; 10, 20, 22. <HI>Jam.</HI> 1. 13, 14, 16.</P>
<P>All which Ornaments are put on in putting on Chri&s;t, being no|thing el&s;e but the motions and operations of the new man, (the en|lightned judgement and di&s;po&s;ition or inclination of the heart, begotten and framed according to it) which after God is created in holine&s;s and righteou&s;ne&s;s, through the truth as learned in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. <HI>Eph.</HI> 4. 17, 20. 21, 25, &amp;c. And do render the per&s;ons &s;o adorned, abundantly more meet to make their Prayers and Than&s;|givings for all men, and to have their mouths filled with the De|clarations of his goodne&s;s before them; they appearing while they are leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, thus moulded in all the&s;e things to a right praying frame and tem|per of Spirit, and earne&s;tly and rightly &s;et for the good of all, and profitably to pro&s;ecute it: and this adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour by the believer, being clothed with &s;uch ornaments, and &s;o &s;hining as lights in the world, will prove a powerful and effectual means, to the drawing and alluring others to li&s;ten to the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, and enquire after him with us. That which the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> applies to the believing Wives, with reference to their unbelieving Husbands, we may al&s;o apply, or &s;ay the like concerning Believers in general, with reference to their unbelieving Neighbours, That even &s;uch as <HI>obey not the word, might with|out the word be wonne, by the conver&s;ation of the</HI> Believers a|mong
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and towards them, while they behold their cha&s;te, upright or hone&s;t conver&s;ation coupled with fear, with godline&s;s, awfulne&s;s, reverence and humility; who&s;e adorning is not that outward, nor do they therein conform to the World, according to the former lu&s;ts in their ignorance, in plaiting of Hair, (changing any Orna|ment God hath given them, or priding them&s;elves with it) wearing of Gold, (&s;ignifying any co&s;tly Aray) or putting on of Aparel (be it never &s;o mean, when they can get no better they may make that their Ornament; the neat or &s;pruce putting on, or trimming them&s;elves with what they have:) compare with this 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 1, 4. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 9, 10, 11. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 13, 14, 15, 18. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 11, 14. But their adorning is the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible: the fruits or operations of that which others &s;ee not appeares in their being adorned by it, and putting on the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, a thing in the &s;ight of God of great price; and &s;o being clothed with humility, and filled with tho&s;e fruits of righteou&s;ne&s;s that are by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Oh then let every one that nameth the name of Chri&s;t, depart from iniquity, by the mercies of God; let them go on, purging them&s;elves from all filthine&s;s of fle&s;h and Spirit, perfecting holine&s;s in the fear of the Lord, that they may be ve&s;&s;els prepared for their Ma&s;ters u&s;e. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 7, 8, 19, 20, 22, 25. <HI>Tit.</HI> 2. 10, 12, 14.</P>
<P>Thus we have done with this fir&s;t branch of the la&s;t general in|&s;truction propounded; namely, we have &s;hewed, That it tends very much to the good of all men, <HI>That believers lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty among them:</HI> we &s;hall endeavour brevity in what follows.</P>
<P>2. That therefore God likes it well in, and requires it of tho&s;e whom he &s;ets in Authority, or eminent place, places of Govern|ment, that they &s;hould all of them have a &s;pecial eye at this, That his people that wor&s;hip him, and would live quietly in the Land, that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, under their protection and Government. All Thrones, Domini|ons, Principalities and Powers are of God, created, ordained and &s;et by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and for him; the Earth he hath given to the children of men, and &s;et over it whom he plea&s;e; &s;ometimes the ba&s;e&s;t of men, that they &s;hould as his Mini&s;ters, admini&s;ter the
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Government for him, and according to his appointment and coun&s;el given them, <HI>Col.</HI> 1. 16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 14. with 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 115. 16. <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. 17. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75. and 82. Yea, <HI>It's he that giveth &s;alvation to Kings, P&s;al.</HI> 144. 10. Therefore it's his great and general coun&s;el to them the Rulers of both <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> that they &s;hould &s;erve the Lord with fear, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and that in ki&s;&s;ing, acknowledging, &s;erving and honouring the Son. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. 11, 12. with <HI>John</HI> 5. 22, 23. And what that is in which mainly they are required to acknowledge, do homage to, and &s;erve the Son, and that it is according to that general rule, What is done to the lea&s;t of his, that de&s;ire to wor&s;hip him in &s;incerity and truth, though never &s;o de&s;picable here, he accounts as done to him&s;elf, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25. 40 45 and 10&punc; 40, 41, 42. may al&s;o appear in that <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. by con&s;ider|ing what that is that is reproved in them, and charged; as their con|&s;ulting together, and rebelling again&s;t him the Lords anointed: They &s;aid, <HI>Let us break their bands a&s;under, let us ca&s;t away their cords from as;</HI> namely, tho&s;e bands and cords of love, tho&s;e re|proofs and Arguments of the Go&s;pel, to per&s;wade them to accept of Gods coun&s;el, to be wi&s;e and in&s;tructed now to &s;erve the Lord, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which were admini&s;tred to them mediately by the Church of Chri&s;t, his de&s;pi&s;ed people, whom he hath &s;et in the World, that by them might be made known even to Principalities and Powers, the manifold wi&s;dom of God, <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 10. As the Rulers of the <HI>Jews,</HI> Jer. 18. 18. con&s;ulted together, and &s;aid, <HI>Let us devi&s;e devices again&s;t</HI> Jeremiah, <HI>let us &s;mite him with</HI> or for <HI>the tongue, let us not give heed to any of his words.</HI> And as tho&s;e Rulers, <HI>Acts</HI> 4. 15, 16, 17, 18. <HI>They conferred together, &s;ay|ing, What &s;hall we do to the&s;e men? for that indeed a nota|ble miracle hath been done by them, is manife&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>But that it &s;pread no further, let us &s;traightly threaten and charge them, that they &s;peak no more in this name:</HI> and the&s;e con|&s;ultations and threatnings again&s;t them, in which they endea|voured to break their bonds, and ca&s;t away their cords from them, are mentioned as their &s;tanding up and gathering together again&s;t the Lord and his Chri&s;t, as well as their injuries done to his per|&s;on when he was among them, and &s;o in both a verifying tho&s;e complaints again&s;t them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. See that <HI>Acts</HI> 4. 25, 29. and &s;o both are joyned together, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 15, 16. <HI>Their crucify|ing
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the Lord, and per&s;ecuting his &s;ervants, forbiding them to preach the Go&s;pel to the</HI> Gentiles, <HI>that they may be &s;aved; and for this, wrath &s;hall come upon them to the uttermo&s;t, when the mea&s;ure of their &s;in is full, they &s;hall peri&s;h from the way,</HI> as P&s;al. 2. 12. Therefore they are now in time admoni&s;hed, that &s;uch judgement may be prevented before the decree come forth, and they be as chaff that pa&s;&s;eth &s;uddenly, <HI>Not to touch his Anointed, or do his Prophets any harm,</HI> P&s;al. 105. 15. but to afford them liberty and protection, that <HI>they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty,</HI> to acknowledge, do homage to, and &s;erve the Son, in &s;uccouring, defending and helping his people; <HI>for him they have not alwayes, but his poor they have alwayes with them:</HI> compare this <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. with Gods coun&s;el to <HI>Moab, I&s;a. 16. 1. Send ye the Lamb to the Ruler of the Land: ki&s;s,</HI> acknowledge, &s;end pre&s;ents to <HI>the Son;</HI> and then as a direction how or wherein they may do that, &s;ee <HI>ver&s;. 3, 4. Take coun|&s;el, execute judgement, make thy &s;hadow as the night in the mid&s;t of the noon day, hide mine out-ca&s;ts, bewray not him that wandereth, let them dwell with thee, be a covert to them from the face of the &s;poiler.</HI> Yea, expre&s;sly concerning the Kings of the <HI>Gentiles</HI> in the&s;e la&s;t dayes, &s;ince the rejection of the <HI>Jews,</HI> and the free coming forth of the Go&s;pel to the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> It's &s;aid, either by way of prophe&s;ie, or as coun&s;el to them, or both, <HI>They &s;hall be</HI> nouri&s;hers, or <HI>nur&s;ing Fathers to his people, and their Queens nur&s;ing Mothers to them,</HI> I&s;a. 49. 23. which if it be under&s;tood as a prophe&s;ie of the glorious return and bringing back of the <HI>Jews,</HI> or of &s;omthing to be then more clearly and fully accompli&s;hed; yet it evidently declares that to be the good plea&s;ure of God con|cerning them at all times, and that which he e&s;pecially now re|quires of them by his Go&s;pel &s;ent to them, That the Rulers among the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> &s;hould be nouri&s;hers to his people, his <HI>I&s;rael</HI> among them, even the called, whether of <HI>Jews or Gentiles;</HI> and to that there|fore they are now timely admoni&s;hed, while they have opportunity, to do it willingly, and it may tend &s;o much to their advantage with this motive of in&s;truction for their warning, that if now they will not nouri&s;h and favour them, while they are as Servants among them, the time will come when they &s;hall raign, and then tho&s;e <HI>their e|nemies &s;hall lick the du&s;t at their feet,</HI> &amp;c. compare with
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this, <HI>I&s;a. 49. 23. P&s;al.</HI> 72. 8&punc; 9. and <HI>Micah</HI> 7. 10, 16, 17. and &s;o it agrees with that, <HI>P&s;al. 2. Be wi&s;e now therefore O ye Kings, be in&s;tructed ye Judges of the Earth, &s;erve the Lord with fear, rejoyce before him with trembling: ki&s;s the Son le&s;t he be an|gry, and ye peri&s;h from the way,</HI> &amp;c. Take heed that ye offend not, or do harm, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o any of the&s;e little ones; that will be reputed as your touching his anointed; for he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye. <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> even the holy City, the Congregation of the fir&s;t-born, though now trod under foot even by tho&s;e <HI>Gentiles</HI> in the outward Court of the Church; yet &s;hall be exalted above the top of all Mountains in that day, when God &s;hall &s;end us Je&s;us his Servant, the Branch that is now preached to us, whom the Heavens mu&s;t retain till the time come for the re&s;titution of all things. <HI>I&s;a. 2. 1, 4. Micah</HI> 4. 1, 4. with <HI>I&s;a. 11. 1, 11. Acts 3. 20. 21. Then will he contend with them that contend with her, and will feed them that now oppre&s;s her with their own fle&s;h,</HI> I&s;a. 49. 25, 26. Yea, there may be beginnings of the&s;e judgements to them before, by one cla&s;hing and battering again&s;t another; but when he comes, <HI>he will utterly cut off the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous &s;hall be exalted,</HI> P&s;al. 75. 10. <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> will prove a Cup of trembling, a but then &s;ome Stone to all that meddle with her, to vex and abu&s;e her; but they &s;hall pro&s;per that love her, <HI>Zech. 12. 2, 3. P&s;al.</HI> 1 22. 6. The way therefore for you to be hid in the day of the Lords anger, when he comes to plead the controver&s;ies of <HI>Sion,</HI> is, not to lift up the horn, or magnifie your &s;elves again&s;t the people of the Lord of Ho&s;ts; but to judge righte|ou&s;ly, defend and &s;uccour the poor of his people; &s;eek righteou&s;|ne&s;s, &s;eek meekne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> compare <HI>Zeph.</HI> 2. 2, 3, 8 10. with <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 10, 1, 2, 3. Righteou&s;ne&s;s exalts a Nation, and &s;o a Power or Go|vernment; but &s;in is a &s;hame to any people. Further therefore for in&s;truction and direction to a right ob&s;ervance of this coun&s;el, con&s;ider&punc;</P>
<P>3. What tho&s;e things are in general that will tend to this, and which are therefore required of Governours, that believers may lead &s;uch a life.</P>
<P>1. They are to afford them liberty and potection in their quiet and peaceable wor&s;hipping of God, and endeavouring the good of others, according as the grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all
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men, in&s;tructeth them: in matters of their faith and wor&s;hip, they are not to touch them, &s;o as to limit, appoint or regulate them, by or according to the precepts of men, for therein they will &s;urely hinder and do harm to them&punc; they are to know that believers as private Chri&s;tians, though they are to be &s;ubject to every Ordinance of man for the Lords &s;ake, in either doing or &s;uffering qui|etly, yet they are not to have their fear towards God, taught by the Precepts or Ordinances of men: if men will go about &s;o to re|gulate them, and Authority allow it, they mu&s;t rather &s;uffer when it falls upon them, for con&s;cience &s;ake towards God, then re&s;i&s;t the power; but they mu&s;t not &s;o become the Servants of men, as to call any man on Earth their Rabbi in that re&s;pect, for one is their Ma&s;ter even Chri&s;t, and all they from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t are Brethren, to receive each of them, and together, the Law from his mouth. Such therefore as would be greate&s;t or chief among or over their brethren, if they would demean them&s;elves as Chri&s;tian Ma|gi&s;trates or Rulers, are not in the matters &amp; things of Chri&s;t, (as be|fore) to exerci&s;e Lor&s;hip over their Brethren, as the Princes among the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> ever &s;ince the outward Court came&punc; into the hands of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> have u&s;ed to do; but rather to become Servants to all in tho&s;e things, earne&s;tly &s;eeking with them, and by them as in&s;tru|ments, to under&s;tand the will and minde of their great Lawgiver, in attending on his &s;ayings, &amp; &s;o to all helps for the under&s;tanding and u&s;efulne&s;s of them; they having in that particular, for direction in tho&s;e weighty affairs lying upon them, more e&s;pecial need of being well furni&s;hed with wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him, and teachings of his grace, <HI>Mat.</HI> 23. 8, 9, 10, 11. and 20. 25, 26. Yea, they are to defend and protect them from being hindered or regulated by any other worldly or humane power under them, in matters of their faith or fear towards God: they &s;hould &s;et up no Lords in the room of Chri&s;t, over the con&s;ciences of men, nor to di&s;turb them in their quiet and peaceable &s;ervice of him in their generation, or limit them therein, unle&s;s in matters of circum&s;tance, as to places and times, and the like, for &s;ome publick &s;ervices. God hath &s;et Rulers to be a terrour to evil works; and it will &s;urely be a very evil work in any, to be Lords over Gods heritage in the forementioned re|&s;pects, though under pretence of being Pa&s;tors or Feeders of them. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 3. The Decree made by <HI>Darius</HI> that we read of, <HI>Ezra.</HI>
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6. 6, 7, 10. may be here commended to them&punc; the like in &s;ome ca&s;es may be needful and good for them to make now: <HI>Therefore</HI> Tat|nai, Shether, Boznai, <HI>and your companions, let the work of this hou&s;e of God alone;</HI> do not hinder it directly or indirectly, by with|holding from them any thing to their furtherance, allowed them by the Law or Authority of the Nation, <HI>That they may pray for the King and his Sons.</HI> Yea <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12. he prophe&s;ies, <HI>The God of Heaven, that hath cau&s;ed his name to dwell there, de&s;troy all Kings and people, that &s;hall put to their hand to de&s;troy or alter this hou&s;e of God at</HI> Jeru&s;alem: the truth of which is Je&s;us Chri&s;t as now declared in the Go&s;pel to us in the&s;e la&s;t days, and dwelling in the hearts and &s;ocieties of tho&s;e that receive and keep his &s;ayings: and as this demeanor of his to the <HI>Jews</HI> in that ca&s;e was accepta|ble then, &s;o will it be acceptable now in the Rulers of the <HI>Gentiles;</HI> and the grace of God e&s;pecially obligeth and requires it of Chri&s;ti|an Magi&s;trates, &s;o to demean them&s;elves towards the Servants of God under their Government, that they may have liberty and en|couragement afforded them under their protection, <HI>to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty.</HI></P>
<P>But it may be here &s;aid, <HI>How &s;hall they know which are the Saints of God and right wor&s;hippers, that they onely may be &s;o permit|ted and protected in their liberty by them?</HI></P>
<P>To this I an&s;wer: They can hardly &s;o perfectly know them, as to di&s;tingui&s;h them from all others that are like to them, e&s;pecially in the&s;e la&s;t days, there being &s;o many that have &s;pecious &s;hews &amp; pre|tences of godline&s;s, by whom yet the power of it is denied; &s;o ma|ny Tares, that bring another and contrary fruit, that yet in their &s;pringing up are &s;o like the Wheat, that they can &s;carcely be di&s;|cerned or di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Weat by the Servants, till by their fruit they appear. <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 25, 26, 27. Likewi&s;e they when they are di&s;cerned, yet they are &s;o mixed together with the Wheat, and growing &s;o neer and like unto them, and &s;eemingly from the &s;ame root or kernel, that they cannot be pluckt up without much dan|ger and detriment to the Wheat. There can be no Laws made, or cour&s;e taken for the pulling out of the one, that will not tend to the infringement, di&s;turbance, if not rooting up of the other al&s;o. There|fore though the Servants of the hou&s;holder, that as his Mini&s;ters are Rulers in the Field of the World, at any time &s;hould be &s;uch as can
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and do di&s;cern and di&s;tingui&s;h between the Tares and the Wheat, and be a&s;&s;ured of the rightne&s;s of their judgement according to the word of God the te&s;timony of Je&s;us; (which is the key of know|ledge) yet they are not to endeavour by their Laws, or in the ex|erci&s;e of their Power and Authority to gather out the Tares, but let them alone al&s;o, and &s;o let both grow together untill the time of the Harve&s;t, left they pluck up the Wheat al&s;o: <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 29. Yea, it is to be feared and hath been formerly found true, If they enterpri&s;e &s;uch a work, they will pluck up more Wheat then Tares; <HI>Let them grow together therefore till the time of the Harve&s;t.</HI> And this coun&s;el of our Saviour they may take, without learning that voluntary humility, under the pretence of charity, in which is &s;omtimes more policy then grace, to own and acknowledge all that have any &s;uch profe&s;&s;ion, appearance, or forms of godline&s;s, as the true Wheat, or godly Per&s;on, the right wor&s;hippers, the one as contrary to another, at lea&s;t in the i&s;&s;ue and fruit of their doctrines and wayes, as light is to darkne&s;s: if in li&s;tening to the te&s;timony of Je&s;us, and of the grace of God as manife&s;ted in him, which are the great things of his Law, they have been helped to under&s;tand and know the voice of the Son of God, the great and true Shepherd, and &s;o where he feeds; which grace is much to be de&s;ired and fol|lowed after, in inquiring at the mouth of his te&s;timony, as decla|red in the Go&s;pel, as <HI>Cant.</HI> 1. 7, 8. Then as by it they are al&s;o helped to di&s;cern and di&s;tingui&s;h the voice of a &s;tranger, they are not to follow it, but to avoid and have no fellow&s;hip with &s;uch (as by the true light they di&s;cern to have a form of godline&s;s, but deny the power thereof) in their unfruitful works of darkne&s;s, but rather reprove them, yea, to note them to others, and admoni&s;h them, <HI>To mark and avoid &s;uch as cau&s;e divi&s;ions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which we have learned</HI> of the fir&s;t A|po&s;tles: <HI>for &s;uch &s;erve not the Lord Je&s;us, but their own lu&s;t,</HI> appetite or will, <HI>and by good words and fair &s;peeches, deceive the hearts of the &s;imple:</HI> and &s;o to reprove them with all long &s;uffering and doctrine according to their capacity, <HI>Joh. 10. 4, 5. Rom. 16. 17, 18, 19. Eph. 5. 11, 15. 2 Tim.</HI> 3. and 4. 1, 2, 3. &s;uch in&s;tructions and coun&s;el is generally good and needful to be heeded of all Chri&s;ti|ans as Chri&s;tians, the Rulers as well as the ruled, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. 1. 4. and 40. 4. But for plucking up and gathering into bundles to ca&s;t
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into the fire, they mu&s;t let that alone till the end of this corruptible world, even this world, (as <HI>Luke</HI> 20. 34, 35.) in which the children of it marry and are given in mariage; as oppo&s;ed to that World, in which they that &s;hall be counted worthy to obtain it, and the Re&s;urrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in mariage, but are as the Angels of God: of this World, the glori|ous, peaceable and righteous Kingdom and Government of Chri&s;t is not, <HI>John</HI> 18. 36. Therefore in this World his Servants mu&s;t have tribulation, <HI>Joh.</HI> 16. 33. either by bodily per&s;ecution they that will live godly in Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;hall fall by the &s;word, by flame, by captivity &amp; &s;poil, the brother delivering up the brother to death <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and &s;o they have &s;uffered already many days, as <HI>Dan. 11. 33. Mat. 24. 9, 10. 2 Tim.</HI> 3. 12. or el&s;e al&s;o and more abundantly in the lat|ter dayes, and e&s;pecially when through Gods: &s;tirring up the hearts of the Kings of the Earth, to hate the whore and burn her fle&s;h with fire, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 16. there &s;hall be &s;ome abatement of the other more gro&s;s and bodily per&s;ecution, they &s;hall be holpen with a little help; then &s;hall they have great tibulation and vexation to their righteous &s;ouls, by means of many cleaving to them by flatteries; and then al&s;o many of them of under&s;tanding, falling to the per|nicious wayes of the &s;pirit of antichri&s;t, coming with greater de|ceiveablene&s;s of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, then ever; and this for tryal to the re&s;t by them: which kinde of tryal mu&s;t continue, for the making them white, till the time of the end, <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. 34, 35. at which time of the end, <HI>Daniel</HI> mu&s;t &s;tand up in his lot, <HI>chap.</HI> 12. 13. mean time, and &s;till more abundantly in the&s;e latter dayes, <HI>Ma|ny fal&s;e Prophets &s;hall ari&s;e, and &s;hall deceive many,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Lo here is Chri&s;t, and lo there, and becau&s;e iniquity &s;hall abound, yea, evil men and &s;educers, &s;hall wax wor&s;e and wor&s;e, deceiv|ing and being deceived;</HI> becau&s;e al&s;o under more &s;pecious pre|tences of godline&s;s, Therefore the love of many &s;hall wax cold, and &s;o cold, as there &s;hall be &s;carcely any faith left in the glorious and high-&s;pirited profe&s;&s;ors of it, to expect and wait for, nor any love to or de&s;ire of his appearing the &s;econd time; but every one taking up &s;hort in &s;ome fancy or &s;hadow, in&s;tead of the &s;ub&s;tance, <HI>Mat. 24. 11, 12, 13. 2 Tim. 3. 13. Luke</HI> 18. 8. with <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. 23, 27. This is not the time for our mighty God and Saviour to come, and all his Saints with him, and take to him
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his great Power and Raign on the Earth. <HI>Zech. 14. 5. Rev.</HI> 11. 17. with <HI>chap.</HI> 5. 9, 10. and 20. 6. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 14 15, 16, 17. But when this world &s;hall be at an end, then will he &s;end his Angels (men, as men, are too weak and in&s;ufficient for &s;uch a work) to ga|ther out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them that do ini|quity; <HI>Then &s;hall the Righteous &s;hine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father,</HI> Mat. 13. 24, 30, 36, 43. In the mean time it's his coun&s;el to all the Servants, <HI>Let them both grow together,</HI> as afore|&s;aid. All then that the mo&s;t Chri&s;tian Rulers, or Magi&s;trates, are capabable of doing in this matter for the Servants of God, the chil|of the Kingdom in this World, and more is not required of them, is, to afford &s;uch liberty, &amp; protection in that liberty, that believers <HI>may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty</HI> under them; which yet will be &s;o, as the beloved among the daughters, many of which are as lions &s;et on fire of hell; <HI>their teeth are &s;pears and arrows, and their tongue a &s;harpe &s;word,</HI> P&s;al. 57. 4. As the Lilly among Thornes, that will be &s;hooting and &s;cratching at them privily, when they cannot more openly, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 11. 2. and 64. 2&punc; 5. and &s;o under ignominy and reproach, as Gods hidden ones, and &s;uf|fering tribulations &s;till. The Magi&s;trates them&s;elves, if they will live godly in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, mu&s;t as Chri&s;tians come under the &s;ame re|proach and cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, they cannot free them&s;elves nor others of it, neither is it a good Spirit that leads to de&s;ire freedom from it here, where Chri&s;t &s;uffered it; they cannot bring forth the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of his people that have waited for him as the light, and their judgement as the Noon-day: they, if they will demean them&s;elves as Chri&s;tians, with the re&s;t of their brethren, mu&s;t re&s;t in the Lord, and wait patiently for him for the accompli&s;hing that; when all evil doers &s;hall be cut off, &s;o as they &s;hall not be&punc; <HI>Then the meek &s;hall inherit the Earth, and &s;hall delight them&s;elves in the abun|dance of peace,</HI> P&s;al. 37. 5, 6, 11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The perfect and full accom|pli&s;hment of tho&s;e Prophecies, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. 5, 8. will be found in and by the true <HI>David,</HI> the Son of <HI>David,</HI> the Lord Chri&s;t, when he &s;hall receive the Congregation; and of him it's &s;poken, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75. 2, 3, 10. and 2. <HI>Who&s;o privily &s;landereth his Neighbour, he will cut off; yea, him that hath a high look and proud heart, he will not &s;uffer:</HI> It's the Lord onely that &s;earcheth the heart, and trieth the reines, yea, he will early de&s;troy all the wicked of the
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Land, that he may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord; pluck up all the Tares and every thing that offends, out of his Kingdom; all the hornes of the wicked he will cut off, and break them as a Potters ve&s;&s;el, that can never gather together, or be made whole again: <HI>Then &s;hall the World be e&s;tabli&s;hed,</HI> and &s;etled in a &s;tanding po&s;ture, that it &s;hall never be changed, moved or altered, nor the Government given to another people, for <HI>he &s;hall judge the people righteou&s;ly,</HI> P&s;al. 96. 10. But it is the World to come, of which we &s;peak, which is fully to be in &s;ubjecti|on unto, and under the Government of Je&s;us Chri&s;t: till then, there will be nothing but mutations: compare <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 102. 25, 26, 28. and <HI>Heb.</HI> 1. 10, 11. with <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 5, 6, 8. In the mean time, as no man is found capable of, or worthy to do &s;uch things; &s;o neither is it required of them; and the a&s;piring at high things, or things be|yond their &s;phere, will prove very dangerous and de&s;tructive to them. <HI>Davids</HI> example and in&s;truction, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 131. is good for them to ob&s;erve. It were well if they would ob&s;erve Gods coun&s;el in doing tho&s;e things they might do, and which he requireth of them, which according to the in&s;tructions of the Go&s;pel fore&punc;con&s;idered, appears in this matter to be this:</P>
<P>That Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates, or Rulers of the people, afford li|berty and protection as afore&s;aid, unto all that do profe&s;s or pretend to de&s;ire to wor&s;hip, acknowledge, &amp; &s;erve God in Chri&s;t according to his Word or Scriptures: I &s;ay, to defend and protect them in their wor&s;hip and &s;ervice, if under &s;uch pretence, and &s;eeming or out|ward profe&s;&s;ion, they do not gro&s;sly ble&s;pheme Him, his Son, his Word and Name, as therein plainly declared, &s;o as they therein re|linqui&s;h and ca&s;t off the outward acknowledgement of Him and his Name, as <HI>Levit. 24. 11, 16. Deut.</HI> 17. 1, 6. or if under &s;uch pretences, or otherwi&s;e, they do not bend them&s;elves to do any thing wittingly, tending to the damage, injury, or harm of others, in body, e&s;tate or name, in vilifying or reproaching their per&s;ons, or being otherwi&s;e injurious to them in &s;uch things, as <HI>Levit.</HI> 24. 18, 23. and <HI>Deut.</HI> 19. 11, 14&punc; 16, 21. Tho&s;e things fall within the reach and power of the Magi&s;trate to di&s;cern, and he is Gods Mini&s;ter to execute wrath accordingly: yet even in &s;uch things as tho&s;e, and with allu&s;ion to tho&s;e very Scriptures, where it is written, <HI>An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, (Levit. 24. 20. Deut.</HI> 19. 21.
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<HI>Exod.</HI> 21. 24.) our Saviour gives this general in&s;truction to be|lievers, as his Di&s;ciples, That they &s;hould not be &s;trict or exact in requiring &s;uch reparation or &s;atisfaction by way of equal puni&s;h|ment to be inflicted by the Magi&s;trate on them that did them in|jury; but rather &s;uffer wrongs, and pa&s;s by injuries, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 38, 39, 40. with 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 7. according to the more abundant com|ing forth of the grace of God that bringeth &s;alvation to all men, in that appearance of it by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, more abundantly in&s;tructing and leading to mercy, and quiet waiting for the reward after. And &s;uch in&s;tructions being generally given to his Di&s;ciples, may be of this u&s;e to Magi&s;trates and Rulers, to in&s;truct, that it is &s;uitable to the full coming forth of the Go&s;pel and grace of Chri&s;t, that in their Laws of that nature there &s;hould be provi&s;ion for &s;hewing more mercy; and in the execution of them, not &s;uch &s;trictne&s;s and &s;everity as was under <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> At lea&s;t when and &s;o as in &s;hewing mercy, they may do nothing to the greater damage of others, in which the wi&s;dom of God will be&s;t in&s;truct them. (But to return to our bu&s;ine&s;s.) If al&s;o under &s;uch pretences of wor&s;hipping God (as afore&s;aid) or otherwi&s;e, they do nothing tending directly to the di&s;turbance of the peace of the Nation where they live, to the mov|ing or &s;owing &s;edition, or in contempt of the Authority &s;et over them, and &s;o u&s;ing their liberty or pretence of liberty in Chri&s;t, for a cloak of pride &amp; maliciou&s;ne&s;s &s;o gro&s;sly, if &s;o, the Magi&s;trate is Gods Mi|ni&s;ter to execute wrath for &s;uch things, be they committed under what pretences they will, as may appear, <HI>Act.</HI> 24. 5. compared with <HI>ch.</HI> 25. 8, 10, 11. where <HI>Paul</HI> acknowledgeth, That the doing &s;uch things, as &s;ome of them they charged him withall, as moving &s;edi|tion, offending again&s;t Authority, doing willingly any wrong to his Neighbour, had been worthy of death, or of bonds, accor|ding to the nature and degree of the offence: &s;o <HI>Peter</HI> &s;ignifies, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 14, 15 16, 20. and 3. 9. 10, 11, 13, 14.</P>
<P>Otherwi&s;e they are to afford liberty and protection as afore&s;aid, and &s;o to all &s;uch as are quiet in the Land; and in &s;o doing, they &s;hall certainly be a protection, defence and &s;hadow, as the Night in the mid&s;t of the Noon-day, unto Gods people that do rightly wor&s;hip him, walking acording to the teachings of that grace that brings Salvation to all men, which teacheth them to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty; &s;uch a pro|tection
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they &s;hall therein a&s;&s;uredly be to all &s;uch, as under their Government they may more freely, chearfully and with enlarge|ment, though &s;till bearing the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t, lead &s;uch quiet and peaceable lives in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty; which that they may do, God likes it well, and requires it of Governours, even all in Au|thority, further,</P>
<P>2. That they &s;hould, as publick Ma&s;ters or Magi&s;trates, give unto tho&s;e under their Authority tho&s;e things that are ju&s;t and e|qual, equally di&s;tributing ju&s;tice, and throughly executing judge|ment between a Man and his Neighbour; con&s;idering, that they have a great Ma&s;ter in Heaven, that hath &s;et them as his Mini|&s;ters, to be a terror to evil works, a revenger of wrath on them that do evil, in tho&s;e things within their &s;phear; to di&s;cern and judge which are e&s;pecially (if not onely) &s;uch things, as in which one man &s;ins again&s;t another, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. 25. and &s;o for the prai&s;e and en|couragement of them that do well. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1, 4. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 1. <HI>Jer.</HI> 7. 5. <HI>Take heed of decreeing unrighteous decrees, &s;uch as are grievous and oppre&s;&s;ive, and tend to turn away the needy from judgement, and to take away the right from the poor of the people,</HI> I&s;a. 10. 1, 2. <HI>Oppre&s;s not the Stranger, the Father|le&s;s and Widow, &s;hed not innocent blood, neither walk after other Gods, to your hurt,</HI> Jer. 7. 9. <HI>Tru&s;t not in oppre&s;&s;ion, become not vain in robbery,</HI> P&s;al. 62. 10. <HI>&V;ndo the heavy burthens, let the opppre&s;&s;ed go free, break every yoke,</HI> before made to the en|&s;laving the people, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 58. 6. <HI>God &s;tandeth in the Congregation of the mighty, he judgeth among the Gods: How long will ye judge unju&s;tly, and accept the per&s;ons of the wicked! defend the Poor and Fatherle&s;s, do ju&s;tice to the afflicted and needy, deliver and rid them out of the hand of the oppre&s;&s;ors,</HI> P&s;al. 82. <HI>Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the ca&s;e of all &s;uch as are ap|pointed to de&s;truction; open thy mouth, judge righteou&s;ly, and plead the cau&s;e of the poor and needy,</HI> Prov. 31. 8, 9. A great evil it is under the Sun, and yet too general, The oppre&s;&s;ed have no com|forter, while on the &s;ide of the oppre&s;&s;ors there is power; but judg|ment and ju&s;tice is violently perverted. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 4. 1. and 5. 8, An evil that tends much to the &s;traightning the believer, in his leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty: while their oppre&s;&s;ions are &s;uch, and their oppre&s;&s;ors &s;o impowered, It's a great
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di&s;turbance and mole&s;tation to them in their wor&s;hip and &s;ervice of God; they have not the like opportunity or freedom to it in many re&s;pects that they &s;hould have, if ju&s;tice and judg|ment were throughly executed between a Man and his Neighbour: yea, many times by the oppre&s;&s;ivene&s;s of the Laws, and burthens on the people, and room left for inequality in the execution of them, it becomes a very hard and difficult matter, to live hone&s;tly a man with his Neighbour, or under the Authority. It's certainly evil, oppre&s;&s;ive and de&s;tructive to the well-being of a Nation, when the Laws and Ordinances of men in it are &s;uch, and &s;o impo&s;&s;ible to be hone&s;tly kept and &s;ubmitted to, that men are forced to break or &s;in again&s;t them generally, that they may &s;ub&s;i&s;t in their way of hone&s;t Trade or Merchandize: be&s;ides, it hinders the believer from that opportunity he &s;hould have, for endeavouring the good of, and doing good to his Neighbour, according to his capacity. And that &s;uch evils and mi&s;eries may be avoided, and the forementioned general coun&s;els and directions may the better be ob&s;erved, I might adde a third.</P>
<P>3. <HI>Let them &s;eek peace and pur&s;ue it,</HI> P&s;al. 34. 14. It's in|&s;truction and coun&s;el generally good to be ob&s;erved by them in their places, as well as by others in theirs; <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible, and as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,</HI> Rom. 12. 18. and &s;o with all Nations. <HI>David</HI> was a man exerci&s;ed in war from his youth, and was very valiant and &s;ucce&s;sful in the name of the Lord, and &s;hed much blood; yet not delighting in it, but pru&s;uing and following after peace with his Enemies, as one earne&s;tly de&s;irous to obtain it, if it might, be without war or blood, and that for their good; whence he complains of it, as a great grief and trouble to him, <HI>My Soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace: I am for peace,</HI> or a man of peace, <HI>but they are for war, even when I &s;peak of,</HI> and offer terms of <HI>peace,</HI> P&s;al. 120. 6, 7. Yea, the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> makes this general Prayer, which indeed is al&s;o a certain prophe&s;ie, and &s;hall have its accompli&s;h|ment on the &s;ubjects of it, &s;ooner or latter, <HI>Scatter thou the peo|ple that delight in war,</HI> P&s;al. 68. 30. It is a great national ble&s;|&s;ing, and to be de&s;ired; yea, as the conclu&s;ion of the ble&s;&s;ing where|with the hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was to be ble&s;&s;ed, adding to the comfort and &s;weetne&s;s of all the re&s;t, <HI>To enjoy peace in the Land,</HI> or Na|tion
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<HI>where they lived,</HI> Levit. 26. 6. Numb. 6. 26. Yea, <HI>there|fore they were to pray al&s;o for the peace of the Nation and City whither they were carried away Captives, that in the peace thereof they might have peace,</HI> Jer. 29. 7. Chri&s;tian Rulers then &s;hould take heed their feet be not &s;wift to &s;hed blood, le&s;t their hands be defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniqui|ty: Not to be forward to make war, unle&s;s nece&s;&s;itated thereto, for defending and pre&s;erving the peace of the Nation, <HI>And there|fore with good advi&s;e make war,</HI> Prov. 20. 18. and 24. 6. Yea, fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t &s;itting down and counting whether they be able (by the peoples hands and pur&s;e, for they &s;hould con&s;ider, no King goes to war at his own charges) to manage and bear the charge of &s;uch a war: el&s;e while the Enemy is yet a great way off, our Saviour &s;aith, <HI>Wi&s;e Governours will &s;end an emba&s;&s;age, and de&s;ire conditions of peace.</HI> To have peace in our borders, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 147. 14. is to be prized as one of the greate&s;t outward mercies, if God &s;ee it good to give us opportunity to enjoy it, though with &s;ome di&s;|advantages. By means of it, them that are in Authority &s;hall have opportunity put in their hands, to take off the heavy yokes that make the oppre&s;&s;ed to groan, and to &s;ee to the protection of &s;uch as do well, and to have their eyes about them, with which they may &s;catter the wicked at home, and from about the Throne. Whether they will wi&s;ely improve the&s;e opportunities to the&s;e purpo&s;es or no, that may be a que&s;tion; which if they do not, God will in his time take them from them again: <HI>For to him that hath, &s;hall more be given; but from him that hath not,</HI> (or that retaineth or im|proveth not) <HI>&s;hall be taken, even that which he had,</HI> &s;eeing he did not rightly u&s;e or improve it. Likewi&s;e,</P>
<P>By means of &s;uch outward peace, e&s;pecially the forementioned directions being heeded by them in Authority, the believer &s;hall have more freedom and liberty to wor&s;hip God, without di&s;tur|bance, and endeavour the good of men, according as God hath given him a heart and capacity, by being Me&s;&s;engers of the peace of God to them, praying for them, and &s;hewing forth the vertues of Chri&s;t among them; which is more &s;uitable to their Spirit, then to be fighting with them.</P>
<P>Again&s;t all this, &s;ome may happily &s;ay: We &s;peak as not under|&s;tanding the Vi&s;ions or Prophe&s;ies proper to the&s;e times, or which
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are now to have their fulfilling, which (&s;ay they) &s;peak of the Saints de&s;troying, conquering, and bringing under all their Enemies by the material Sword, and &s;o taking and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing the kingdoms of this World, and &s;o Chri&s;t taking to him his great power and raigning in his people, and that by &s;uch means, and in the time of this mortality: which con&s;idered, might encourage and put for|ward all Chri&s;tians, the Rulers and Ruled together, to go on furi|ou&s;ly and confidently, without deliberate advi&s;ement, yea, without pre&s;ident or rule, conquering and to conquer all that is before them, by their power and Sword, now while it is in their hand; and not to &s;eek peace, but rather count it their honour, as Chri&s;tians or Saints, to be further imployed in war.</P>
<P>In an&s;wer to this, we &s;ay, We cannot indeed boa&s;t as others do, of our under&s;tanding the Vi&s;ions of the times; but freely ac|knowledge our great weakne&s;s and ignorance in them, as a fruit of our more fundamental ignorance in, or want of skill to make u&s;e of the Vi&s;ion of all Vi&s;ions, which is the Key of knowledge for the opening them, and whatever el&s;e is hard to be under&s;tood: nor de&s;ire we at this time, much to lengthen our di&s;cour&s;e; (having been large in it already) yet briefly this we &s;ay, fir&s;t, We read &s;om|thing of the Vi&s;ions of the&s;e latter dayes opened by our Saviour in his an&s;wer to the Di&s;ciples que&s;tion, <HI>Mat.</HI> 24. 3. which que&s;tion had two things di&s;tinct in it, <HI>(viz.) When &s;hall the&s;e things be,</HI> (namely, the things he had foretold about the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru|&s;alem,</HI> and their Temple) <HI>and what the &s;igne of his coming, and of the end of the world?</HI> It may &s;eem the Di&s;ciples thought, that the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and his &s;econd appearing, and the end of the world &s;hould have happened together; and happi|ly were not yet able to under&s;tand, or bear the hearing of another and longer time for his coming and the end of the world, then for the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> however, our Saviour an&s;wers to both the parts of the que&s;tion together: and though &s;ome of his par|ticular applicatory &s;ayings, by way of direction to them, (as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16, 20.) are with more peculiar reference to the fir&s;t, which was to fall out in their day; yet all the predictions or things foretold to fall out, as fore-runners of both, are generally to be applyed to each; &s;ignifying, That the &s;ame things, and much in a like manner, that did fore-run the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> &s;hall al&s;o fore-run
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the &s;econd appearing of Chri&s;t, and the end of the world; but &s;till more fully according to the predictions, as the la&s;t fulfillings of prophe&s;ies are alwayes the cleare&s;t and fulle&s;t. Now there we read that the Believers, the Saints of God, the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t <HI>&s;hall hear of wars, and rumours of wars:</HI> in that he mentions wars, as di&s;tinct from rumours of wars, in <HI>Matthew</HI> and <HI>Mark,</HI> it's clear that by wars he means, &s;uch as are neer them, in tho&s;e Nations and places where they live: but then in that of them, as well as of the rumours of wars in other places, he &s;aith, They &s;hall hear of them, he clearly &s;ignifies, That the Saints or Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, (as &s;uch) &s;hall not be actors or ex|erci&s;ed in them. It's none of their proper quarrel or fight for their kingdom, though there may be in them much of Gods quar|rel again&s;t, and executing wrath or vengeance on many of their oppre&s;&s;ors, by &s;tirring them up one again&s;t another, or &s;tirring up &s;ome again&s;t them, that may after prove &s;uch them&s;elves under a|nother form; but the Saints or Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t, (who&s;e work is not to avenge them&s;elves in this day; &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 18, 19, 20.) they as &s;uch are but Spectators, as Strangers and Pilgrims, looking on, and hearing the tumults and commotions between one and another, and wi&s;ely con&s;idering the work of God therein, and lifting up their heads, for the nigh drawing of the day of their redemption, of which they know the&s;e are forerunners and &s;ignes, though they look not for it by this meanes: yet many of them, as part or members of the Nation where they live, may al&s;o be exerci&s;ed on the defen&s;ive part, or on that &s;ide where they under&s;tand good ground, and that warrantably, and may be eminently in&s;trumental, more then other men, as in any national good work they joyn in; but not actors as Saints, either for their kingdom, or by way of revenge again&s;t any: for &s;aith the Text, <HI>Nation &s;hall ri&s;e again&s;t Nation, and King|dom again&s;t Kingdom,</HI> (not the Saints again&s;t the Nations or Kingdoms.) It follows, <HI>and there &s;hall be earthquakes in di|vers places, and famines, and pe&s;tilences, and fearful &s;ights, and great &s;ignes from Heaven,</HI> Mat. 24. 7. Mark 13. 7. Luke 21. 9, 10, 11. and together with the&s;e, and all this time, he &s;aith, <HI>Many &s;hall come in my name, &s;aying, I am Chri&s;t; yea, many fal&s;e Chri&s;ts, and fal&s;e Prophets &s;hall ari&s;e,</HI> with &s;o fair pretences and great flouri&s;hes, and at la&s;t <HI>&s;hewing great &s;ignes and wonders,
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if po&s;&s;ible to deceive the very elect; yea, and they &s;hall deceive many,</HI> (except tho&s;e dayes &s;hould be &s;hortened, none would be &s;aved or pre&s;erved, in the expectation and patient waiting for the coming of Chri&s;t) telling them&punc; <HI>Lo here is Chri&s;t or there,</HI> in this or in that appearing the &s;econd time, and accompli&s;hing the promi&s;es you wait for. Or as there were fal&s;e Prophets among the people, and tho&s;e the generality of the great &s;eers of the Vi&s;ions of the times, a little before the Babylonian captivity, which did fore-run the fir&s;t appearing of Chri&s;t; that told the people, They &s;hould have a&s;|&s;ured peace in that place, and at that time, and &s;hould get it then, by re&s;i&s;ting the <HI>Caldean&punc;</HI> and &s;o by their Sword and the help of o|ther Nations, and &s;o, that the i&s;&s;ue thereof &s;hould be, that they &s;hould neither &s;ee Sword nor Famine, but the promi&s;es of a&s;&s;ured peace and &s;ettlement for ever, which the Fathers died in the faith of, not having received, &s;hould pre&s;ently be accompli&s;hed: and with the&s;e (carried on with &s;o much violence, height of Spirit, and flouri&s;hes, as if they had it from the oracle) they greatly deceived the people; (as <HI>Jer.</HI> 14. 13.) neither in tho&s;e dayes were there any Prophets of the Lord, that dur&s;t &s;peak a word again&s;t them, unle&s;s one or two that al&s;o &s;ate alone, and were hooted at by every one, becau&s;e of the a&s;&s;embly of the mockers that devi&s;ed again&s;t them, to make their doctrine and prophe&s;ies as odious as they could, and to &s;mite them with the tongue, and for the tongue, and &s;o on the cheek, (as 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 22&punc; 24.) &s;o as might tend to their re|proach and make them hold their peace, and re&s;olved not to give heed to any their words, <HI>Jer.</HI> 18. 17, 18. even &s;o there &s;hall be fal&s;e Teachers and Prophets ari&s;e among the Chri&s;tian <HI>Gentiles,</HI> tending to their en&s;laving by the &s;pirit of Antichri&s;t, the my&s;tery of iniquity, which &s;hall fore-run the &s;econd appearing of Chri&s;t, (as a little before their en&s;laving by the gro&s;&s;er part or fle&s;h of Antichri&s;t did) that will in like manner privily, under pretence of the contrary, bring in damnable here&s;ies, (even &s;uch as in which the Lord that bought them is denied, the promi&s;e of his &s;econd per&s;onal appearance, or at lea&s;t the patient looking and waiting for the ble&s;&s;ed hope, until that glorious appearance, is by the a&s;&s;embly of the mockers &s;coft at) telling them, They &s;hall have a&s;&s;ured peace in this place, that they &s;hall get the peaceable and glorious kingdom of Chri&s;t by the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r Sword, and the like: <HI>But before all the&s;e,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>(Luke
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21. 12.) They &s;hall lay their hands on the Saints, and per&s;e|cute them, and they &s;hall be brought before Kings, Coun&s;els and Synagogues&punc; and into Pri&s;ons for his names &s;ake;</HI> Yea, <HI>they &s;hall kill them:</HI> which though all the three Evangeli&s;ts, <HI>Matthew, Mark,</HI> and <HI>Luke,</HI> mention after the other, yet <HI>Luke</HI> &s;aith expre&s;ly, They &s;hall be before tho&s;e things forementioned, which &s;hews, as we have noted before, That the&s;e wars, commotions and abounding of Spiritual iniquity, together with them here &s;poken of, are tho&s;e that &s;hall happen after bodily per&s;ecutions have been before &s;uffered by the Saints, and at the time in which there &s;hall be &s;ome abatement of them, to which abatement, the&s;e very commotions them&s;elves &s;hall be &s;ome help in&s;trumentally; yet even of the&s;e together, the wars and commotions, by Nation battering and cla&s;hing again&s;t Nation, and the abounding of more &s;piritual iniquity after &s;ome ce&s;&s;ation of bo|dily per&s;ecution; <HI>The&s;e together,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>are the beginnings of &s;or|rows,</HI> or calamities and mi&s;eries, the outward occa&s;ions of &s;orrows, not of joyes, though going before as accompli&s;hments of his word, and &s;o making way; joy &s;hall come in the morning of the ap|pearance of the Son of man, and the re&s;urrection of the dead: <HI>But the end,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>is not by and by, the&s;e are but the beginnings of &s;orrows.</HI> Now when we read of &s;uch predictions, and in &s;uch terms, and &s;ee the beginnings of the accompli&s;hments of them in our day, yet we do not account our &s;elves or Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates, thereby obliged to put our &s;elves forward with de&s;ire to contend or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ight with others, or to provoke them to wrath, or pick quarrels again&s;t them, or to neglect any advantage or opportunity for peace with them, any more then we account our &s;elves obliged to joyne with the fal&s;e Prophets, and follow them, or el&s;e to do what we can to be occa&s;ions of furtherance to the &s;preading of their princi|ples, that we may have &s;ome work to &s;trive and fight with them: but if God do by his providence call us to defend our &s;elves, or our Nation, again&s;t tho&s;e that are for war and contention, and will not be quiet in &s;uch troublous times; And &s;o if God in like man|ner call us to contend for the Faith of the Go&s;pel, and &s;trive toge|ther for it; In following him, we know we are in his way, and may expect his ble&s;&s;ing, and have no cau&s;e to be terrified by our adver&s;aries: and that we may do, and yet not delight in war, but &s;eek peace, and be for it, even while they are for war; which we
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cannot but do, knowing that it's generally true, That all wars and fightings come of mens lu&s;ts, <HI>&amp;c. Jam. 4. 1, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Again we read, <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 16, 17. of Gods putting it into the heart of the Kings of the Earth, (not Saints as Saints, but earthly Rulers and Governours) <HI>to hate the whore, and make her de&s;o|late and naked, to eat her fle&s;h, and burn her with fire:</HI> but not that they &s;hall then give their power unto Chri&s;t, or into the hands of the Saints, (they are not to come by it on that fa&s;hion) but their power that was before in the whore, they &s;hall e&s;tabli&s;h and give into the hands of the bea&s;t, the wordly power and ma|gi&s;tracy, (which is a power ordained of God) until the words of God &s;hall be fulfilled, which will not be by and by. There is &s;ome time for the &s;pirit of Antichri&s;t to be revealed and lifted up, and that may be promoted by tho&s;e powers that de&s;troyed his fle&s;h, or gro&s;&s;er part: which yet if it &s;hould be &s;o, yet we know we have cau&s;e to acknowledge and thank God for his great goodne&s;s, wi&s;|dom, and power manife&s;ted and exerci&s;ed towards his people, and for the good of all, in occa&s;ioning &s;uch enlargement and freedom from under bodily per&s;ecution and re&s;traint, by means of the&s;e wars and commotions, though they in them&s;elves be evil, and not to be de&s;ired by us on any people: being indeed at lea&s;t the begin|ning of his judgements and plagues for contempt of his Go&s;pel, and de&s;pi&s;ing his people: yet out of the&s;e evils, they being but the beginnings of his judgements, God that is infinite in wi&s;dom, and wonderful in working, hath brought forth much good, and that for the good &amp; benefit of the&s;e Nations: we may &s;ay, Gods people have had more enlargement outwardly in divers con&s;iderations, to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty, then is probable they could have enjoyed without the&s;e wars and commotions, God having begun here to make u&s;e of them, for burning the fle&s;h of the whore. We may &s;ay, God hath made them, and yet doth, as the Earth opening her mouth, and drinking up the floud that the Dragon &s;ent out of his mouth to de&s;troy the woman, the de&s;pi&s;ed Church of God here on Earth, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12. 16. Even as when <HI>Saul</HI> was at the heels of <HI>David,</HI> the <HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> invading the Land, oc|ca&s;ioned his &s;udden taking off from his pur&s;uit, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 23. 26, 28. &s;o we have &s;een, when in one generation of men, that a&s;&s;u|med the titles of Lords over Gods heritage, the Dragon had &s;ent
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out a great floud of per&s;ecutions and Laws, to compel to commit fornication with the Whore. The beginning of the&s;e wars and com|motions in our Nations, tended to the drinking up the floud, and &s;o helped the woman. And likewi&s;e when in another generation of men, that laid a&s;ide the titles, but would have had and exerci&s;ed the &s;ame power, and more binding over the con&s;ciences of men, the Dragon had prepared to &s;end out a floud of like and more danger|ous con&s;equence then the former; the continuance and oft renewing of the &s;ame wars, hath been opening the mouth of the earth, to the drinking up, or ob&s;tructing the i&s;&s;uing out of that hitherto; and what they would yet do, if they could be &s;etled by Authority in the power de&s;ired by them, or what may i&s;&s;ue forth by a third &s;ort or generation of men, who&s;e eyes are lofty, and their eye-lids are lifted up, when ever things come to a &s;ettlement, and as they get lei&s;ure and opportunity, we yet know not, or do not determine; though cau&s;e enough to &s;u&s;pect, that Satan being angry with the Woman, becau&s;e he cannot have his will otherwi&s;e over her, will by them be making &s;uch war as he can and finde out, new engines not &s;o di&s;cernable, to be for that purpo&s;e, and therefore more dangerous, for the wearing out the poor remnant of her Seed, that keep the Commandments of God, and have the Te&s;timony of Je&s;us: as &s;ome hinderance to which, we &s;ee God makes u&s;e of the remaining wars and commotions, and not onely of them, but of the changes of his providences with us, pouring us from ve&s;&s;el to ve&s;&s;el: and from the&s;e con&s;iderations we cannot but &s;ee Gods great wi&s;dom and goodne&s;s to admire it, even in his terrible and &s;trange works towards the children of men; and may further learn with thank|fulne&s;s, and without murmuring, to &s;ubmit to his Government and wil. Yet for all this, the grace of God and the in&s;tructions of the Go&s;pel, do lead us, not to de&s;ire the continuance of war and blood to our own or other Nations or people, any more then the &s;ame grace would have directed <HI>David</HI> to have de&s;ired the continuance of, or the renewing the <HI>Phili&s;tines</HI> war upon <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> becau&s;e God made it an occa&s;ion of good to him; but on the other hand, to de&s;ire the welfare of all, and not the woful day to any; though &s;ometimes we are to pray for Gods a&s;haming, confounding and bla&s;ting them in their enterprizes, yet that &s;o as may tend to their good&punc; &amp; to the good of every of them, until any be wholly given up of God, as before we
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have noted in our di&s;cour&s;e about prayers, and as may be &s;een in <HI>Jer.</HI> 17. 16, 18. compared with <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. 15, 16, 17. And &s;o we may and are to de&s;ire with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to his will, for peace in our dayes and in our land, and more e&s;pecially where his name is, and with other Nations al&s;o; though happily when we have it, that which is for our welfare, may become a &s;nare through mens abu&s;e of it, as before; yet &s;eeing the thing is good in it &s;elf, and a mercy to good ends given, it's therefore to be de&s;ired and pur&s;ued by us, though with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to his Appointment and Government; and Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates or Rulers, not to be provoked or &s;tirred up to war with any other Nation or People, when they may have peace with them on any hone&s;t and ju&s;t terms; but rather coun&s;elled by the wi&s;dom of God: <HI>In the multitude of people is the Kings honor, but the want of people is the de&s;truction of the Prince: he that is &s;low to anger is of great under&s;tanding,</HI> he is an imi|tator of God, and like to him, to which his grace that brings &s;alvati|on to all men, now e&s;pecially obligeth &s;ince the appearance or coming forth of it by Je&s;us Chri&s;t: <HI>For the Son of man came not to de&s;troy m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ns lives, but to &s;ave them,</HI> Luke 9. 56. <HI>but he that is ha&s;ty of Spirit, exalteth folly,</HI> Prov. 14. 28, 29. The Scriptures writ|ten aforetime, are written for our in&s;truction, on whom the ends of the World are come; and &s;o the&s;e general Go&s;pel-in&s;tructions proper to our time, and &s;o proper, that though the&s;e battels and wars of the latter dayes be of the Lords permi&s;&s;ion, and accom|pli&s;hments of his word, and he brings much good out of them and gives gracious warning to all people in them, intending much good to the &s;urvivers by them; yet &s;eeing they are in them&s;elves evil things, he hath not appointed his people to be de&s;irers and ha&s;tners of them, or delighters in them; but it may be and is truly &s;aid by him&s;elf of the battels of the latter days. <HI>Rev. 16. 13, 14. John &s;aw three unclean &s;pirits like frogges, come out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Bea&s;t, and out of the mouth of the fal&s;e Prophet:</HI> (there are evil in&s;truments enow to be imployed in &s;uch &s;ervices, good Angels need not, (1 <HI>Kings</HI> 22. 19, 20, 22.) <HI>For they are the Spirits of Devils working miracles, which go forth unto the Kings of the Earth, and of the whole World, to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Al|mighty.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="131" REF="72">Yet for further an&s;wer to the apprehen&s;ions forementioned, we might here adde, That we do al&s;o read of a con&s;umption determined upon the whole earth, in which as the conclu&s;ion and putting an end to all battels of the Warriour, Gods anger &s;hall cea&s;e in the perfect de&s;truction and conque&s;t of all the Enemies of Chri&s;t and his people, that they &s;hall never ri&s;e or get head again to their di&s;turbance; and therefore compared to that of <HI>Midian, Judges</HI> 8. 28. and to that of <HI>Egypt</HI> at the <HI>Red-Sea, I&s;a.</HI> 10. 23, 25, 26, 27. And that in this all the Saints, as children of the Re&s;urrection coming with the Lord at his &s;econd appearing, &s;hall have &s;hare, and be as his Army, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 24. 1, 19, 23. with <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 11, 12, to the end. <HI>Zech.</HI> 9. 9, 10, 11, 12, 17. and 14. 5. <HI>This honour have all his Saints,</HI> (not onely &s;ome in one age) <HI>To bind their Kings in chains, and their Nobles in fetters of iron: to execute on them the judge|ment written,</HI> P&s;al. 149. 5, 9. and &s;o that <HI>Jer.</HI> 51. may be applied either to him, the Lord, Captain and Leader, the portion of <HI>Jacob,</HI> the Former of all things, the rod of his inheritance, the Lord of Ho&s;ts, that he is Gods Battel-Axe, with which he will break in peices the Nations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and &s;o he is in the&s;e beginnings of breakings, in which he makes u&s;e of them as in&s;truments one a|gain&s;t another; or it may be applied to them that are his <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> though that word <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is not in the text, but put in by the Tran&s;|lators, becau&s;e found in another place in a like expre&s;&s;ion concern|ing them, <HI>Jer.</HI> 10. 16. and &s;o they &s;hall all, as Saints and chil|dren of the Re&s;urrection, have &s;hare with him, when he comes him|&s;elf to make a full end: but this here may &s;eem more peculiarly appli|ed to his per&s;on, as may appear by comparing <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18, 19. with <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 41. 1, 28, 29. and <HI>chap.</HI> 42. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and 49. 3, 7. Yet as be|fore, all his Saints, even them that have made a Covenant with him by &s;acrifice, that are reconciled to God by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;hall be gathered together to the conclu&s;ion of all, in that la&s;t and great day of battel, when <HI>our God &s;hall come, and &s;hall not keep &s;ilence, a fire &s;hall devour before him, and it &s;hall be very tempe&s;tuous round about him:</HI> when <HI>he &s;hall call to the Heavens from a|bove, and to the Earth, that he may judge his people,</HI> P&s;al. 50. 3, 4, 5. This &s;hall be different from every Battel of the Warriour, it &s;hall be a perfect conque&s;t, and breaking off the yoke, a con|&s;umption and de&s;truction of the Enemy, of all the per&s;ons of the ma|liciou&s;ly
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wicked and ungodly, and of all their power, by a wonderful mighty hand of God, in the glorious appearance of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the children of the Re&s;urrection with him, by a two-edged Sword proceeding out of their mouth, the quarrel of his covenant, the venge|ance of his Go&s;pel poured out in fury on the head of the wicked, in all &s;trange &amp; wonderful judgements meeting together, with burn|ing, and fewel of fire, to make an utter con&s;umption: and yet all this without the u&s;e of material Weapons on their part, or any lo&s;s or detriment to them; whereas <HI>every battel of the warriour is with confu&s;ed noi&s;e,</HI> a cry on both &s;ides, whoever gets the Victory, <HI>and with garments rolled in blood, but this &s;hall be with burning and fewel of fire: for behold, the Lord will come with fire, and his Charets like a Whirl-wind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebukes with flames of fire: for by fire and by his &s;word, will the Lord plead with all fle&s;h and the &s;lain of the Lord &s;hall be many,</HI> I&s;a. 66. 15, 16. <HI>For now the Go|vernment &s;hall be laid upon his &s;houlders, that Son born to us,</HI> I&s;a. 9. 4, 5, 6, 7. This could not be done before, while the Govern|ment was on any of the &s;ervants; <HI>He looked and behold there was no man. Then his own arm brought him &s;alvation,</HI> &amp;c. I&s;a. 59. 16, 21. and 63. 4, 5. 6, 7. compare al&s;o <HI>I&s;a. 34. 1, 6, &amp;c.</HI> to the end. and <HI>I&s;a. 35. total.</HI> with 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 10, 12. 'Tis that day of the Lord when he &s;hall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, when he &s;hall apear the &s;econd time without &s;in to the &s;alvation of all that look for him, that &s;hall burn as an oven, and that &s;hall be herein al&s;o different from all the battels of the warriour<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> then all the proud and all that do wickedly &s;hall be as &s;tubble, they &s;hall none of them be left for in&s;truments in accompli&s;hing the&s;e la&s;t &s;weeping de&s;olations, as now they are in the beginnings, neither &s;hall any of the Saints or Righteous peri&s;h in them, or be as fewel to that full coming forth of the fire of his jealou&s;ie, as they may and do many of them partake of the&s;e le&s;&s;er judgements, and fall among the re&s;t in them; but then even they &s;hall return again with &s;ongs of deliverance, and this &s;hall then be the portion of their cup, to the participation of which, there &s;hall be none wanting, They &s;hall tread down the wicked, for they &s;hall be a&s;hes under the &s;oles of their feet, in that day when I &s;hall do this, &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts. We may &s;ay here, Let us &s;tabli&s;h our hearts, and in pa|tience
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po&s;&s;e&s;s our &s;ouls in the hope of that day: for he that &s;hall come, will come, and will not tarry longer then the appointed time; yea, for the Elects &s;ake the Lord will &s;horten the evil days. In the re|mainder of which, that we may &s;tand, as God coun&s;elled his people in that <HI>Mal. 3. To remember the law of Mo&s;es his &s;ervant with the Statutes and Judgements:</HI> a&s;&s;uring them they had yet a time to wait for the accompli&s;hment of the&s;e promi&s;es; and that before the coming of this great and notable day of the Lord, he would &s;end them <HI>Elijah, &amp;c.</HI> which had a fir&s;t fruits of fulfilling in <HI>John Bapti&s;t,</HI> &s;ent in the Spirit and Power of <HI>Elijah;</HI> but mu&s;t be yet more clearly and fully accompli&s;hed to that people, (at lea&s;t) according to the expre&s;&s;ions, a little before that &s;econd and glorious appearing of Chri&s;t, <HI>To turn the hearts of the children to the fathers:</HI> &s;o our Saviour as well &s;aith, <HI>Elias verily cometh fir&s;t,</HI> yea, <HI>mu&s;t fir&s;t come:</HI> as that he was then already come, <HI>and that was he, if they would receive him:</HI> (namely, <HI>John Bapti&s;t</HI>) which in|deed had they, and been turned to the Lord by him, there had not been that need for another accompli&s;hment of that Prophe&s;ie for that work: but they rejected him and the Lord too. Therefore &s;till to do that work, <HI>Elias mu&s;t verily fir&s;t come.</HI> Now I &s;ay, As the Lord coun&s;elled them in the mean time, and till that fir&s;t appearance of Chri&s;t, before which that promi&s;e had its fir&s;t fulfilling, <HI>To re|member the law of Mo&s;es his &s;ervant,</HI> &s;o we are further coun&s;el|led, as in the prophe&s;ie, <HI>Hab. 2. 2, 4. That we may be &s;trengthened to run with patience, the race &s;et before us; to read the vi&s;ion where it's now more plainly written, looking unto Je&s;us:</HI> &amp;c. <HI>For con&s;ider him that endured &s;uch contradiction of &s;inners a|gain&s;t him&s;elf, le&s;t ye be wearied and faint in your mindes; ye have not yet re&s;i&s;ted unto blood, &s;triving again&s;t &s;in,</HI> Heb. 12. 1, 4. Be but patient a while, the coming of the Lord draws nigh; then you &s;hall not need to run back to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> nor to be under a Law &s;o &s;uitable to &s;ervitude, bondage and mi&s;ery: <HI>But the Law &s;hall go forth out of Sion, and the Word of the Lord from Jeru|&s;alem, to judge the Nations; for he &s;hall judge among many people, and rebuke &s;trong Nations afar off: and they &s;hall beat their Swords into Plow-&s;hares, and their Spears into Pru|ning-hookes and the Nations &s;hall learn war no more: then &s;hall the Earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters co|ver
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the Sea,</HI> I&s;a. 2. 1, 4. Mic. 4. 1, 4. I&s;a. 11. <HI>Then for all your &s;hame you &s;hall have double glory, in your own land; you &s;hall re|joyce in your portion,</HI> &amp;c. I&s;a. 61. We may not further enlarge to this, onely this word: Notwith&s;tanding the day of the Lord draws nigh, and there is &s;uch full demon&s;tration of it in the Go&s;pel, and of the ble&s;&s;ed hope then, that were it minded, were enough to &s;tabli&s;h the hearts of believers in their patient waiting for the coming of the Lord, even as the husbandman waiteth &amp; hath long patience for the precious fruit of the earth: yet &s;till we finde it needful, and now as much as ever, to pre&s;s the Apo&s;tles exhortation, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 1, 2. The Apo&s;tle having in&s;tructed them, <HI>chap. 1, 6, 7, &amp;c. That it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you that are troubled re&s;t with us,</HI> not without us, or before us: tho&s;e of us, or of our body, that &s;urvive, mu&s;t not prevent them of us that &s;leep; nor &s;hall any one prevent ano|ther, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;. 4. 14, 16, &amp;c.</HI> But they &s;hall come together to the in&s;talling and &s;itting down in that re&s;t, which yet remaineth for all the people of God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. 9. though the high-&s;pirited <HI>Co|rinthians</HI> would have been fancying and concluding a raigning as as Kings without the Apo&s;tles, and the re&s;idue of their brethren: but the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>He was &s;ure if the time were come that any of them &s;hould raign as Saints, then they al&s;o &s;hould raign with them.</HI> But when will this righteou&s;ne&s;s of God come forth, in recompencing tribulation to them that trouble us, and to all that are and have been troubled for him re&s;t together? it follows, <HI>When the Lord Je&s;us &s;hall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall be puni&s;hed with everla&s;ting de&s;truction from the pre|&s;ence<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: when he &s;hall come to be glorified in his Saints,</HI> &amp;c. till then, they &s;hall none of them in the&s;e bodies &s;it down, nor &s;hall their Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hine forth till he that &s;hall come do come; nor indeed will there be any long &s;etling of the Kingdom or Glory upon any &s;ort of men, (which may be a comfort to you) nothing but <HI>overturn, overturn, over|turn, till he who&s;e right it is do come, and God will give it him,</HI> Ezek. 21. 26, 27. nor till then is it your time, as Saints, to wi&s;h for, or execute vengeance on them that as &s;uch, and for his names &s;ake do
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trouble you, <HI>Rejoyce not now when thy enemy falleth, neither let thine heart be glad when he &s;tumbleth, le&s;t the Lord &s;ee it, and it di&s;plea&s;e him,</HI> &amp;c. Prov. 24. 17, 18. but take the coun&s;el fol|lowing in the 19, 20, and 21. <HI>ver&s;es.</HI> compared with <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 18, 19, 20, 21. and <HI>chap. 13. 1, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle, I &s;ay, having thus in&s;tructed them in the fir&s;t chap|ter, makes u&s;e of the&s;e two things there di&s;cour&s;ed of, namely, <HI>The glorious appearing</HI> or coming <HI>of our Lord,</HI> and <HI>Our being ga|thered together unto him,</HI> as the ground of his Argument, or as motives for the pre&s;&s;ing &s;uch an exhorcation by way of u&s;efulne&s;s. <HI>Now we be&s;eech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not &s;oon &s;haken in minde, or be troubled neither by &s;pirit,</HI> (pre|tence of revelation) <HI>nor by word or letter as from the Apo&s;tles</HI> (by any doctrine, though pretended to be drawn from their wri|tings) as there will be enough in the&s;e latter dayes, pretending to be &s;eers of the vi&s;ions of the times, that will pervert things hard to be under&s;tood, to make them &s;peak out their apprehen&s;ions; the Vi&s;ion of all, as plainly declared, being to them, and &s;o rendered by them to others, as a &s;ealed Book. But we are to know, That the A|po&s;tles have not intended in any of their writings, telling us that the day is nigh, and the like, to &s;ignifie any &s;uch thing to us, as that the day of the Lord is otherwi&s;e at hand, then according to the in|&s;tructions in the fir&s;t chapter. That day of rendering vegeance on them that trouble us, and re&s;t to the troubled, is not &s;o at hand, as to be made in this day, as &s;ome &s;aid of the Re&s;urrection; or to come unto any before the Lord be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, and we be all gathered together unto him: which two things to be accompli&s;hed together, the Apo&s;tle &s;ets before us here by way of Argument or Motive, for the pre&s;&s;ing his exhortation; &s;ignifying to us, that there is &s;o much &s;weetne&s;s and con&s;olation to us in them, there being &s;uch glory and excellency in the things them&s;elves, the glorious appearance of the Lord in that per&s;onal body glorified in our nature, in which he &s;uffered for us, and hath through &s;ufferings obtained eternal Redemption, the faith of which (though yet we &s;ee him not with bodily eyes, nor do enjoy &s;uch per|&s;onal fellow&s;hip with him) leads even now to rejoyce with joy un|&s;peakable and full of glory; what will it be then to enjoy his per|&s;onal
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pre&s;ence, and immediate fellow&s;hip with him and the Father, and the holy Spirit, and &s;o with him in his glory, (not in his weak|ne&s;s or aba&s;ement, as &s;ometimes &s;ome did, but) in that glory, which he now actually po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth in our nature, in his own per&s;onal body for us, even in the glory of his Father, and with his holy Angels, and we by that appearance to be changed even in our vile bodies, into the likene&s;s of his glorious body, and &s;o made capable of &s;uch &s;ight of him as he is, and fellow&s;hip with him, and to be all ga|thered together? not onely <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Elias,</HI> but all that &s;leep in Je&s;us will God bring with him: &s;urely we &s;hall have good cau&s;e to &s;ay, Let us abide here, for this is our re&s;t to which we were called by the Go&s;pel; yea, and we &s;hall be ever together with the Lord. Such, I &s;ay, is the excellency in the things them&s;elves, as well as al&s;o there is every way &s;o much &s;uitable in&s;truction to in&s;truct us, and give us rea&s;on to the matter of the exhortation, (of which we may not here particularly treat) that the con&s;ideration thereof may and will frame us to willingne&s;s, to wait till then patiently for our &s;it|ting down, and for the accompli&s;hment of the Prophe&s;ies and Pro|mi&s;es, as to the reward of all our &s;ervice and &s;uffering for him; yea, not to part with that hope for any fancy, or &s;hadow, or whate|ver we are capable of enjoying in this day: <HI>Therefore comfort one another with the&s;e words,</HI> (&s;aith this Apo&s;tle, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4. 14, 17.) and here by the&s;e things he thus earne&s;tly admoni&s;heth and be&s;eecheth them as before: and for further in&s;truction about it, as well as e&s;pecially to give us a rea&s;on why he &s;o earne&s;tly be|&s;eecheth them, he further &s;aith, <HI>Let no man deceive you by any means, for there &s;hall be a great falling away fir&s;t, and the man of &s;in revealed,</HI> &amp;c. as if he &s;hould &s;ay, as our Saviour doth, <HI>Therefore I &s;o earne&s;tly admoni&s;h you to take heed, that no man by any means deceive you, becau&s;e the latter dayes will be &s;o pe|rilous through the abounding of the my&s;tery of iniquity, under high forms and pretences of godline&s;s, that verily there will many be deceived by them;</HI> yea, &s;uch will be the tribulations of divers &s;orts, though that the mo&s;t eminent, trying, and dangerous, <HI>that if tho&s;e evil dayes</HI> (which will be by mo&s;t pretending god|line&s;s, accounted glorious dayes) <HI>&s;hould not be &s;hortened, no fle&s;h could be &s;aved; but for the elects &s;ake they &s;hall:</HI> and this un|der&s;tanding of the latter in&s;truction as a rea&s;on of the Apo&s;tles ear|ne&s;tne&s;s
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in pre&s;&s;ing the admonition as afore&s;aid, is &s;uitable, not onely to that of our Saviour forementioned, but likewi&s;e to other Scrip|tures, which (to mention the &s;um of many) do therefore exhort and be&s;eech us with much earne&s;tne&s;s, to redeem the time, and im|prove all pre&s;ent opportunities and advantages, for being well fur|ni&s;hed with wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him, and &s;o with the Ar|mour of God on the right hand and on the left, to be therefore &s;ober and vigilant, and watch unto prayer, becau&s;e the dayes are evil, and like to be perilous &s;till, as they grow nigher the end, in temptations tending to the deceiving and corrupting the believer from the &s;implicity that is in Je&s;us, and patient waiting for his coming; and becau&s;e Satans rage is greater, as his time waxeth &s;horther, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 14, 16, 18. and 6. 10, 16. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 8. with <HI>Rev.</HI> 12. 12. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. and 4. 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 12, 16. and 2, 1, 2. If any do think, that we have not a great, or the greate&s;t part of that defection, or the over&s;preading of the &s;pirit of Antichri&s;t, the my&s;tery of iniquity there e&s;pecially &s;poken of, yet behinde, though it doth now already begin to reveal it &s;elf, and not onely &s;ecretly to work, (as then) yet in re&s;pect of the more full revelation of him, and over&s;preading of abomination by him, even to the further making de&s;olate the holy place, (as before in his body or gro&s;&s;er part, to the de&s;olating the outward Court) as among us <HI>Gen|tiles</HI> to be more abundantly and fully verified. If any (I &s;ay) to this do think or &s;ay, Not &s;o; I could be glad to &s;ay, Amen, if I could finde it &s;uitable to the in&s;tructions and fore-warnings of the Go&s;pel: however, we may pray the Lord in mercy to cut &s;hort tho&s;e dayes, for methinks the beginnings of them begin &s;hrewdly to make de&s;olate; what will be the i&s;&s;ue, e&s;pecially if Chri&s;t ans will not minde timely admonitions, but put far away the evil day? certainly the&s;e warnings are given, that we may take heed that no man deceive us. And were the premi&s;es con&s;idered, as it would be profitable to all Chri&s;tians, &s;o particularly to Chri&s;tian Magi|&s;trates, for their help and direction, in ob&s;erving the forementioned coun&s;els in every part of them; for were not the heart haughty&punc; or the eyes lofty, lifted up and tran&s;ported with the apprehen&s;ions and de&s;ires of &s;etting Chri&s;t on his Throne, which is a thing done already by the Father; or of laying the whole admini&s;tration of Government upon his &s;houlders, which is a thing they are
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wholly uncapable of, neither is it required of them, or like things: they would then be contented, and better qualified to exerci&s;e them&s;elves in things within their compa&s;s, and might do many things for the good of the Nation and People under their Authority, which either they &s;light and neglect as things too mean, or too much beneath their &s;pirits and apprehen&s;ions, as to the work they aim at and propo&s;e to them&s;elves; or el&s;e they do refu&s;e whate|ver appearance of legality and ju&s;tice might be in it, becau&s;e it &s;eems to cro&s;s or cla&s;h again&s;t &s;uch their apprehen&s;ions and propo&s;als to them&s;elves of what they have to do. I &s;hall &s;ay no more to this, nor to this point; In which we have &s;hewed what tho&s;e things are in general, that being equally ob&s;erved and done by tho&s;e in Authority, will tend much to the believers enlargement and futher|ance in leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godline&s;s and ho|ne&s;ty.</P>
<P>4. We come now to the fourth and la&s;t con&s;ideration: What that is, that will e&s;pecially furni&s;h them to the&s;e things, and &s;o is e|&s;pecially to be de&s;ired for them, and that is wi&s;dom in the know|ledge of God in Chri&s;t, as declared in the Go&s;pel, as now come forth to us, to have the heart well &s;ea&s;oned with the believing, ap|prehen&s;ion, and ta&s;tes of the &s;weetne&s;s of the infinite graciou&s;ne&s;s of God to man-ward, as revealed in the face of Chri&s;t bringing &s;al|vation to all men, according to the manife&s;tation and capacity af|forded us. This is that one thing of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity to us all, without which our &s;ouls cannot be good, or reconciled to God, <HI>Prov. 19. 2. 1 Pet.</HI> 1. 22. nor can we rightly wor&s;hip God, or &s;erve him acceptably and profitably in our generation: <HI>Wherefore let us hold fa&s;t grace,</HI> (Heb. 12. 28.) <HI>whereby we may &s;erve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.</HI> Hence the Apo&s;tle to <HI>Titus</HI> exhorting all believers, and in the la&s;t place &s;ervants, to minde as the main end of their whole conver&s;ation, <HI>The adorning the doctrine of our God and Saviour in all things;</HI> he propounds to them, to be diligently heeded for their in&s;truction and direction hereto, <HI>The grace of God that brings &s;alvation to all men, as it hath now appeared, teaching us more fully and plainly then ever in any former appearance,</HI> (which is &s;uitable to that <HI>Heb. 12. 17, 18, 22, 25, 28.) that denying all ungodline&s;s and world|ly lu&s;ts, we &s;hould live &s;oberly, righteou&s;ly and godly in this
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pre&s;ent w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">orld, looking for that ble&s;&s;ed hope, and the glorious appearance of the mighty God our Saviour,</HI> &amp;c. And as here particularly Servants are directed to this, as that which will furni&s;h them to their &s;uitable demeanor; So the &s;ame thing in &s;um is pro|pounded to Ma&s;ters, as a direction to that which may furni&s;h them to their &s;uitable demeanor to their &s;ervants, <HI>Eph.</HI> 6. after he hath given particular in&s;tructions to &s;ervants, &s;uitable to tho&s;e in <HI>Titus;</HI> and then added this general one, to furni&s;h them to the ob&s;ervance of the particulars, <HI>That they do that which they do in &s;inglene&s;s of heart as unto Chri&s;t:</HI> con&s;idering, how his grace both in that which he hath done for them, &amp; in the hope &s;et before them by him in the Go&s;pel, teacheth them to demean them&s;elves, as in obedi|ence and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to him that hath ordered and appointed them to &s;uch &s;ervice: Then he further addes, <HI>And ye ma&s;ters do ye the &s;ame things to them:</HI> that cannot be with reference to the par|ticulars fir&s;t mentioned; they are not as &s;ervants to obey their &s;er|vants, as their &s;ervants them: but with reference to the general in|&s;truction added which he had la&s;t mentioned, in which is the key of knowledge for opening the re&s;t: <HI>Do ye the &s;ame things to them:</HI> that is, walk ye by the &s;ame rule, guide and direction, as &s;ervants unto Chri&s;t in your place, <HI>con&s;idering you have a Ma&s;ter in heaven,</HI> as Col. 4. 1. let the con&s;ideration of him, his infinite wi&s;dom, goodne&s;s, power, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as in Chri&s;t exerci&s;ed and mani|fe&s;ted towards, and over you and them, and the reward after, be ever with you for your direction. And what is thus applied in the ca&s;e of Ma&s;ters and Servants, may in a &s;uitable &s;ence be applied in the ca&s;e of more publick Rulers and Ruled, as we have fore-noted from the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> his comparing and joyning them together, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. and indeed, this was in all former ages looked upon by Gods Servants, as the onely great thing in order to all other things needful to be de&s;ired for Kings and by them, as in <HI>Solomon, Give therefore thy &s;ervant an under&s;tanding or hearing heart to judge thy people, that I may di&s;cern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy &s;o a great people? And the &s;peech plea&s;ed the Lord, that Solomon had asked wi&s;dom,</HI> 1 Kings 3. 8, 9, 12. and what wi&s;dom, <HI>David</HI> &s;hews, even wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him the God of his Fathers, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 28. 9. The great rea&s;on that <HI>the foundations of the earth are &s;o out of cour&s;e,</HI>
<PB N="140" REF="77">
is, becau&s;e the Rulers of it <HI>walk on</HI> (in all their coun&s;els and act|ings) <HI>in darkne&s;s,</HI> without the light and direction of that true light of the knowledge of the glory of God as now manife&s;ted in the face of Je&s;us, which <HI>they know not, neither will they under&s;tand,</HI> P&s;al. 82. 5.</P>
<P>Herein they &s;hould be directed in all matters to a right di&s;cern|ing between good and bad, and &s;o how they ought to be a terror to evil works, and for the prai&s;e and encouragement of them that do well, and to admini&s;ter ju&s;tice equally: they &s;hould by it be enabled to &s;catter the wicked with their eye&punc; and bring the wheel over them, being through it made quick-&s;ighted, rightly to di&s;cern and judge them; and &s;o directed by knowledge to demean them&s;elves towards them: for by mercy and truth the King is pre|&s;erved; which mercy &amp; truth are onely di&s;cerned in one, or agreeing in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in whom they are met together for us, and do thence &s;pring joyntly forth in the &s;treames and vertues of them, to the Kings pre&s;ervation; and in the light, in&s;tructions and teachings of them, to his direction, and &s;o al&s;o for his pre&s;ervation in the way, <HI>And &s;o by mercy is his throne upholden,</HI> Prov. 20. 8, 26, 28. <HI>The&s;e things al&s;o belong to the wi&s;e; it's good not to have re&s;pect of per&s;ons in judgement,</HI> &amp;c. Prov. 24. 23. <HI>The Prince that wanteth under&s;tanding is al&s;o a great oppre&s;&s;or: but he that ha|teth covetou&s;ne&s;s, &s;hall prolong his days,</HI> Prov. 27. 16. <HI>David</HI> &s;et|ting Gods loving kindene&s;s before his eyes, and walking by the light and in the guidance and direction of his truth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 26. 3. was thereby pre&s;erved from tho&s;e evils mentioned in the following part of that <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> that were found in &s;uch as did not under&s;tand or &s;eek after God, but put away his fear before their eyes, did not &s;eek to his name, or behold his face in righteou&s;ne&s;s, even in his Son, but did hate and turn away their ears from faithful reprovers, that &s;peak uprightly: compare <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 36. 1, 3. and 14. 1, 4. with <HI>P&s;al. 24. 4, 6. I&s;a. 33. 6, 15. Amos</HI> 5. 4, 5, 6, 12. and &s;o for making war, or peace with any Nation. This wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him will direct and frame the heart to imitate him, in not &s;eeking the de&s;truction of mens lives, but to &s;ave them, <HI>Luke</HI> 9. 51, 56. and as they know more of that grace of God in Chri&s;t, then other Princes or States, with whom they have to do, &s;o to demean them|&s;elves in more humility, and not to quarrel or contend for puncti|lio's
<PB N="141" REF="77">
of honor, or for revenge of injuries, but to be ready to &s;toop to lower terms, &s;o as may &s;tand with gracious wi&s;dom and may not tend to the greater detriment of the Commonwealth, or en&s;laving the Nation over whom they are &s;et. This wi&s;dom of God &s;aith to &s;uch fooli&s;h Rulers, as every advantage they get are lifting up the horn, Do not &s;o, <HI>&s;peak not with a &s;tiff neck; for promotion cometh not from the ea&s;t or we&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>but God is Judge, he putteth down one, and &s;etteth up another.</HI> Therefore demean your &s;elves as in the apprehen&s;ion, and as imtators of the wi&s;|dom, goodne&s;s and demeanor of your great Ma&s;ter in heaven to|wards you: and &s;o if they be compelled, or by Gods providence occa&s;ionally led to make war, this wi&s;dom in the knowledge of him, being heeded and had recour&s;e unto, will be&s;t direct and guide them in it; and by it they &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed, &s;trengthened and &s;ucce&s;sful, <HI>Prov.</HI> 24. 3, 5 6. Yea, this is generally true, Were the great love of God to manward, as appearing in and through Chri&s;t, more under&s;tood and believingly minded, its efficacy and u&s;efulne&s;s would be to &s;ea&s;on the hearts of men with charity, and direct them how to expre&s;s it, according to their &s;everal capacities in their &s;everal places. Therefore &s;aith the wi&s;dom of God, <HI>Get wi&s;dom, get under&s;tanding, forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth; for&s;ake her not, and &s;he &s;hall pre&s;erve thee; love her, and &s;he &s;hall keep thee. Wi&s;dom is the princi|pal thing, therefore get wi&s;dom; and with all thy getting, get under&s;tanding:</HI> See further in that Prov. 4. 5, 6, 7 12 13. and 2. 1, 9 10. with <HI>chap.</HI> 6. 20, 21, 24. And ye Kings and Rulers, as you have more particular need of its direction and helpfulne&s;s in your peculiar and weighty employments, <HI>Be wi&s;e now therefore Oye Kings, be in&s;tructed ye Judges of the earth,</HI> &amp;c. And that you may be &s;o, improve all advantages put in your hand to that purpo&s;e; li&s;ten diligently, and give earne&s;t need to the &s;till and quiet voyce of the Go&s;pel, in which the &s;pirit and power of God is for your direction and protection: hearken to tho&s;e in&s;tructions and coun&s;els, by what hand &s;oever they be brought to you, in which Je&s;us Chri&s;t and the things of him are &s;hewed to you by the Scrip|tures, as the great things of his Law, to be heeded and had recour&s;e to continually by you, for your direction and helpfulne&s;s in all o|ther things; and &s;o he glorified or lifted up, according to the Apo&s;tles
<PB N="142" REF="78">
word or doctrine, (as 1 <HI>John 4. 2, 3, 6. John</HI> 14. 26. and 16. 13, 14.) which that you may know, and be well acquainted with, that by no means they may be let pa&s;s or &s;lip away from you, under another and fal&s;e apprehen&s;ion of them; Seach the Scriptures di|ligently your &s;elves, whether tho&s;e things be &s;o, (as tho&s;e <HI>Act.</HI> 17. 11.) And that you may have more true profit and u&s;efulne&s;s of the Scriptures in your &s;earch of them (who&s;e profit, even to the making wi&s;e to &s;alvation in every re&s;pect, is be&s;t attained and met with, through a mindefulne&s;s and exerci&s;e of faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us the &s;um of them, according to the light of in&s;tructions, and capa|city given us, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 15. that therefore you may meet with more of the utility of the Scriptures, to the furni&s;hing you with wi&s;|dom in every matter) then the Scribes and Phati&s;ees, or the &s;corn|ful Rulers of that people in <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> did, though they were very Zealous and expert in the Scriptures; take notice of that rock, ob|&s;truction or hinderance, that deprived them of &s;uch profit in their &s;earch of Scriptures, that you may avoid it: &s;ee <HI>John</HI> 5. 39, 40. compared with <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28. 12, 14 16. they did &s;cornfully and wil|fully, again&s;t evident light and demon&s;tration of the Spirit in the Scriptures, refu&s;e to come to clo&s;e with and own Chri&s;t, (the &s;um of the Scriptures te&s;timony) as therein te&s;tified: yea, they were &s;o &s;cornful, that though God had appointed and directed them to have their recour&s;e to that foundation laid in <HI>Sion,</HI> the life in Chri&s;t from the beginning, according to the declarations thereof come forth, for their right under&s;tanding and u&s;efulne&s;s of all the Law and the Prophets, and &s;o directed them to that, as the center of all Scriptures, and as that re&s;t wherewith they might cau&s;e the weary to re&s;t, yet they would not, but were &s;cornful, and con|ceited of their wi&s;dom, &s;trength and holine&s;s, and therefore took the word of God in peices, and pre&s;umed to finde out the minde of God, and give the &s;ence of every Scripture, of every Law and Statute by it &s;elf, or without &s;uch making u&s;e of that way or rule to which they were by God directed: yea, tho&s;e great things of his Law, to which they &s;hould have brought all other things and parts thereof, to have been helped in finding out the &s;ence and u&s;e|fulne&s;s of them, by comparing them with, and under&s;tanding them according to the light and in&s;truction of that key of knowledge; tho&s;e of all other things were flighted and put from them, as
<PB N="143" REF="78">
things of lea&s;t concernment, accounted &s;trange things, <HI>Ho&s;ea.</HI> 8. 12. The Vi&s;ion of all, a &s;ealed Book, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 29. 11. and &s;o they made the word of the Lord to them&s;elves, <HI>Line upon line, pre|cept upon precept, here a little, and there a little:</HI> that &s;o while pretending to be zealous and &s;trict in ob&s;erving that rule, yet they in &s;uch their walkings or going on fell backward, were broken, &s;nared and taken: and for their &s;cornfulne&s;s, God threatened to &s;end or permit to them &s;uch kinde of teachers, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 28. 10, 11. and leave them to &s;uch blindene&s;s, as <HI>Mat.</HI> 13. 11, 12, 15. Take heed therefore of that great evil, and &s;eek to be well furni&s;hed with un|der&s;tanding in that key of knowledge, the te&s;timony of Je&s;us, and to learn skil to u&s;e it, as by it you are taught: refu&s;e not the re|proofs of in&s;truction, that by this wi&s;dom of God, Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as declared in the Go&s;pel, are brought to you: better it is for you, now to fall down under tho&s;e bands, and not to break tho&s;e cords, but &s;uffer them to have their operation, to the humbling you be|fore him, then to make your &s;elves of that number that &s;hall after be bound in everla&s;ting chains and fetters by that Word and Go|&s;pel, the reproofs of which were proudly rejected by them, and by that de&s;pi&s;ed people, that were in&s;truments &s;ent now to per&s;wade them.</P>
<P>You have much need of wi&s;dom in the knowledge of Chri&s;t, and of much skill to make u&s;e of it, that you may put on the con&s;ide|ration of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as to every matter. It's true, every wi&s;e and gracious man is not meet, nor every way furni&s;hed to be a Governour in this pre&s;ent World: and it's as true, that an unwi&s;e man in the knowledge of God in Je&s;us Chri&s;t, an ungracious man, will not be a ju&s;t Ruler, or good Magi&s;trate. <HI>He that ruleth o|ver men, mu&s;t be ju&s;t, ruling in the fear of God: and &s;o he &s;hall be as the clear &s;hining after rain, and as the light of the morn|ing when the Sun ri&s;eth&punc; even a morning without Clouds,</HI> 2 Sam. 23. 3, 4, 5. Now though <HI>Davids</HI> hou&s;e be not &s;o with God, this was not found perfectly in him, or <HI>Solomon;</HI> and if not in them, then in no mortal man (who&s;e breath is in his no&s;trils) to be expected, but it &s;hall be fully verified and found true onely in that Son of <HI>David,</HI> The &s;ure mercies of <HI>David;</HI> concerning whom, and of the everla&s;ting righteous and peaceable Kingdom in and by him, the everla&s;ting Covenant was made with <HI>David,</HI>
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(as comparing with this, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 55. 3, 4. with <HI>Acts</HI> 13. 34.) and in this was all his de&s;ire and &s;alvation, though in this day he re|ceived it not: but &s;hall as certainly when it comes, as they that then &s;urvive. Though this is true, I &s;ay, That the truth of this will be onely perfectly found in him, at whom <HI>David</HI> al&s;o had an e&s;pecial eye; yet this al&s;o is true, That the way for Rulers now to be di|rected and &s;trengthened to rule ju&s;tly, and &s;o as they may be a re|fre&s;hing and mercy to the Nations over whom they are &s;et, accor|to &s;uch a mea&s;ure as they are capable, is, to &s;et the fear of God before their eyes, and rule according to the light, in&s;tructions and guidance thereof. 'Tis a true &s;aying of the Preacher, <HI>Better is a</HI> poor and <HI>wi&s;e Child, then a King</HI> that is never &s;o old &s;etled in his Kingdom, or in yeers, or in policy after the wi&s;dom of this World, or in whatever other con&s;iderations be&s;ides, <HI>that</HI> yet <HI>is fooli&s;h,</HI> and without under&s;tanding in the things of Chri&s;t, and &s;o knows not the God of his Fathers, <HI>Ecle&s;.</HI> 4. 13. This therefore is the main thing to be de&s;ired for them: and their being furni&s;hed with it, will tend much to the good of all men, and particularly to &s;uch be|nefit and enlargement to Gods people under them, as may be much to the commodity and profit of all men among&s;t whom they live, and is therefore &s;o good and acceptable in the &s;ight of God our Sa|viour, to be de&s;ired for them <HI>Who will have all men to be &s;aved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
