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<DATE>2010-03-12</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The hatred OF ESAU, And the Love of JACOB un|foulded, being a <HI>Brief</HI> and plain Ex|po&s;ition of the 9. Chapter of <HI>Pauls</HI> Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Romanes,</HI> being the heads of what was delivered in &s;everal di&s;cour&s;es, both Publick and private.</P>
<P>By <HI>Samuel Loveday</HI> Servant of the <HI>Church</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<Q><GAP DESC="foreign"> <BIBL><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><GAP DESC="foreign">. <BIBL><HI>Jud.</HI> 4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><HI>Qui reddet cuique &s;ecundum opera ejus,</HI> <BIBL>Rom. 2.6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><HI>Credens &amp; baptizatus &s;alvabitur: at non cre|dens Condemnabitur.</HI> <BIBL>Marc. 16.16.</BIBL></Q>
<P>Printed by <HI>John Clowes,</HI> for <HI>Gieles Calvert,</HI> at the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Spread-hagle, at the we&s;t-end of Pauls.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT hath been &s;eated in the heart of man (&s;ince the fall of Adam) to put off the &s;in from him&s;elf and put it upon others, yea, upon God him&s;elf. Although it is very &s;trange that man can find none to Father his corruptions upon but upon him that is purity it &s;elf, who as James &s;peaks, <HI>James</HI> the fir&s;t, and the thirteenth, cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. The Woman that thou gave&s;t me (&s;aith Adam,) <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> the third and the twelfth, gave me, and I did eat, man is very loath to lay the &s;addle upon the right hor&s;e, as I may &s;o &s;ay, he is
<PB REF="3">loath to take it upon him&s;elf, the wo|man which thou gave&s;t me. Old Adam in the&s;e words laid a platform to all his &s;ons, to &s;ay as their Father &s;aid, the want of &s;trength from the cau&s;e, he not being over-powered by thee, he not being compelled by thee, thy determination and appointing me is the cau&s;e that I am as I am, it is be|cau&s;e thou ha&s;t made me thus. But let us a little con&s;ider what harm God did to Adam in giving him this wo|man, could not Adam have made u&s;e of her to no other end? nay, did not God give him her to do her good, and not hurt, <HI>Proverbs</HI> the 31. and the 12. Thus I &s;ay mi&s;applying and mi&s;appro|ving Gods dealings in Judgements or mercies, that makes men lo&s;ers; here is <HI>Pharaohs</HI> heart hardned by God even by giving him deliverances: if you take good notice of it, its not un|der the plagues, but under the deli|verances, as you &s;hall finde in the fol|lowing
<PB REF="3">di&s;cour&s;e, becau&s;e man is &s;o bad him&s;elf, therefore he judgeth God to be like him, as in the 50 <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> the 21. to reap where he hath not &s;trowed, as <HI>Luke</HI> the 19 and 11. though indeed few men deal &s;o hardly with their fel|lows, but I pray con&s;ider the Judge of all the earth &s;hall do right, that is to render to every man according to his works, <HI>Romanes</HI> the 2. and what&s;oever he exhorteth man unto, be a&s;&s;ured, he is not failing in him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Therefore read without prejudice, and weigh things &s;eriou&s;ly, and &s;ee if the&s;e things be &s;o, and &s;ee what wi&s;|doms children &s;peak, tho&s;e that are begotten by wi&s;dom which is <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> for wi&s;dom their Father is ju|&s;tified by them, <HI>Luke</HI> 7. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 35. and take good notice of the 29 <HI>ver&s;.</HI> of the &s;ame <HI>Chapter,</HI> the Publicanes ju&s;tified God, being baptized with the bapti&s;me of <HI>John.</HI> Know this that God is mo&s;t ju&s;t and equal in his proceedings to|wards
<PB REF="4">the &s;ons of men, my de&s;ire is that this labour of mine may be to thy profit whom&s;oever thou art, and if thou reape&s;t benefit let God have the prai&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>The Epi&s;tle Dedicatory <HI>To his Honoured Father</HI> WILLIAM LOVEDAY.</HEAD>
<P>_DEar Father, becau&s;e this fol|lowing di&s;cour&s;e wants an Indulgent Reader, therefore I thought good to pre&s;ent it fir&s;t to your hands, hoping you will readily pa&s;s by tho&s;e failings which may appear therein, and cloath them with your fa|vourable con&s;truction and Fatherly love, and look further then the &s;hell, even to the kernell and marrow of this bu&s;ine&s;s, I &s;hall not pre&s;ent it to you as a free gift, but as my obliged duty, as a &s;mall part of requital for your Ince&s;&s;ant love. I in|treat you to con&s;ider &s;eriou&s;ly of the mat|ter and not to undervalue it, becau&s;e of the meanne&s;s of the Author; but know I pray you that Gods way and cour&s;e in the dayes of the Go&s;pel is to appear in weak means to advance his own glory, that no
<PB REF="5">fle&s;h may glorie in his pre&s;ence: Out of the mouths of babes and &s;ucklings, he will perfect his prai&s;e; and not onely &s;o, but he will lay low the wi&s;dom of the World, and the pride of men who &s;tumble at <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e he is &s;o ob&s;cure in the World that they cannot &s;ee him, neither will they &s;toop &s;o low as to take notice of him; but I hope better things of you, therefore accept this &s;mall fruit from me, and what benefit you receive I doubt not but you will be ready to give God the prai&s;e. So fare-well.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD><HI>A Brief expo&s;ition upon the ninth chap. of the</HI> Rom.</HEAD>
<P>_I Say the truth in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> I lie not, my con&s;cience bearing me witne&s;&s;e in the holy Spirit, <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 1.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle ha|ving in the former Chapters of this E|pi&s;tle largely treat|ed of the glorious and happy condition of tho&s;e that were entered into the way of the Go&s;pel; in oppo&s;ition to the Law, calling it being in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. Which being in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is to be in and under the Ordinances of the Go&s;pel, as <HI>Gal.</HI> 3. <HI>chap. ver&s;.</HI> 27.</P>
<P>As many of you as are baptized into <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> have put on <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> In the two former ver&s;es it is called Faith, in oppo&s;ition to works. The way of the Go&s;pel is called Faith, <HI>chap.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19.</P>
<P><PB N="2" REF="6">My little children of whom I travel in birth, untill <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> be formed in you, (which is) till you wor&s;hip according to the Go&s;pel: and not according to the Law, as in the fol|lowing ver&s;es.</P>
<P>So that being in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> according to the fir&s;t ver&s;e of the 8. chap. Is to walk in, and under the Ordinances of the Go&s;pel. It is likewi&s;e called Spirit, in oppo&s;ition to fle&s;h, as this Epi&s;tle treateth of, as al&s;o the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Gal. chap.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 29. he that was born after the fle&s;h, per&s;ecuted him that was born after the Spirit, (that is) he that was born of works, or of the Law, per&s;ecuted him that was born according to Faith.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle having (I &s;ay) again largely expounded and Amplified tho&s;e two parti|culars, <HI>(viz.)</HI> works and Faith, in the &s;eventh and eight chap. &s;hewing in the latter end of the eight, what cau&s;e he and the re&s;t of Go|&s;pel-Saints (believers in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>) had to Triumph in, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 34.</P>
<P>Nothing &s;hall be able to &s;eparate us from the love of God in <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> (that is) &s;till in op|po&s;ition to the Law, for under the Law there were many &s;eparations from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> (as I may &s;o call them) upon which &s;o many &s;acri|fices were required to bring them together
<PB N="3" REF="6">again, but now <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hath by that one Sa|crifice of his, for ever con&s;ecrated tho&s;e that are &s;anctified, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 10. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14.</P>
<P>I would not here be mi&s;taken, as though men thus &s;anctified could not again be de|filed, for then I &s;hould contradict other Scriptures, as the &s;econd of <HI>Peter,</HI> the 2 <HI>chap.</HI> from the twentieth ver&s;e to the end, and di|vers other Scriptures. But thus, under the Law let a man do what he could to keep him&s;elf pure, yet there would be defilements, and &s;o &s;eparations from God and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but now God doth not &s;o require purity of men, (that is) external purity, (that is) to ab|&s;tain from touching of dead bodies or the like, but now onely wilfull &s;ins make a &s;epa|ration betwixt God and man, (I mean) tho&s;e once truly joined unto him, &s;ee <HI>Hebr.</HI> 10. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26. If we &s;in wilfully after we have re|ceived the knowledge of the truth, there re|mains no more &s;acrifice for &s;ins.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle (I &s;ay,) being thus very high in his expre&s;&s;ions of his ble&s;&s;ed condition, with the re&s;t of the Saints, <HI>(viz.)</HI> believers in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as ver&s;e the fir&s;t, he now like an affectionate friend looks back upon the re&s;t of his kindred after the fle&s;h, as it is the con|dition of a compa&s;&s;ionate heart, to look up|on
<PB N="4" REF="7">others as well as him&s;elf, and to endea|vour to bring others to the &s;ame enjoyment with him&s;elf, this was <HI>Pauls</HI> condition, as if he &s;hould &s;ay: Am I and you who are in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> thus happy &amp; glorious? But &s;tay, have none lo&s;t that which we have found? yes, you my brethren the Jews have lo&s;t that which we have found: therefore my joy is a little abated; this he is now upon, he doth not onely hug and embrace the thing found, but withall he wi&s;heth he could per&s;wade the owners to take it of him again, though he lo&s;e it, &s;ee ver&s;e the third, where the Apo|&s;tle wi&s;hes him&s;elf accur&s;ed, or &s;eparated from <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for his brethren his kin&s;men af|ter the fle&s;h.</P>
<P>Therefore the di&s;cour&s;e that follows, is to be looked upon as from a man deeply &s;en&s;i|ble of his friends lo&s;&s;e, which will cau&s;e him to comfort him&s;elf, and them with this, that the lo&s;t goods &s;hall be returned. Now I come to the words, ver&s;e the 1.</P>
<P><HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 1. I &s;ay the truth in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> I lie not, my con&s;cience al&s;o bearing me witne&s;&s;e in the holy Spirit.</P>
<P>The&s;e words are a preface to that which follows: the words them&s;elves are an affir|mation; or I may &s;ay an oath, where the
<PB N="5" REF="7">Apo&s;tle doth affirm that he will &s;peak no|thing but truth in this following di&s;cour&s;e: and therefore according to the cu&s;tome of men he &s;wears him&s;elf, being not required by any other.</P>
<P>We have in the words &s;omething to be under&s;tood, or explained, as what he means by &s;aying the truth in <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> Secondly, what he means by not lying, or by a lie. Thirdly, what he means by Con&s;cience. Fourthly, what he means by holy Spirit.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, to wit &s;peaking the truth in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> I under&s;tand he meaneth, that he will not pre&s;ent that before them, which is not (which we call a lie,) but &s;peak words in reference to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> who is truth it &s;elf, and &s;peak them as the truth it &s;elf, and &s;peak them as the truth is in <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> and &s;o it being truth which he &s;hould &s;peak, it mu&s;t center in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who is the truth it &s;elf.</P>
<P>But the &s;econd will more explain it, what he means by a lie.</P>
<P>The Greeck word <GAP DESC="foreign">, is &s;everally ta|ken in the Scriptures, &s;ometimes it is taken for vanity or emptine&s;&s;e, in oppo&s;ition to &s;ub&s;tance and fulne&s;&s;e, &s;o God is &s;aid to be true and every man a liar, <HI>Rom.</HI> 3. <HI>chap. ver&s;.</HI> 4. And &s;o <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was &s;aid to be full of grace
<PB N="6" REF="8">and truth, <HI>John</HI> the 1. <HI>chap. ver&s;.</HI> 4. And &s;o God will be wor&s;hipped in Spirit and truth. <HI>John</HI> the 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24. But this lie is in oppo|&s;ition to truth, and &s;o Idols are called a lie, in oppo&s;ition to this &s;ub&s;tance <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;ee <HI>E&s;ai.</HI> 44. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. Speaking of Idols he &s;aith, is not there a lie in my right hand, and &s;o the Devill is called a liar, becau&s;e be per|&s;wades men to that which is not, as at the fir&s;t he did to Eve, <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 3. <HI>chap. ver&s;.</HI> 4.</P>
<P>Therefore the Apo&s;tle exhorts the <HI>Ephe&s;ians,</HI> and &s;o con&s;equently all believers in Go&s;pel|order to put away lying, &s;ee <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 25.</P>
<P>Thirdly, for that word con&s;cience, the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> which hath affinity with the Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifieth know|ledge and under&s;tanding with the mind, and regard with the affections, as <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 48. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. the words of <HI>Jacob,</HI> I know well my Son, I know well, <HI>Exod.</HI> 1. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 8. Who knew not Jo&s;eph, that is he did not know him &s;o as to regard him, &s;o <HI>Ec|cle&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19. <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 49.11. Where the &s;ame word <GAP DESC="foreign"> which is here rendred con|&s;cience, is rendred an inward thought, &s;ee likewi&s;e <HI>Luke</HI> 3. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 27. <HI>Math.</HI> 7. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 23. Where the Lord is &s;aid not to know the
<PB N="7" REF="8">workers of iniquity, that is, not to know them &s;o, as to regard them with his inward affections, &s;o that now the Apo&s;tle will &s;peak nothing but what he knows very well, and is affected with.</P>
<P>Fourthly what he means by <GAP DESC="foreign">: the holy &s;pirit, by which we are to under&s;tand, &s;ometimes that vi&s;ible di&s;covery of cloven tongues, <HI>Acts</HI> 2.3. &s;ometimes a Dove, as <HI>Matth.</HI> 3. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. &s;ometimes for the word of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as <HI>John</HI> the 3. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5. Compared with 1. <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. Where you may &s;ee that that which is called Spirit in the one place is called word in another; &s;ee <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. The Spirit of God beares wit|ne&s;&s;e with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God, to wit, the word: this is that Spi|rit which being received, and believed quickneth, &s;ee <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 119. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 50. Where <HI>David</HI> &s;aith thy word hath quickned me. Compare this with the 6. of <HI>John,</HI> and the 63. Which will make it appear plainly, that the word is that quickning Spirit: &s;o <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;aith in the conclu&s;ion of the ver&s;e, The words that I &s;peak, they are Spirit and life; and &s;o our bodies are &s;aid to be a habi|tation for God by his Spirit, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 22. compared with <HI>Colo&s;.</HI> 3. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. Let the
<PB N="8" REF="9">word of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> dwell richly in you: and to this add, 1. <HI>John</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 24. Let that there|fore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, which if it do, ye &s;hall continue in the Father and in the Son: to this add <HI>John</HI> 15. <HI>ver&s;</HI> 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye &s;hall ask what you will, and it &s;hall be done unto you: this is that Spirit or anointing, <GAP DESC="foreign">, or <HI>Chri&s;t|hood,</HI> which makes us on with God, as we have the mind of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;ee 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 16. That is as we have the word of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;peak the more of this, becau&s;e men in the&s;e late dayes &s;peak much of a Spirit, and yet lay low the words of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which are Spirit and life: but take notice, this is that Spirit, that doth clean&s;e, comfort, exhort, and lead into truth, yea, and make the man of God perfect and wi&s;e unto &s;alvation, &s;ee 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15.17.</P>
<P>The word Spirit, if we take it, as it is taken for the quinte&s;&s;ence or ab&s;tract of God, as it may be &s;o called, for it brings us thus to con|&s;ider of God: God at the fir&s;t was (to us) an incomprehen&s;ible being, therefore <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> could not deal with God as he was to be looked upon, but de&s;ires God to &s;peak in a
<PB N="9" REF="9">way more &s;uitable to him, which was by gi|ving them Laws to walk by, which God did for him and the re&s;t, &s;ee <HI>Exod.</HI> 20. Yet not|with&s;tanding this &s;peaking of God was too hard to be under&s;tood, (that is,) what his intent was in tho&s;e &s;acrifices and ceremonies wherein he was darkly &s;een, this was the fir&s;t degree of Gods conde&s;cen&s;ion to man, to be ab&s;tracted, (as I may &s;o &s;ay) and here was &s;pirit ab&s;tracted from God, that &s;o by a little, man might under&s;tand and ta&s;te, what this va&s;te incomprehen&s;ible being was: but this was not all, but God therefore is plea&s;ed further to be ab&s;tracted, that is, to &s;end <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who is more expre&s;ly his image: now this Spirit comes to be more &s;trong, and gives a nearer di&s;covery what this in|comprehen&s;ible being is: but this is not all neither, but this Image, or Ab&s;tract, or Spi|rit, mu&s;t yet again be di&s;tilled through the Limbick or Stil of &s;ufferings; and death it &s;elfe, to bring forth yet a more exact Spirit: this is intimated by <HI>John</HI> 7.39. &amp; thus I have brought you down to the word of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> or Mind of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> which is the be&s;t di&s;covery of God, and true&s;t ta&s;te of him, that hath been yet made known unto the &s;ons of men.</P>
<P>This is that Spirit &s;poken of by <HI>Chri&s;t,
<PB N="10" REF="10">John</HI> 14.26. <HI>Iohn</HI> 16.13. <HI>Chap.</HI> 17.8. which &s;ome ta&s;ted deeply of after <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> a&s;cen&s;i|on, as <HI>Acts</HI> 2. <HI>ver.</HI> 3. and all ta&s;te of, who ta&s;te of the Word of God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.4. and re|ceive the Go&s;pel of our Lord <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed there are &s;ome that with tho&s;e in the <HI>Acts</HI> 19. <HI>ver.</HI> 2. who have not received the holy Spirit &s;ince they believed, (that is) they have not been transformed into the &s;ame image of life and power. See <HI>Luke</HI> 24 49. compared with 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.8. <HI>But we all beholding as in a gla&s;&s;e, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the &s;ame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit (or Power) of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>But are &s;uch as <HI>Timothy</HI> &s;peaks of 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.5. <HI>who have a form of godline&s;&s;e, but deny the power.</HI></P>
<P>This &s;hews the Power of the Word or Spirit, that it is of a transforming nature; this is attributed to the Go&s;pel, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.16. <HI>It is the Power of God to &s;alvation to every one that believeth.</HI></P>
<P>This is that Spirit or Power that <HI>Stephen</HI> was qualified withall. See <HI>Acts</HI> 7. he was full of the holy Spirit, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.5. <HI>Our Go&s;pell came not unto you in word only, but al&s;o in power, and in the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.20. <HI>The King|dom
<PB N="11" REF="10">of God is not in word only, but al&s;o in power.</HI></P>
<P>This is that Spirit or Power which the Lord hath promi&s;ed, and which we are to expect and pray for, according to that in <HI>Luke</HI> 11.13. compared with <HI>Judges</HI> 16.28. where <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> prayeth for &s;trength, which in the former <HI>Chapter,</HI> 14. <HI>ver&s;e</HI> he cals <HI>the Spirit of the Lord.</HI> Likewi&s;e &s;ee and con&s;ider <HI>Micah</HI> 3.8.</P>
<P>This I &s;ay is that Spirit which we are to ta&s;te God by, to know God by, and to com|prehend God by, namely his Word: and he that hath this Spirit dwelling or abiding in him, walketh as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> walked, plea&s;ing to God, and profitable to men.</P>
<P>So then thus I will &s;peak, that which I am deeply affected with, and &s;hall be &s;ub|&s;tantiall and true, not in word only, but in power. So much for the explication of the fir&s;t <HI>ver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 2. <HI>That I have great heavine&s;&s;e, and continual &s;orrowing of heart:</HI> This is part of that which he affirms in the former words.</P>
<P>There are three gradations, or degrees, u&s;ed by the Apo&s;tle to &s;et it forth, as fir&s;t, heavine&s;&s;e. Secondly, &s;orrow, and that con|tinually. We &s;hall a little con&s;ider what he means by heavine&s;&s;e and &s;orrow, and what
<PB N="12" REF="11">difference there is between them, the <HI>Greek</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifieth heavine&s;&s;e, which cau|&s;eth &s;leep, as <HI>Luke</HI> 22.45. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> cometh to his di&s;ciples, and findeth them a&s;leep with heavine&s;&s;e: the Latin word <HI>aegritudo</HI> is taken for griefe, pa&s;&s;ion, or &s;orrow of mind, and &s;ometime &s;ickne&s;&s;e of body, as in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.19. the reading the&s;e Scriptures following will informe you what manner of heavine&s;&s;e it was, <HI>Iohn</HI> 16.6.22. it is there taken for &s;or|row, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.10. it is there taken for griefe, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.27. there the &s;ame word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is ta|ken for &s;orrow again, but the &s;econd word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is deep, as the Latine word <HI>cruciatus,</HI> which implies torment, pain, affliction, a cro&s;&s;e, and to be nailed upon a cro&s;&s;e, <HI>Luke</HI> 16.24.</P>
<P>It is further taken for the travel of a wo|man, as 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.3. where the &s;ame word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is rendred travell: &s;o likewi&s;e <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.19. it is taken for the &s;orrows of death, as in <HI>Acts</HI> 2.24. where the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is u&s;ed, &s;o that by the&s;e places here cited, it appears to be very great &s;orrow, even to pain and travell, nay, to be crucified for his friends the <HI>Iews.</HI></P>
<P>Oh then I might a little pre&s;&s;e this upon you, is it &s;o with you that profe&s;&s;e your|&s;elves
<PB N="13" REF="11">to be of <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;pirit: are you grieved even to death, even to crucifying, for your friends according to the fle&s;h, becau&s;e they are in darkne&s;&s;e, and do not enjoy the light of the Go&s;pel, which you do? I fear, we may all put our hands upon our mouths, and accu&s;e our &s;elves of neglect of our duty in this particular.</P>
<P><HI>Pauls</HI> condition was like <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> indeed he walked as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> walked, his &s;oul was &s;orrowfull even unto death, even &s;o was <HI>Pauls:</HI> He, who thought it no robbery to be equall with God, yet made him&s;elfe of no reputation, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.6, 7, 8. and was ex|cluded from the glory which he was before inve&s;ted with, and was accur&s;ed from God, which &s;eparation makes him cry out, <HI>My God, my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me? Mat.</HI> 27.46. even &s;o, <HI>Paul</HI> wi&s;heth him&s;elf accur|&s;ed, or &s;eparated from <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for the <HI>Iews,</HI> &s;uch was his love towards them, as you &s;hall hear more at large when we come to the 3. <HI>v.</HI></P>
<P>Now if we were in this condition, oh, what means would we u&s;e, what indu&s;try vvould vve u&s;e to be delivered, as the &s;ame Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;es to the <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My little children, of whom I travel in birth, until Chri&s;t be formed in you:</HI> and do but look back upon
<PB N="14" REF="12"><HI>Pauls</HI> Epi&s;tles, vvhat means he u&s;eth from this travel, as his earne&s;t prayers to God for them, <HI>chap.</HI> 10. <HI>ver.</HI> 1. &s;o vvould vve, if vve vvere as <HI>Paul,</HI> how vvould vve pray in their behalfe, vvho are in darkne&s;&s;e? and not only &s;o, but he u&s;eth means, as in the 11. of the <HI>Romans ver.</HI> 14. he there magnified his office before the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> to &s;ee if he by any means could provoke the <HI>Jews</HI> to emulation, that thereby he might &s;ave &s;ome of them, he u|&s;eth all means po&s;&s;ible to bring them in a|gain to what they lo&s;t: and the ground is, becau&s;e <HI>he is in travel for them;</HI> and how vvilling a mother is to &s;ee her child brought forth, I leave you to judge.</P>
<P>Neither is this a &s;uddain pa&s;&s;ion of griefe, and &s;o rejoyce again, no; and that brings me to the third aggravation here in the words; and that is, continuances, without intermi&s;&s;ion: there is no time when <HI>Paul</HI> doth not bear in mind the <HI>Jews</HI> lo&s;&s;e their regaining.</P>
<P>Now then let us look back upon what hath been &s;aid; he might well affirm it with &s;uch &s;trong affirmations and witne&s;&s;e, it would &s;carcely have been believed el&s;e that he could have been &s;o troubled for them; <HI>Paul</HI> was like a bird flying up into the air,
<PB N="15" REF="12">in the <HI>chap.</HI> but this clog puls him down a|gain, he cannot be elevated truly (nor no Saint) till this be removed.</P>
<P>We who are Saints &s;hould look upon our &s;elves as tied to the&s;e dead carca&s;es (I mean the <HI>Jews</HI>) we cannot be right as we would be till they have life in them, no a&s;cending with|out them, no triumphing without them, &s;o <HI>Paul</HI> hath it <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.15. <HI>Their re&s;toring &s;hall be life from the dead, when they and we &s;hall be one body:</HI> as in another ca&s;e it is &s;aid, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.48. <HI>That the Saints that are gone before with|out us</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul) &s;hould not be made perfect;</HI> &s;o neither they nor we vvithout them &s;hall be made perfect.</P>
<P>Therefore what need have we to be in <HI>Pauls</HI> frame; me thinks, it is like a compa|ny travelling towards a City, and &s;ome fall by the way, or &s;tray behind, and the other that are willing to enter, runs forward, not|with&s;tanding there are orders given out, that none &s;hall enter until all come up together.</P>
<P>How then &s;hould this make tho&s;e that are &s;trong help tho&s;e that are weak, that they may all enter together to the gate. So let us know that none of us &s;hall enter into glory, untill the <HI>Jews</HI> come up too; therefore let us u&s;e all means po&s;&s;ible to publi&s;h that light,
<PB N="16" REF="13">and put forth that power we have to bring them up. And &s;o much for the &s;econd <HI>ver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 3. <HI>For I could wi&s;h my &s;elfe to be ac|cur&s;ed from Chri&s;t for my brethren, my kin|dred after the fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>For the under&s;tanding of the&s;e words, we are to con&s;ider what is meant by the word <GAP DESC="foreign">. It is taken from an <HI>Hebrew</HI> root, which &s;ignifies to limit, determine, or ap|point, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.41. <HI>They limitted the holy One of I&s;rael:</HI> and the <HI>Greek</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign"> not differing, &s;ignifieth to &s;ix, determine, or appoint; the&s;e words are a fruit or effect of the former: you may remember, I told you concerning his heavine&s;&s;e and &s;orrow, the greatne&s;s of it; I told you he was brought up to the condition of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who was con|tented for our &s;akes to be &s;eparated from the Father, as it appears by his expre&s;&s;ions: See <HI>Matth.</HI> 27.46.</P>
<P>Now <HI>Paul</HI> (as I told you before) being deeply &s;en&s;ible of their lo&s;&s;e, is come up to the height of his affection, but how may we under&s;tand this, that he de&s;ires to be accur|&s;ed from <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> we mu&s;t thus take it: That <HI>Paul</HI> prefers a generall good before a particular, therefore he could wi&s;h him&s;elfe in their condition, if &s;o be, they might be in his.</P>
<P><PB N="17" REF="13">Now vve are not here to think, that he meaneth to be for ever &s;eparated from <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> for the <HI>Jews</HI> them&s;elves his kindred are not &s;o &s;eparated; for all acknowledge that they &s;hall come in again, onely he de&s;ires that if it were po&s;&s;ible they might have been fir&s;t, though he were la&s;t, as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaks con|cerning the <HI>Iews, The fir&s;t &s;hall be la&s;t, and the la&s;t fir&s;t,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Matth.</HI> 19.30. that is, <HI>The Iews who were fir&s;t a people, for their rebellion again&s;t God, &s;hall be la&s;t, and the Gentiles who were not a people, &s;hall be fir&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>There is another acception of this word, (that is) <HI>to be blotted out of the book of life:</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> u&s;eth the &s;ame expre&s;&s;ions to <HI>God,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Exod.</HI> 32.32. <HI>Numb.</HI> 11.15. which agrees with that (<GAP DESC="foreign">) 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.24. which is excommunicated to death, as it is &s;ometimes taken, but I take it to be the for|mer that <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of, (that is to &s;ay) that <HI>Paul</HI> de&s;ires (for a time) to be excommuni|cated from <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> in the room of the <HI>Iews,</HI> who were &s;o excommunicated for their di&s;|obedience.</P>
<P>Then if it be &s;o, let us a little con&s;ider, (as I &s;aid before) <HI>Paul</HI> might well affirm it with &s;uch &s;trong affirmations; for it might have been &s;carcely believed that his love and
<PB N="18" REF="14">affection, &s;hould be &s;o &s;trong towards the <HI>Jews:</HI> where &s;hall we find &s;uch love? here is &s;uch love, as <HI>John</HI> &s;peaks of, to lay down our lives for the brethren, here was that love of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> vi&s;ibly &s;een in <HI>Paul,</HI> which we are commanded to imitate.</P>
<P>It is no wonder, though <HI>Paul</HI> writes &s;o tenderly to the Churches, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.1. <HI>chap.</HI> 4. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 14. I write to you as my beloved children, I have begotten you, and &s;o the whole currant of his Epi&s;tles was full of loving expre&s;&s;ions, as a tender Fa|ther.</P>
<P>Who would have thought, that ever that <HI>Saul</HI> &s;poken of <HI>Acts</HI> 8. Who you there read did make havock of the Churches, drawing out Men and Woman, putting them into pri&s;on, he breathed out threatnings again&s;t the people of God: his very name implies a man of a turbulent Spirit, a de&s;perate, forcing, or Raping man: but &s;ee what power he hath met withal in the commands of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that his Name is not onely changed, but his na|ture al&s;o, for <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ignifies (<HI>&s;eparavit</HI>) that is, &s;et apart.</P>
<P>We may plainly &s;ee the power of the Word, of what a transforming nature it is, it transformed a man into love, not onely to
<PB N="19" REF="14">his brethren, but al&s;o to his enemies: This Doctrine <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> preacheth largely, &s;ee and con&s;ider <HI>Matth.</HI> 5. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 43.44. It hath been &s;aid, love your Neighbours; but I &s;ay love your Enemies: do good to them that hate you, and ble&s;&s;e them that cur&s;e you: and the&s;e words of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> mu&s;t be transforming words, to tho&s;e that profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves to be Di&s;ciples of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This le&s;&s;on <HI>Steven</HI> had learned, <HI>Acts</HI> 7. Who prayed for his per&s;ecutors: Lord lay not this &s;in to their charge. See here if there be not the &s;ame mind in him as was in <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> He prayed Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. So <HI>Paul</HI> exhorts the <HI>Philippians, Phil.</HI> 2. <HI>ver.</HI> 5. that the &s;ame mind in them which was in <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>I might largely in&s;i&s;t upon this, but this may &s;uffice. Onely carry this along with you, 1. <HI>Iohn</HI> 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. He that &s;aith he abideth in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> ought &s;o to walk, even as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> walk|ed. The chiefe&s;t thing in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> imitable by us, is love to the brethren, as the &s;ame <HI>John</HI> in his fir&s;t Epi&s;tle largely and &s;weetly treat|eth of. So much for the former part of the words. A word to the latter.</P>
<P>My brethren, my kin&s;men after the fle&s;h. I hope you know that <HI>Paul</HI> was a Jew,
<PB N="20" REF="15">and &s;o his Brother-hood comes in as he was a circumci&s;ed per&s;on, therefore he cals them brethren according to the fle&s;h, becau&s;e he could not call them brethren according to Faith.</P>
<P>I proceed to the fourth ver&s;e, which will more fully explain the precedent words: who are <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> to whom pertained the adop|tion, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the &s;ervice of God, and the promi&s;es, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4.</P>
<P>Who&s;e are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the Fle&s;h, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came, who is over all, God ble&s;&s;ed for ever, Amen. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 5.</P>
<P>In the&s;e ver&s;es we have a Catalogue of tho&s;e Priviledges which the Jews had, but lo&s;t them by their di&s;obedience.</P>
<P N="1">1. Priviledge, fir&s;t they were <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> of the &s;eed of <HI>Iacob,</HI> who you know was called <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> upon his prevailing with God, <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 32.28. This name (<HI>I&s;rael</HI>) was given him as an incouragement unto him, to believe that he &s;hould be a great prevailing people with God, and al&s;o with men; for we &s;ee in the next <HI>chapt.</HI> a fruit of the promi&s;e, when he met with <HI>E&s;au</HI> his brother, <HI>Gen.</HI> 33. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4.5. and &s;o forwards.</P>
<P>Now that this was a very high Priviledge,
<PB N="21" REF="15">none will deny, as to be &s;uch an <HI>I&s;raelite</HI> to whom &s;uch promi&s;es did belong, for we know that God did own the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> as his choice peculiar people, both under the Law and under the Go&s;pel, as concerning his high expre&s;&s;ion to <HI>Nathaniel, Jo.</HI> 1.47. Behold an <HI>I&s;raelite</HI> indeed in whom is no guile.</P>
<P>Therefore <HI>Paul</HI> did very well to put this in the fir&s;t place, that they were <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> becau&s;e there were no promi&s;es made, either under the Law, or under the Go&s;pel, but un|to &s;uch as are or &s;hall be found in the Com|mon-wealth of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> for all others are &s;aid to be &s;trangers, aliens, and without God in the World, both the&s;e are proved by the &s;ame Apo&s;tle into his Epi&s;tle <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.12.13. That at that time you were without <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> being aliens from the Common-wealth of <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> and &s;trangers from the Covenants of promi&s;e, having no hope, and without God in the World.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Priviledge which the <HI>Jews</HI> were inve&s;ted withall, was the adoption, now the Greek &amp; Latin words, (<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>adoptio filio|rum</HI>) do &s;ignifie a receiving in of &s;trangers, &amp; inve&s;ting them with &s;on&s;hip, as we find, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17. from the 23 to the la&s;t, where we find as well tho&s;e who were &s;trangers, as tho&s;e
<PB N="22" REF="16">who were born in the hou&s;e, were called &s;ons, being circumci&s;ed, this al&s;o was a very high Priviledge; for therein the <HI>Iews</HI> had the &s;ame Priviledge as <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> had un|der the Go&s;pel: for they might receive into &s;on-&s;hip, whom&s;oever would &s;ubmit to that Ordinance of circumci&s;ion, and herein they did &s;ignifie, or type forth, that which is &s;po|ken of in the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> concerning <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that he &s;hould be as an En&s;ign lifted up, unto whom all nations &s;hould flow ac|cording to that in <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.5. Wherein the Apo&s;tle doth declare our adoption by <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> for &s;aith he, to redeem them that were under Law, that we might receive the adoption of &s;ons, to this agrees <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.15.23. <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.5.</P>
<P>The third Previledge is the glory, wherein we mu&s;t enquire what the Apo&s;tle means by the glory: Now the <HI>Greek</HI> word (<GAP DESC="foreign">) &s;igni|fies &s;plendor, Maje&s;ty, or domminion, as <HI>Iohn</HI> 9.44. Give glory to God, <HI>Acts</HI> 7.2. the God of glory appeared to our Father <HI>Abraham.</HI></P>
<P>Again, we &s;ee it was one part of the <HI>Iews</HI> glory to have the pre&s;ence of God, as in the 132 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 13.14. for the Lord hath cho&s;en <HI>Sion,</HI> and loved to dwell in it, &s;aying, this is my re&s;t for ever; here will I dwell, for I have delight therein.</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="16">The &s;econd part of the <HI>Iews</HI> glory is, that they had the Laws of <HI>God</HI> communicated un|to them, 147 <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 19.20. He &s;heweth his word unto <HI>Iacob</HI> his &s;tatutes and his judgement unto <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> he hath not dealt &s;o with eve|ry Nation, neither have they known his judgements. Even as it is in inferiour Courts, Judges, they have &s;ome of the glory and Ma|je&s;ty of the King, becau&s;e they have power given them by the King, to execute his Laws and &s;tatutes in his name, which in &s;o doing they do repre&s;ent the per&s;on of the King. I might largely in&s;i&s;t upon the&s;e words, but take notice of this, that the&s;e Priviledges are e&s;&s;ential unto a Church of God, for the Covenant, <HI>Gene&s;.</HI> 17. was made unto them as they were &s;eparated from all the Nations in the World be&s;ides.</P>
<P>Neither doth God make any Covenants or promi&s;es, either under the Law or Go|&s;pel, but unto a people &s;eparated from the pollution of the World, <HI>E&s;ai.</HI> 8.16. and there God dwelleth.</P>
<P>The&s;e Priviledges belonged unto them as they were the Common wealth of I&s;rael, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.12. So that there was an Act of Free|dom pa&s;t upon all that came into this Com|mon-wealth, or Corporation, which Act was
<PB N="24" REF="17">circumci&s;ion, without which they had no &s;hare in this Freedom or Priviledge, for this was the door by which they were to come in.</P>
<P>I &s;hall hereafter &s;hew you how this doth allude to the Go&s;pel-principles, and indeed which is but the &s;hadow of that &s;ub&s;tance which the true Church of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> are in the dayes of the Go&s;pel, I proceed to the 5. ver&s;e.</P>
<P>Of whom are the Fathers, and of whom concerning the fle&s;h, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came, who is God over all, ble&s;&s;ed for ever. Amen.</P>
<P>In which words there is declared another high Priviledge added to the&s;e <HI>Iews,</HI> that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came of that &s;tock, I &s;hall not &s;peak of the Deity of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e it hath been largely treated upon by others, but onely take notice of this, that when <HI>Paul</HI> doth &s;peak of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> glory, he &s;pake very highly of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;o that in this ver&s;e is declared that not onely God the Father, but <HI>Paul</HI> wi&s;heth it &s;o to be as in this word, Amen.</P>
<P>Now from all this which hath been de|clared from the 1. ver&s;. to the 5. ver&s;. there are the&s;e 3. things con&s;iderable.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that the <HI>Iews</HI> were a glorious peo|ple above all people in the World be&s;ides.</P>
<P><PB N="25" REF="17">Secondly, that they lo&s;t this glory.</P>
<P>Thirdly, that, for which lo&s;&s;e <HI>Paul</HI> was very heavy, and &s;orrowfull, yet this &s;orrow was not without hope, as we may &s;ee in the &s;ucceeding ver&s;e, as in the 6. ver&s;e.</P>
<P>Notwith&s;tanding it cannot be, that the word of God &s;hould-take none effect, for all they are not <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> which are of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> ver&s;e 6.7.</P>
<P>Neither are they all children, becau&s;e they are the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham,</HI> but in <HI>I&s;aac</HI> &s;hall thy &s;eed be called.</P>
<P>In the&s;e words the Apo&s;tle begins to com|fort him&s;elf concerning <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and here in he u&s;eth &s;everal Arguments to rai&s;e up his thoughts.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t Argument he u&s;eth is this, that the adoption, Covenants, promi&s;es, and glory, which he before &s;pake of, were not altoge|ther given and made to fle&s;hly <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but to &s;ome other, or at lea&s;t to them under &s;ome other con&s;ideration; &s;o then the Argument lies thus: If the promi&s;es were made with <HI>I&s;rael</HI> as they were <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;eed according to the fle&s;h onely, that is to &s;ay, circumci&s;ed per&s;ons, then it mu&s;t not have cea&s;ed to &s;uch an <HI>I&s;rael:</HI> But we find that it hath cea&s;ed unto them according to the fle&s;h, (as <HI>Mat.</HI> 3.
<PB N="26" REF="18">where they came to require Bapti&s;m of <HI>John,</HI> becau&s;e they were of the &s;eed of <HI>Abraham,</HI> but that were not &s;ufficient, therefore the pro|mi&s;es were made to <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;eed by faith, which are tho&s;e who are of the faith of <HI>Abra|ham,</HI> this is clearly proved, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.28, 29.</P>
<P><HI>For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumci&s;ion, which is outward in the fle&s;h, but he is a Jew which is one inward|ly, and circumci&s;ion is that of the heart, in the &s;pirit, and not in the letter, who&s;e prai&s;e is not of men, but of God, Rom.</HI> 4.14.</P>
<P>So the Apo&s;tle layes all the blame upon I&s;rael, not upon God; for the word of God is become of none effect to that I&s;rael, becau&s;e they rejected this line of faith: for the Apo&s;tle &s;aith in v. 31.32. <HI>That I&s;rael hath not attained to the law of righteou&s;nes, becau&s;e they &s;ought it not by faith;</HI> (that is) <HI>I&s;rael</HI> looked not further then this covenant accord|ing to the fle&s;h, as they were circumci&s;ed per&s;ons; upon which ground <HI>John</HI> had &s;uch an har&s;h di&s;cour&s;e, <HI>Mat.</HI> 3.9. <HI>Think not to &s;ay you have Abraham to your father:</HI> for that is not the right line, but you are to be the children of <HI>Abraham</HI> by faith, before you claim this badge of bapti&s;me, as you &s;hall find the words clear; and upon this
<PB N="27" REF="18">ground mo&s;t of <HI>Pauls</HI> di&s;cour&s;e, is to beat men off from this prop, to wit, outward priviledges, as witne&s;&s;e his whole Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Galatians,</HI> e&s;pecially <HI>chap.</HI> 3. the lat|ter end, <HI>For ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, if ye be Chri&s;ts, ver.</HI> 29. <HI>then are ye Abrahams &s;eed, and heirs according to promi&s;e.</HI> And hence it is that <HI>Paul</HI> lays low the whole di&s;pen&s;ation of the law which is called <HI>Circumci&s;ion,</HI> equall to tho&s;e with|out it, as <HI>Galat.</HI> 6.15. <HI>For in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us neither circumci&s;ion nor uncircumci&s;ion, but a new creature:</HI> And here is the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God, namely, a new creature by faith. For in <HI>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us:</HI> you may remember I proved being in <HI>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us,</HI> was to be in and under the ordinances or di&s;pen&s;ations of the Go&s;|pel, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.1. not under the law, which is called fle&s;h, as <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.29. and by circumci&s;i|on and uncircumci&s;ion, is meant <HI>Iews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> the whole world, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.3.4. largely declared, &s;o that now it lies here: it is not circumci&s;ion, (that is) all tho&s;e priviledges, promi&s;es what&s;oever, avails to ac|ceptance with God now, but faith, neither is the uncircumci&s;ion any thing, or the con|trary, to availe for condemnation, if thou be a new creature, as it is clear <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.26.
<PB N="28" REF="19">to the end. So it is the circumci&s;ion of the heart, which was typified by the outward circumci&s;ion of the fle&s;h: and therefore the &s;ame per&s;ons, <HI>Acts</HI> 7. who were of this outward circumci&s;ion, yet were uncircum|ci&s;ed in heart, as <HI>ver</HI> 51. Ye are &s;tiff-necked and uncircumci&s;ed in heart and ears, becau&s;e they did not come under the di&s;pen&s;ation of the Go&s;pell by faith. And to this agrees the whole current of Scripture: and if you do but read <HI>Pauls</HI> Epi&s;tles to the <HI>Galatians</HI> and <HI>Romans,</HI> you may plainly &s;ee this truth, &s;o that here lies the cau&s;e; now <HI>Paul</HI> is not &s;o much grieved and &s;orrowfull for the <HI>Iews,</HI> becau&s;e they are no longer &s;uch a glorious people as formerly they were: but for the cau&s;e of it, that they &s;hould be &s;o blind, as not to &s;ee the intent of God in all tho&s;e di&s;|pen&s;ations, as having reference to <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> for it was upon this ground that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was rejected of God, and blinded, becau&s;e they would not &s;ee <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the end of the law, and that now the ju&s;t &s;hould live by belie|ving, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. Then we are come thus far, That the promi&s;es of God, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17. and &s;everall other places, were not made with <HI>Abraham,</HI> as he was a per&s;on circumci&s;ed, but as a per&s;on believing, and received the
<PB N="29" REF="19">&s;igne of circumci&s;ion, a &s;eal of the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of faith, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.10. and &s;o tho&s;e are his children that believe in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> as witne&s;&s;e <HI>Zacheus, Salvation is come to thy hou&s;e, in as much as thou art a child of Abraham,</HI> com|pared with <HI>Galat.</HI> 3.26. <HI>Ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us; for as many of you as have been baptized into Chri&s;t, have put on Chri&s;t.</HI> And thus the Word of God is not fallen away, but the <HI>Jews: I&s;rael</HI> is fallen from the Word or Promi&s;es of God, &s;o that God did never intend that men &s;hould be ju&s;tified by fulfilling the law, but by eying <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in it. <HI>Rom.</HI> 3.28. Thus I am come down again to the words: Neverthe|le&s;&s;e it cannot be that the Word of God &s;hould fall away, or be of none effect: &s;o that thus I conclude, that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> whom <HI>Paul</HI> &s;o much grieved for, and tho&s;e that have not obeyed the Go&s;pell, nor entred upon that true line of faith in <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> &s;o the comfort lies here, <HI>That there is yet an I&s;rael of God, which are tho&s;e that are of a clean heart, P&s;al.</HI> 72.1. <HI>Pax &s;uper ill<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s &amp; mi&s;ericordia, &amp; &s;uper I&s;rael Dei, Gal.</HI> 6.16. Well then, how doth this comfort <HI>Paul</HI> concerning the <HI>Iews:</HI> That at the time when tho&s;e <HI>Iews</HI> &s;hall believe in <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> they &s;hall be counted
<PB N="30" REF="20">for the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God, and their puni&s;hment &s;hall be taken away, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.15. <HI>When they &s;hall turn to the Lord, the vale &s;hall be taken away.</HI></P>
<P>And this &s;hall be: and therefore <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is yet in a hopefull condition, <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is not yet pa&s;t mercy and grace, and then <HI>I&s;|rael</HI> who is now hated for their di&s;obedi|ence, &s;hall then be loved, and his adver&s;a|ries hated: and now we mu&s;t under&s;tand, that as the <HI>Jews</HI> or <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;inned, they were not only blinded &s;piritually, but afflicted outwardly, and given up into the hand of the enemies, as ye know the whole current of the Scripture runs: Now <HI>Paul</HI> is grieved for this cordition of theirs, and chiefly the cau&s;e of it, their unbelief: they who were &s;uch a glorious people above other nations &s;hould now lie among&s;t the pots, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68.13. that they &s;hould now be the undermo&s;t, who then were highe&s;t: they the taile, that were the head, they the la&s;t, which were the fir&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 20. <HI>but in I&s;aac &s;hall thy &s;eed be called, Gen.</HI> 21.12. that is, in that line that is mo&s;t unlikely with men: a &s;on of laughter o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> mocking, a &s;on in <HI>Abrahams</HI> old age: God in all ages made u&s;e of the lowe&s;t and weake&s;t means and ways to drive
<PB N="31" REF="20">on this de&s;igne, becau&s;e he will have men to &s;toop to him in this way: it mu&s;t not be glorious <HI>I&s;rael</HI> according to the fle&s;h, deckt with outward circumci&s;ion, and carnall or|dinances, but <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of a clean and circum|ci&s;ed heart, in the mean way of believing in <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> and hence it is that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elfe comes as a Carpenter of mean parents, de|&s;pi&s;ed and mocked of men as <HI>I&s;aac</HI> was, and not like a noble learned man, or wi&s;e after the fle&s;h, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. God will make men &s;toop, let them be never &s;o high, never &s;o learned, never &s;o wi&s;e after the fle&s;h; and why &s;hould men in this age wonder, if God go the &s;ame way to make u&s;e of ba&s;e things, fooli&s;h things, de&s;pi&s;ed things, to confound and bring to nought the high and mighty things, as wi&s;dome, learning, and great|nes? Why then is it that they cry now a days, as it was in <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> have any of the great and learned men believed on him? onely a few poor de&s;pi&s;ed ones that know not the law. But take notice, that this &s;mall chan|nell is that where the promi&s;e runs: and the <HI>Jews</HI> for not &s;ubmitting to this way of God, lye under blindne&s;&s;e and hardne&s;&s;e till their &s;tout heart comes down as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> tels them, <HI>Mat.</HI> 23. la&s;t, <HI>I will not &s;ee you hence|forth
<PB N="32" REF="21">tell you, ble&s;&s;ed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And here is that treating made good, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.7, 8. unto you that are not per&s;wa|ded, or are di&s;obedient, <HI>The &s;tone which the builders refu&s;ed, or di&s;&s;olved, the &s;ame is made the head of the corner.</HI> The&s;e wi&s;e builders who at the fir&s;t thought the &s;tone not wor|thy to be laid into their glorious building, mu&s;t return, and make it the chiefe &s;tone, the corner-&s;tone to direct the whole build|ing: Oh mi&s;erable are tho&s;e people that are too wi&s;e to build upon this &s;tone, e&s;pe|cially now after they have had this pre&s;i|dent, namely, the <HI>Iews</HI> folly and mi&s;take; Men are to take <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> Rules, examples, and pre&s;idents to build by, though they be counted fools by the World, it mu&s;t be &s;o, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.60. <HI>become fools to be wi&s;e;</HI> remem|ber the <HI>Iews</HI> folly was their wi&s;dom, being too high for <HI>Chri&s;t:</HI> &s;o much for the 7. ver&s;e.</P>
<P>Ver&s;e 8. that is <HI>They which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e the Chil|dren of the fle&s;h, are not the Children of God; but the Children of the promi&s;e are counted for the &s;eed:</HI> I &s;peak little to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e words, be|cau&s;e I &s;pake largely to the &s;ame thing: In the former only take notice of this, the di&s;|cour&s;e
<PB N="33" REF="21">how it runs: This ver&s;e is as it were an explication of the former, and it is <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;econd <HI>Argument</HI> to comfort him&s;elf, con|cerning <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and to clear <HI>God,</HI> concerning his promi&s;e: there are as I &s;aid before two de&s;ignes here carried on, the chief is this, <HI>Pauls</HI> kindred for whom he &s;o grieves, &s;hall yet again be received and exalted, becau&s;e they &s;hall be found of the &s;eed of <HI>I&s;aac.</HI> The &s;econd is the manife&s;tation of the cau&s;e of this their blindne&s;s or hardne&s;s: the fir&s;t of the&s;e is the chiefe&s;t here intended, el&s;e it doth no way an&s;wer the former part of the Chapter: neither is it a &s;utable plai&s;ter for &s;uch a &s;ore; for were the &s;econd the chief, that is to &s;ay, that <HI>God</HI> hath cho&s;en the <HI>Co|venant</HI> of grace in <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> and rejected the <HI>Covenant,</HI> the <HI>Covenant</HI> of works, <HI>I&s;hmael;</HI> therefore I &s;ay the&s;e three Chapters treat chiefly of the <HI>Jews</HI> coming in again to that glory which they had only by promi&s;e, but &s;hall have it really afterward.</P>
<P>I might from this &s;trong affirmation of <HI>Paul,</HI> that the Children of the fle&s;h are not the Children of God, prove that it is not Children of believing parents, or the like that are in the promi&s;e, but believers.</P>
<P>But I hope mo&s;t people are taken off from
<PB N="34" REF="22">this groundle&s;&s;e conceit; therefore I ha&s;ten to the main and chief thing here intended, which will lie in the third Argument from the 11.12. and 13. ver&s;es, that is thus, <HI>viz.</HI> that though <HI>I&s;rael</HI> for whom I grieve &s;o, be now thus lowe, yet they &s;hall be brought in again, and exalted becau&s;e of Gods promi&s;e, to wit, the elder &s;hall &s;erve the younger: I have Gods promi&s;e for it, nay, this was Pro|phetically &s;poken by God (to <HI>Rebeckah</HI>) who calls things that are not as though they were, who cannot be mi&s;taken: Known unto God are all his works from the creation of the World; but he hath &s;aid the word, <HI>Iacob</HI> &s;hall ri&s;e and <HI>E&s;au</HI> fall, therefore it mu&s;t needs be &s;o: the place I&s;uppo&s;e is known to all <HI>Gen.</HI> 25.23. <HI>Rebeckah</HI> being with child with twins, and &s;trongly &s;trugling in her Womb, or hurting one another as the <HI>Hebrew</HI> word &s;ignifieth, &s;he could not but be troubled at this &s;trange work: Now God by this way or in this &s;peaking to <HI>Rebeckah</HI> would comfort her concerning him whom &s;he loved (who &s;hould fir&s;t be &s;uppre&s;t by the elder,) that yet he &s;hould be chief and rule over his Bro|ther, therefore he gives her this promi&s;e, <HI>the Elder &s;hall &s;erve the younger, Jacob</HI> &s;hall rule <HI>E&s;au:</HI> Now you know that <HI>E&s;au</HI> at the fir&s;t
<PB N="35" REF="22">had dominion over <HI>Jacob,</HI> as witne&s;&s;eth his calling of him Lord <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and &s;ubmitting to him when he met him, <HI>Gen.</HI> 33. This pro|mi&s;e or prophe&s;ie of <HI>God</HI> to <HI>Rebeckah,</HI> as it then comforted her, &s;o al&s;o it here comforts <HI>Paul;</HI> and therefore he makes u&s;e of the &s;ame words: Now that we may take up the whole &s;cope of the words, I &s;hall lay down the&s;e two conclu&s;ions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that <HI>Jacobs</HI> love, nor <HI>E&s;aus</HI> hatred (here &s;poken of) is not yet fulfilled.</P>
<P>Secondly, that the time of <HI>Jacobs</HI> love, is the time of <HI>E&s;aus</HI> hatred; for the under|&s;tanding hereof, we mu&s;t inquire what the love and hatred here &s;poken of is; for the which I &s;hall refer you to the &s;everal Pro|phe&s;ies concerning <HI>E&s;an,</HI> as chiefly the whole Prophe&s;ie of <HI>Obadiah,</HI> the whole Prophe&s;ie &s;peaks of this particular, as ver&s;e the 8. and 9. they of the Mount of <HI>E&s;au</HI> &s;hall be cut off by &s;laughter, and in the 21. ver&s;e, <HI>I will judge the Mount of E&s;au,</HI> and add to it the la&s;t ver&s;. where he tells us when it &s;hall be, to wit, <HI>when the Kingdoms are become our Lord Chri&s;ts,</HI> likewi&s;e the <HI>Prophet Malachy, Ma|lachy</HI> the 1. and the 2. <HI>He hated E&s;au, and laid his Mountain and his Heritage wa&s;te for the Dragons of the Wilderne&s;s;</HI> but this is not yet
<PB N="36" REF="23">made good as you &s;hall know, for it is when <HI>God</HI> brings back the captivity of <HI>Sion, P&s;alm</HI> 137. <HI>Remember the Children of Edom,</HI> (which is <HI>E&s;au) in the day of Jeru&s;alem,</HI> &s;o that the love of <HI>Jacob,</HI> and the hatred of <HI>E|&s;au</HI> is in a vi&s;ible way of exaltation or laying low: now that this is not yet clear, if you take but the &s;aid 3. Chapters together, to wit, the 9.10. &amp; 11. of the <HI>Romans,</HI> Love and hatred in <HI>God</HI> are not to be looked upon as inherent pa&s;&s;ions as they are in man; but we &s;ay <HI>God</HI> is angry when it appears by his acts and works; and thus &s;ometimes he is angry with, or hates <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> as in the 2. of <HI>Samuel,</HI> the 24. when <HI>David</HI> numbred the People; and &s;o likewi&s;e <HI>E&s;ay</HI> the 60. the 14. and 15. ver&s;es, where he &s;aith, <HI>I&s;rael was &s;or&s;aken and hated,</HI> &s;o likewi&s;e in the &s;e|cond <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> ver&s;e 5. where the <HI>Hebrew</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifieth the no&s;trils, or the appearance of anger in the no&s;e, becau&s;e we &s;hould then &s;ay God is angry, when we &s;ee the effects of it, &s;o that then <HI>God</HI> hateth <HI>E|&s;au</HI> as afore&s;aid in <HI>Obadiah</HI> and <HI>Malachy,</HI> when he layeth his <HI>Mountain</HI> low, and not before, and then al&s;o he loveth <HI>Jacob</HI> when he acts towards him, according to <HI>P&s;alm</HI> the 68. and the 13. Now that <HI>God</HI> &s;hall thus deal
<PB N="37" REF="23">with <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and that he hath thus dealt with <HI>Jacob:</HI> I &s;hall a&s;&s;ert &s;ome <HI>Scriptures,</HI> fir&s;t, concerning <HI>Jacob</HI> or <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> the <HI>Lord</HI> &s;peaks largely by the <HI>Prophet Ieremy, Ier.</HI> 4.6.7. ver&s;es, <HI>he threatned to bring a plague upon them, he threatned to lay their Land wa&s;te, and de&s;troy their Cities, wa&s;te without Inhabitant,</HI> and this was not for nothing but for their great Rebellion, chap, 3. largely &s;et out; by this you &s;ee how <HI>Gods</HI> love or hatred appears in his acts: &s;o likewi&s;e chap. 5.14. and 15. ver&s;es, and ver&s;e 25. <HI>Your iniquities have hin|dred the&s;e things from you.</HI></P>
<P>We have further fruits of this hatred, chap. 8.17. I will &s;catter them with an Ea&s;t-wind before the Enemy, I will &s;hew them the back and not the face, in the day of their de|&s;truction, and &s;o likewi&s;e ver&s;. 19. and many other <HI>Scriptures:</HI> Now all this while <HI>E&s;au</HI> who is <HI>Iacobs</HI> per&s;ecutor, is &s;aved in a &s;ence, becau&s;e <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is given into his hands; for this love and hatred appears in outward Do|minion and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion; and this is that ha|tred and love here &s;poken of in the Text, to wit, the making of the one great, and the o|ther &s;mall: the major &s;hall &s;erve the minor; thus you &s;ee in &s;ome part the propo&s;ition cleared. For the under&s;tanding what love &amp;
<PB N="38" REF="24">hatred is here meant, and the time of it; For the &s;econd propo&s;ition, to wit, that the time of <HI>Iacobs</HI> love is the time of <HI>E&s;aus</HI> ha|tred, mu&s;t needs be true; for all the world being per&s;ecutors, or per&s;ecuted, <HI>Iacobs</HI> or <HI>E|&s;au's,</HI> the one being up, the other mu&s;t needs be down: to this agrees the whole current of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and a pregnant place is <HI>P&s;alm</HI> the 60. which is to this very thing in hand, concerning <HI>E&s;au,</HI> under the name of <HI>Edom,</HI> where the <HI>Prophet</HI> mixeth his di&s;cour&s;e betwixt them both, as in the fir&s;t ver&s;e, where <HI>God</HI> is angry with <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and &s;catters them. In the la&s;t ver&s;e he threatneth to de&s;troy both his and <HI>I&s;raels</HI> enemies: and <HI>Ezekiel</HI> 39. the whole Chapter being to this very thing in hand; &s;o likewi&s;e <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 68. at the fir&s;t ver&s;e, and the whole <HI>P&s;alm</HI> likewi&s;e is eminent to this purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>So that is an undeniable truth, that the <HI>loving of Iacob, is the hating of E&s;au,</HI> that is, <HI>the making of Iacob great, mu&s;t be the making of E&s;au &s;mall;</HI> I might &s;peak much to this, but I mu&s;t ha&s;ten. I thus conclude, that <HI>God</HI> did prophetically &s;peak unto <HI>Rebeckah,</HI> that though <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;hould fir&s;t be &s;mall, and de|&s;pi&s;ed (as you know he was,) yet afterwards at his imbracing <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> he &s;hould be
<PB N="39" REF="24">great and honourable: and &s;o I proceed to the 14. ver&s;e, What &s;hall we &s;ay then? is there unrighteou&s;ne&s;s with <HI>God? God</HI> for|bid. The&s;e words depend upon the former: the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> argues thus, men are very apt to think that <HI>God</HI> is unrighteous when he comes to render vengeance upon them, for per&s;ecu|ting his people: the&s;e enemies are as a rod in <HI>Gods</HI> hand, that mu&s;t be thrown into the fire, when it &s;hall be &s;aid as the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> &s;aith, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 40.2. &s;he hath received double at the hand of the <HI>Lord,</HI> for all her tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, which is the time, which the <HI>A|po&s;tle</HI> now points at; that men I &s;ay are very apt to think that <HI>God</HI> is not righteous in his rendring a recompence to his enemies, ap|pears in their pleading with him, as in <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.43.44. <HI>When &s;aw we thee hungry? &amp;c.</HI> but the &s;econd part of the words is the affirma|tion, <HI>God</HI> forbid: the &s;umme of which words is this, that <HI>God</HI> &s;hall appear mo&s;t ju&s;t and righteous in his hatred of <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and love of <HI>Jacob:</HI> this is cleared expre&s;ly by <HI>Paul, Rom:</HI> 2.4.6. <HI>for it is a rightcous thing with God, to render tribulation to them that trouble you:</HI> it is an equal and righteous thing, that as <HI>E&s;au</HI> (and in him all the per&s;ecutors and oppre&s;&s;ors of the people of <HI>God</HI>) have had
<PB N="40" REF="25">their time, not only to per&s;ecute, but to in|joy the fatne&s;s of the earth; &s;o <HI>Jacob</HI> who hath been &s;mall &s;hall al&s;o have his time (as it is intimated by <HI>Chri&s;t, Luke</HI> 16.25. concern|ing <HI>Lazarus</HI>) &s;hall have their time to enjoy the earth.</P>
<P>I mean to reign with <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> on earth, herein is the righteou&s;ne&s;s of <HI>God</HI> &s;een very much, and this is cleared by &s;everal <HI>Scri|ptures,</HI> as <HI>Math.</HI> the 5. and the 5. <HI>The meek &s;hall inherit the Earth,</HI> &s;ee <HI>Math.</HI> 19.28.29. <HI>Revel.</HI> 5.10. and <HI>Revel.</HI> 5.20. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 49.14. <HI>The ju&s;t &s;hall have dominion ever them in the morning.</HI> But it is objected, that this love and hatred was before they were born, ver&s;e 11. for ere the Children were born, and when they had done neither good nor evil, that the purpo&s;e of <HI>God</HI> according to the election, might &s;tand not of works, but of him that calleth. For an&s;wer to which I &s;ay, the words were &s;poken by God, (that calls things that are not as though they were) before they had done good or evil; and there is no more in the words, leaving out the <HI>Parenthe&s;is,</HI> it was &s;aid unto <HI>Re|beckah, the elder &s;hal &s;erve the younger:</HI> but for more particular an&s;wer, I &s;ay as I proved be|fore, that <HI>Gods</HI> hatred and love is known by
<PB N="41" REF="25">his external actings, which is not yet ex|pre&s;&s;ed towards either of them; for the ha|tred of <HI>E&s;au Malachy</HI> the 1. and the 2. com|pared with <HI>Obadiahs</HI> prophe&s;ie, was not act|ed before he was born, neither was it done without reference to his works, for in <HI>Obadiah</HI> its &s;aid, for thy violence again&s;t thy brother <HI>Jacob,</HI> &amp;c. Gods promi&s;es &amp; threatnings have always been conditionally from the begin|ning of the World. As fir&s;t concerning <HI>Ni|niveh,</HI> God threatened to bring a Judge|ment upon them, they repented, and he re|pented to con&s;ider al&s;o <HI>Jeremy</HI> the 18. If I &s;peak again&s;t a Nation to pluck up and to de|&s;troy, if that Nation turn, I will repent of the evil which I thought to bring upon them the truth of which condition of God we &s;ee in <HI>Ahab,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> the 21.27, 28, 29. So al&s;o <HI>Luke</HI> the 13. Except they repent, they &s;hall all likewi&s;e peri&s;h. From whence I con|clude, that God doth always threaten and promi&s;e conditionally: therefore if God did threaten to hate <HI>E&s;au</HI> and to love <HI>Jacob,</HI> be|fore they were born; it mu&s;t be according to the&s;e rules of his proceeding, which is ac|cording to their de&s;ervings: for his rule is to render to every man according to his works, <HI>Romanes</HI> the 2. Now the&s;e conditions of
<PB N="42" REF="26">God are not always expre&s;&s;ed, but implied, which cau&s;eth the mi&s;take, as in the ca&s;e of <HI>Ninive;</HI> Fourty dayes and <HI>Ninive</HI> &s;hall be de|&s;troyed: where there is no condition expre&s;|&s;ed, yet it mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be implied, other|wi&s;e God had not been &s;o good as his word; for he did not de&s;troy them. But a place emi|nent to this purpo&s;e is, the fir&s;t of <HI>Samuel</HI> the 23. the 11.12. where <HI>David</HI> inquired of God whether <HI>Saul</HI> would come down, or whether the men of the Cittie would deliver him up? the an&s;wer of God was fir&s;t, that <HI>Saul</HI> would come down. And &s;econdly, that the men of the Citie would deliver him up: neither of which things came to pa&s;&s;e. If <HI>Da|vid</HI> had been of the mind of &s;ome men in our dayes, having a word of God, plainly &s;aying that he &s;hould be taken, he would not have &s;tirred, but de&s;perately have continued in the Town till <HI>Saul</HI> had come down upon him, according as I &s;aid to the words of &s;ome men, if they be elected they &s;hall be &s;aved; If not, do what they can they &s;hall peri&s;h: but would &s;uch men do as <HI>David</HI> did, who fled out of the Citie and e&s;caped <HI>Sauls</HI> hands, &s;o let them for&s;ake their evil wayes and turn unto God, and they &s;hall be &s;aved. But it is further added, that the purpo&s;e of God might
<PB N="43" REF="26">&s;tand, that is, &s;ay they that God had a purpo&s;e to hate &amp; love in time, it is true, God did fore|&s;ee what the actings of the&s;e two would be, and except <HI>E&s;au</HI> leave per&s;ecuting of <HI>Jacob,</HI> and turn to love him, God will hate him, and when <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall turn to the Lord, God will lift them, as in the 2. of the <HI>Corinthians</HI> 3.16. when they &s;hall look upon the bra&s;en Ser|pent, they &s;hall be healed. <HI>Ezekiel</HI> the 39. the 27.28. and 29. Gods fore&s;eeing that men will do good or evil, doth not give them power to act either; for did his fore-know|ledge of mens doing good give them power to act God-like, then his fore-&s;ight of wicked mens doing evil mu&s;t al&s;o give them power to act wickedly, and &s;o become the Author of &s;in, which he is not: as <HI>James</HI> the fir&s;t and the 13. <HI>Galatians</HI> the 5. and the 8. But you will &s;ay, that God hath power to hinder men from &s;inning and therefore it lieth upon him. I an&s;wer, where hath God made any promi&s;e that he will hinder men from evil, or put them forward to good, but as Per&s;ons &s;hall imbrace his word, and by his working unto their rea&s;ons and under&s;tanding? &s;o <HI>Luke</HI> 14. the gue&s;ts are invited, not forced: he doth not &s;end a Troop of Hor&s;e to bring them in by force whether they will or no, but he &s;ends
<PB N="44" REF="27">them word all things are ready, and this is likely to work upon their affections and to provoke them to come; for if God did put forth this kinde of power, he might cau&s;e a hor&s;e or any other bruite bea&s;t as well as man: but the way that God takes with ratio|nal creatures, men and women; is to woe and intreat and be&s;eech them to be reconciled: as in the 2. of the <HI>Corint.</HI> the 5. <HI>E&s;ay</HI> the 55. the 6. and 7. from all this we gather that Gods Prophetical &s;peech to <HI>Rebecca</HI> did not cau&s;e <HI>E&s;au</HI> to be wicked or <HI>Iacob</HI> to be God|like. And &s;o much for the objection. And the 14. <HI>vers; vers</HI> the 15. for he &s;aid to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have compa&s;&s;ion on whom I will have compa&s;&s;ion. The&s;e words were the words of God to Mo&s;es, <HI>Exodus</HI> the 33. and the 19. where <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> de&s;ired to &s;ee Gods glory, he would not be &s;atisfied with a little of the back-parts; but he would &s;ee his face, but God doth as much as tell him, none can &s;ee his face, but as he is in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> that rock. Now the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> here makes u&s;e of this promi&s;e of God there made to him and to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and &s;o the words are a rea&s;on of the former; he argues thus <HI>I&s;rael</HI> mu&s;t be loved, and mercy mu&s;t be &s;hewed unto them,
<PB N="45" REF="27">why? becau&s;e God promi&s;ed &s;o to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and he cannot lie; &s;o that this is another ar|gument to comfort <HI>Paul</HI> concerning his kin|dred according to the fle&s;h, not onely that promi&s;e made to <HI>Rebecca,</HI> but al&s;o this which was made to <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> But it will be objected: Gods &s;upream power, is here the cau&s;e, and nothing in man, for it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that &s;heweth mercy. For an&s;wer to this, I &s;ay, is not &s;aid, it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but that it is not of him that willeth, &amp;c. that is, it is not of or from him that willeth or runneth to procure a way of Salvation: for both <HI>Jews</HI> and Gen|tiles which are here termed willers and run|ners, are both uncapable of doing &s;uch a thing; for they had both &s;inned, and come &s;hort of the glory of God, <HI>Romanes</HI> the 3. and the 23. Therefore mercy and grace, mu&s;t needs be the gift of God, <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> the 2. and the 8. where Grace is called the gift of God, which gift is <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t, John</HI> the 4. So that it may well be &s;aid, it is not of him that runneth, but of God that &s;heweth mer|cy, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> the 13. and the 9. O I&s;rael thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed thy &s;elf, but in me is thy help. So that the ca&s;e lies here, <HI>Paul</HI> is very &s;ad for
<PB N="46" REF="28">a company of condemned creatures in the beginning of the Chapter, but he is a little comforted, that the finds or hears that the King whom they have been traitors to, hath given out, that all and every one of the&s;e &s;hall be &s;aved, if they will but own him for King, which is a &s;mall thing. Now the ca&s;e of this pardon cannot ari&s;e from the crea|ture condemned, but out of the Kings meer mercy. The <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> grieves for a company of men his kindred that are &s;tung with fiery Se|pents, but he is a little comforted in that there is a brazen Serpent &s;et up to heal them if they will but look, and there is but a look required, and if they peri&s;h it is becau&s;e they will not look upon the brazen Serpent; and <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in allu&s;ion to this, calleth: look unto me, and be ye &s;aved all the ends of the earth. So that now there is hopes for <HI>Paul</HI> and them in this thing, becau&s;e willing and running is not now the way of Salvation, but looking and believing in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> it is onely now as coming to a wedding where there is all delightes, and therefore God had mercy on them that fell under the di&s;pen&s;ation of the Law. But now how &s;hall we e&s;cape if we ne|glect &s;o great Salvation? there remains now no more &s;acrifice for &s;in, but a fearfull look|ing
<PB N="47" REF="28">for of Judgement. And &s;o much for the 16. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 17. For the Scripture &s;aid un|to <HI>Pharaoh</HI> even for this &s;ame purpo&s;e have I rai&s;ed thee up that I might &s;hew my power in thee, and that my name might be de|clared throughout all the earth. The words are the words of God to <HI>Pharaoh, Exodus</HI> the 9. and the 16. For the word here u&s;ed rai&s;ed thee up, or made thee to &s;tand, the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;ometimes &s;ignifies a re|&s;urrection from the dead, and &s;ometimes a re&s;urrection from &s;ome deep extremity; &s;ee how God had thus rai&s;ed up <HI>Pharaoh:</HI> how often had <HI>Pharaoh</HI> been very low by tho&s;e plagues which were upon him, yet God did &s;till rai&s;e him up and deliver him, and gave him as it were a new life, there was never any that we read of, that had more eminent mer|cies from God then this man had; nine &s;eve|rall times we know God rai&s;ed him up from the gates of death at his de&s;ire, by the means of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> though it were &s;uch a great &s;in, and evil he lay under; as fir&s;t, the per&s;ecuting the peculiar people of God; and &s;econdly his de&s;pi&s;ing and vilifying of God him&s;elf, &s;aying, what is the Lord, that I &s;hould obey him? was there ever any that abu&s;ed deliverances more then this man did?
<PB N="48" REF="29">But let us a little examine the cau&s;e, becau&s;e he &s;aith, for this cau&s;e; the cau&s;e was partly in reference to him&s;elf, and partly in refe|rence to <HI>Pharaoh.</HI> Fir&s;t in reference to him|&s;elf two wayes, as is expre&s;&s;ed in the follow|ing words. Fir&s;t to &s;hew his patience, and &s;econdly his power; his patience in forbear|ing and bearing &s;o many abu&s;es as <HI>Pharaoh</HI> offered to him and his people, as in <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 22. Where both the&s;e particulars are proved, what if God willing to &s;hew his long &s;uffer|ing, indured with much patience the ve&s;&s;els of wrath, &amp;c. Secondly, to &s;hew his power, that he could take off &s;uch a &s;tout Enemy in the height of his rebellion &amp; per&s;ecution, and that he did not onely to deliver and for the comfort of I&s;rael then, but for the comfort of his people in &s;ucceeding ages, which is the very cau&s;e and ground that it is here cited in this Chapter; the proceedings of God upon <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> that as; their God delivered <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from &s;o potent an Enemy, he will al&s;o at la&s;t deliver <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from all the <HI>Edemites, Moabites,</HI> and <HI>Amorites,</HI> their Enemies. God will wound the head of his Enemies, and the hairy &s;calp of the&s;e that go on in their wic|kedne&s;&s;e, as he did unto <HI>Pharaoh;</HI> and let men make this con&s;truction of all Gods deli|verances,
<PB N="49" REF="29">to con&s;ider of the patience and power that God holds forth unto them; for Gods rai&s;ing up of per&s;ons gives them power to amend their lives, as <HI>Pharaoh</HI> might and ought to have done. But the &s;econd con|&s;ideration, why God made his power appear unto <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> was in reference to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> who el&s;e mu&s;t have been &s;wallowed up; and this proves the former Propo&s;ition more firmly. That the time of <HI>Jacobs</HI> love mu&s;t be the time of <HI>E&s;aus</HI> hatred, for the deliverance of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be the de&s;truction of <HI>Pharaoh:</HI> &s;o that now <HI>Paul</HI> argues thus to comfort him&s;elf; God that did &s;o much for <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of old, in delivering them from <HI>Pha|raoh;</HI> will do as much or more, in delivering them from their per&s;ecutors, <HI>E&s;au</HI> and the like. This is plainly proved by &s;everal places of Scripture, as in <HI>E&s;ay</HI> the 10. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 24.25. and 26. Where he de&s;cribes the manner of Gods proceeding, in the &s;econd place to be according to that of <HI>Egypt, E&s;ay</HI> the 11.16. <HI>E&s;ay</HI> the 34. from the fifth ver&s;e to the end; and this deliverance of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was not pro|cured by or from them&s;elves, but it proceed|ed from the brea&s;t of God him&s;elf, for he looked down upon <HI>Pharaoh's</HI> cruel dealing with them, and he wrought their deliver|ance;
<PB N="50" REF="30">onely they were to do what he bid them, to go when he bid them go, and to &s;tand when he bid them &s;tand; and &s;o mu&s;t we or they: in the &s;econd Salvation by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> the mercy is free, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is free, but we mu&s;t do as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> bids us, we mu&s;t hearken to the voice of this <HI>Prophet</HI> in what&s;oever he &s;peak|eth unto us, <HI>Acts</HI> 7.37. and as it was then to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> they were to hearken unto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> that <HI>Prophet,</HI> they were to go on when he bid them, and to &s;tand &s;till when he bid them, &s;o likewi&s;e it is now; &s;o that therefore we con|clude thus that mercy and pardon is free, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth: yet man mu&s;t receive it, or el&s;e he &s;hall be never the better: for &s;o now I proceed to <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 18. Therefore he will have mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. The <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> is now about to de&s;cribe God as a Su|pream Maje&s;ty that hath power to puni&s;h or acquit; the&s;e words are woefully abu&s;ed. Some gather from the&s;e words, that God hardens and &s;hews mercy by his royal prero|gative onely, without reference to mans works or de&s;ervings, yet at the &s;ame time the &s;ame per&s;ons deny an earthly King to u&s;e &s;uch a power, but call him a Tyrant
<PB N="51" REF="30">that doth rule by his will and prerogative and not by his Law declared; but the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> herein &s;hewing the will and power of God, doth not intimate unto us, that he will quit the guilty, or condemn the innocent; but in a way of Ju&s;tice and Equity, according to his declared Law and will, <HI>Rom.</HI> the 2. and &s;e|veral other places, where he declareth to re|ward every man according to his works, and this he hath power to do, namely if men break his Laws to puni&s;h them, and if men obey him to reward them; Gods will here &s;poken of his his word, part of which will is <HI>John</HI> the 6. and the 40. This is the will of him that &s;ent me, that he that &s;eeth the Son and believeth in him, &s;hould have life; and the &s;econd part of his will is, <HI>Mark</HI> the 6. and 16. He that will not believe, &s;hall be damned. God will go by this will, and it being not ob&s;erved, he hath this power to execute his Laws to the uttermo&s;t. But here I &s;hall meet with a great objection, God hardens whom he will, and &s;o he har|dens <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> for his will or plea&s;ure, to which I an&s;wer, that as hardne&s;&s;e and blind|ne&s;&s;e is a &s;in, &s;o God hath no hand in it, but onely as it is a puni&s;hment of &s;in, &s;o he hath a hand in it, and &s;o he hardned <HI>Pharaoh,</HI>
<PB N="52" REF="31">and &s;o he blinded the <HI>Jews.</HI> But for a more particular an&s;wer; let us a little con&s;ider what way and means God took to harden <HI>Pharaohs</HI> heart. It is by no other means then by mercies and deliverances, for all the while the judgements were upon him, we find a &s;oftne&s;&s;e in his heart; but it was upon the removing and taking off the plague (which was an Act of grace and mercy) that <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> contracts this hardne&s;&s;e upon him&s;elf. Now that this way was a ju&s;t ground from God to harden <HI>Pharaohs</HI> heart, let all men judge for it is the &s;ame way and cour&s;e that both God and man takes to &s;often, and we know by experience that by this means ma|ny hearts have been &s;oftned, as <HI>Ezekiel</HI> the 16.63.</P>
<P>It was that that &s;oftened <HI>Saul,</HI> when <HI>David</HI> &s;hewed him mercy in cutting off the lap of his Garment onely, when he might have &s;lain him, but this hardne&s;s of <HI>Pharaohs</HI> heart is no other ways to be attributed to God, then the &s;tinck of a dunghil to the Sun, or the hardening of a clay-Wall, which we know falls out accidentally, not intentionally; and thus God provoked <HI>David</HI> to number the people, which in one place is attributed to God, and in another place to Satan;
<PB N="53" REF="31">which was true on both &s;ides: for fir&s;t, as he had life and motion and heat, that was frow God, but as he &s;upplied this life, motion and heate, to triumph in the arme of fle&s;h; this was from Satan: and thus God is the authour of all the great tran&s;actions of the Sons of men; and thus he was the cau&s;e of <HI>Adams</HI> &s;in, at the fir&s;t, as <HI>Adam</HI> pleadeth: <HI>The woman which thou gave&s;t me, &amp;c.</HI> As much as if he &s;hould have &s;aid; if thou had'&s;t not given me a woman to have given me the fruit, I had not committed this &s;in; So if God did not uphold the lives of men, they could not &s;in: but it is a very unworthy application of the mercies of God. It was the mi&s;applying, and mi&s;-improving the mercies and deliverances of God, that did nece&s;&s;arily occa&s;ion that hardne&s;s to grow upon <HI>Pharaohs</HI> heart; for if he were not &s;oftened, he mu&s;t needs be hardened: for Gods Word returns not em|ty and void, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 55.10.11. and in this it is like unto the Sun. But you may object, that as a judgement and puni&s;hment, God doth harden and blind as you &s;ay; therefore let us &s;ee what kind of hardening that is?</P>
<P>For an&s;wer to which, I &s;hall refer you to tho&s;e &s;everal Scriptures which &s;peak of this thing, as <HI>Pro.</HI> 1.24. <HI>Becau&s;e I have called, &amp;
<PB N="54" REF="32">ye have refu&s;ed; ye &s;hall call, &amp; I will not hear.</HI> Wherefore we may ob&s;erve Gods part, and mans part what they were. So likewi&s;e, <HI>Acts</HI> the 28.26. <HI>Go &s;ay unto this People, hearing, ye &s;hall heare, and not under&s;tand.</HI> The ground or rea&s;on is from them&s;elves, as in the next <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> 27. <HI>The heart of this People is waxed fat, their eyer have they clo&s;ed, lea&s;t they &s;hould &s;ee with their eyes, and under&s;tand with their hearts, and be &s;aved.</HI> Thus God likewi&s;e dealt with the Jewes, <HI>Luk,</HI> 19.42. <HI>Now they are hid from thine eyes.</HI> Thus God puni&s;heth &s;in with &s;in, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 69.27. <HI>Add iniquity to their iniquity.</HI> And this he hath power to do, to all tho&s;e that de&s;erve it, as the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ro|mans the</HI> 2. largely declareth. Here then is the &s;cope of the words, <HI>Paul</HI> is comforted concerning <HI>I&s;rael</HI> again, becau&s;e he finds God to be righteous &amp; ju&s;t, and al&s;o power|ful to deliver <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and puni&s;h their ene|mies: he u&s;eth this as an argument to &s;ta|bli&s;h his heart, concerning his kindred, the <HI>Iewes,</HI> that tho&s;e <HI>dry bones</HI> &s;hould live; that <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> the whole <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God, &s;hall be at la&s;t &s;et free from the per&s;ecuting Lord <HI>E&s;au,</HI> to injoy that promi&s;e, <HI>Gen.</HI> 25. <HI>The elder &s;hall &s;erve the younger Iacobs</HI> enemies &s;hall be &s;ubdued. Let us then with <HI>Paul,</HI> incourage
<PB N="55" REF="32">our &s;elves, it will be ere long made good, and let us not que&s;tion how this can be, that the&s;e dry bones can live; but looke upon the power of God, who can &s;hew mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, harden and de&s;troy, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> the 19. <HI>Thou wilt &s;ay then unto me, who hath re&s;i&s;ted his will? why doth he yet complain?</HI> In the words we mu&s;t inquire what he meaneth by this word <HI>complain.</HI> The <HI>Greek</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign"> hath &s;everal acceptions in Scripture, <HI>Mark.</HI> 7. and the 2. <HI>They complained,</HI> or <HI>found fault.</HI> So <HI>Heb.</HI> 8.8. <HI>Col.</HI> 3.13 it is tran&s;lated <HI>quarrel,</HI> 1. <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.23. It is tran&s;lated, <HI>blame.</HI> So that put the&s;e together, and it is thus much. <HI>A contentious complaining to pick, a quarrel,</HI> and that is, a man complains or quarrels again&s;t God. This appears, <HI>Lamen.</HI> 3.29. <HI>why doth living man complain? man &s;uffers for his &s;in;</HI> So that this it is, notwith&s;tanding Gods equal dealing with man, yet &s;ome will not be &s;atisfi|ed, but will reply again&s;t God, as in the for|mer <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> the 14. that God is not &s;o righte|ous in his ways, therefore God pleads with <HI>I&s;rael, Ezekiel</HI> 18.25. <HI>Yet ye &s;ay, the way of the Lord is not equal,</HI> though God dealt as exactly as he tels them that they could de&s;ire no ju&s;ter dealing, yet they are not contented,
<PB N="56" REF="33">he appealeth to all men, if this be not equal dealing, that if a righteous man, turn from his <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> he &s;hall die, and if a wicked man turne from his <HI>wickedne&s;s,</HI> he &s;hall live and not die; yet they are not &s;atisfied, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 29. <HI>they &s;ay his way is not equal,</HI> So here one might aske <HI>Paul,</HI> to what end doth man complain of Gods dealing to men, their folly appears in complaining? the rea&s;on is given, becau&s;e <HI>none hath re&s;i&s;ted his will;</HI> that is, when God commeth down to render ven|geance upon his enemies, and to exalt his people, none then &s;hall be able to re&s;i&s;t; &s;o that is a further comfort to <HI>Paul</HI> concerning <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that God comes irre&s;i&s;tibly to deliver them, as you may &s;ee more largely if you con&s;ider &s;ome <HI>Scriptures,</HI> as <HI>E&s;ay.</HI> 14. the 3.4.5.6. where he &s;peaks of the thing in hand <HI>ver&s;e</HI> the 6. <HI>He &s;mote the people in his wrath, and none hindred.</HI> So <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> 31.13. <HI>I will work, and none &s;hall let.</HI> And to clear up this irre&s;i&s;tiblene&s;s in God, (when he comes to recompence his enemies,) he adds the follo|wing ver&s;e, <HI>ver.</HI> the 20. <HI>Nay but O man, who art thou, that replie&s;t again&s;t God? &s;hall the thing formed &s;ay to him that formed it, why ha&s;t thou made me thus? ver.</HI> 21. <HI>hath not the Pot|ter power over the Clay, of the &s;ame lump, to
<PB N="57" REF="33">make one ve&s;&s;el unto honour, and another to di|&s;honour?</HI></P>
<P>In the&s;e ver&s;es as I have &s;aid before, the Apo&s;tle doth undeniably prove this unre&s;i&s;t|able power of God, in that he renders God as the <HI>Potter,</HI> and man as the <HI>Clay,</HI> which is expre&s;&s;ed al&s;o, <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> 64.8. For the under|&s;tanding of the&s;e words, we mu&s;t con&s;ider whether the making of Ve&s;&s;els of honour and di&s;honour, here &s;poken of, hath reference to the fir&s;t Creation or no. Secondly, how it comes to pa&s;&s;e that men are made Ve&s;&s;els of honour and di&s;honour. Thirdly, why he here addeth the&s;e words, <HI>Of the &s;ame lump.</HI> Fourthly, what he meaneth by ve&s;&s;els of ho|nour and di&s;honour, and how we &s;hall be able to &s;ay how &s;uch a per&s;on, or &s;uch per|&s;ons are ve&s;&s;els of honour, or di&s;honour. I &s;hall by other Scripturs indeavour to clear the&s;e particulars. For the fir&s;t, whether this making of Ve&s;&s;els of honour, and di&s;hon|our hath reference to the Creation?</P>
<P>I an&s;wer no, in no wi&s;e? for if the&s;e ve&s;|&s;els be onely of man-kind, as all men acknow|ledge; then God made but one of the&s;e ve&s;|&s;els, namely <HI>Adam,</HI> who was a Ve&s;&s;el of ho|nour; and for the whole <HI>Creation,</HI> God takes off this a&s;&s;ertion, for he ju&s;tifieth them to be
<PB N="58" REF="34">xceeding good: and &s;o <HI>Solomon</HI> in <HI>Eccle|&s;ia&s;tes</HI> &s;aith, <HI>God made man upright.</HI> Therefore I conclude, that God at the fir&s;t made man a Ve&s;&s;el of honour fit for the Ma&s;ters u&s;e: man is called a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el,</HI> becau&s;e he is to containe &s;ome thing which the Ma&s;ter is to put into him, and he is honourable, &s;o long as that li|quor remains in him, but when he leaketh or that liquor runneth out, then he becomes a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;</HI> Secondly, neither hath it reference to what man was after <HI>A|dams</HI> fall, it is true <HI>Adam</HI> became a di&s;ho|nourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> by di&s;obeying God, but he was not thus a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of Gods making but of his own; for God created him honou|rable as I proved before.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing to be inquired into is, how it cometh to pa&s;&s;e, or at what time, man becomes a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of di&s;honour? I an&s;wer, when men be di&s;obedient to God and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> then they become <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of di&s;|honour, for this con&s;ider the 18. of <HI>Iere.</HI> is plain to this purpo&s;e, from the 1. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> to the 17. In which Scripture we find, that God intended <HI>I&s;ael</HI> an honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> till they broke in his hand; God in this declares him&s;elf after the manner of men, we know the Potter doth not make a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> with an
<PB N="59" REF="34">intent to break it when he hath done, but this falleth out accidentally; for want of the well managing of it when it is made, neither did God make <HI>I&s;rael</HI> a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> wherein he might dwell intentionally to break them, and ruine them; but the ca&s;e lay here whil&s;t God was in framing <HI>I&s;rael</HI> for a glorious and happy condition, in that very time they re|belled again&s;t him, as is plainly expre&s;&s;ed in this Chapter. A di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> in this place is a broken <HI>Ve&s;&s;el;</HI> now it is not for a &s;mall &s;in that a Per&s;on or people becomes a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el,</HI> but it is tho&s;e that threaten and de&s;perately &s;ay, we will walk after our own imaginations, and do every one after the &s;tubbornne&s;&s;e of his own heart; here is a people fit for de&s;truction, fit to be made a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el;</HI> and now there is no other means to be u&s;ed, this crack in &s;uch an earthen <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> is incurable; therefore now he mu&s;t be unchurched or excommunicated from God, therefore to &s;uch a people God &s;peaketh &s;adly, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> the 1.24. Notwith&s;tanding in the 14. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> he had promi&s;ed them that if they would be willing and obedient, they &s;hould eat the good things of the land, but if they were di&s;obedient, they &s;hould be de&s;troyed, for
<PB N="60" REF="35">the mouth of the Lord hath &s;poken it; God will &s;pue &s;uch a people out of his mouth; here is a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of di&s;honour when God will no longer communicate him&s;elf unto him as a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> for his u&s;e; therefore let us not mi|&s;take God: it is for the highe&s;t and greate&s;t &s;in that can be, to be a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of di&s;honour under the Go&s;pel, it's to be excommunicate from the offices and fellow&s;hip of the Go|&s;pel, according to that in the fir&s;t of the <HI>Corinthians</HI> 16. and the la&s;t, If any man love not the Lord <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> let him be <HI>Anathema, Maranatha;</HI> this was the puni&s;hment of <HI>I&s;|rael.</HI></P>
<P>God excommunicateth them, taketh away his pre&s;ence and his Laws from them, and delivereth them unto Satan, an adver&s;ary; as the fornicator was to be in the fir&s;t of the <HI>Corinth.</HI> the 5. But you have a more plain place to prove that an excommunicated Per|&s;on is a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el,</HI> as in the &s;e|cond of <HI>Timothy</HI> the &s;econd and 21. If a man purge him&s;elf from the&s;e he &s;hall be a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of honour fit for his ma&s;ters u&s;e. If the que|&s;ton &s;hould be asked from what he &s;hould purge him&s;elf? it is an&s;wered from the Do|ctrine of <HI>Himeneus</HI> and <HI>Philetus,</HI> who were excommunicate, as we may gather from the
<PB N="61" REF="35">fir&s;t of <HI>Timothy,</HI> the fir&s;t for denying the re|&s;urrection, &s;o that from hence we gather thus much, that the imbracing their Do|ctrine was the ready way to be excommuni|cated and &s;o to become di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;|&s;els,</HI> and the clean&s;ing or keeping a man pure from tho&s;e Doctrines was the ready way to be made or continued <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of honour; &s;o that we &s;ee the cau&s;e of mens being <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of di&s;honour, is their high di&s;obedience, re|bellion and bla&s;phemy again&s;t God, when men do as it were by the&s;e means break in Gods hand; when God is in making a Per&s;on honourable, and he doth not walk &s;uitable to it, then it is that God de&s;igns him to be a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of di&s;honour. Thirdly, why it is ad|ded of the &s;ame lump; to &s;hew that it is not nearne&s;&s;e of relation that &s;hall excu&s;e or exempt men from puni&s;hment, though they be of the &s;ame lump of the &s;ame fle&s;h and bloud, <HI>Jacob</HI> and <HI>E&s;au</HI> you know were of the &s;ame lump, not onely children of one Mother, but brought forth at one birth, they were twins, yet God hateth the one and loveth the other, as is declared <HI>Ma|lachy</HI> the 1. and the 2. Is not <HI>E&s;au Jacobs</HI> brother? &s;aith God, yet have I hated <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and laid his mountain wa&s;te; &s;o that it &s;hall
<PB N="62" REF="36">be no advantage to <HI>E&s;au</HI> in the day of Gods wrath to plead that he is <HI>Jacobs</HI> own bro|ther, this <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> tells the <HI>Jews, John</HI> 8. and 37. I know that ye are <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;eed, &s;aith <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but you &s;eek to kill me; there|fore they &s;hould not abide in the hou&s;e, they mu&s;t not be <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of honour in his hou&s;e, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 35. So likewi&s;e in <HI>Matth.</HI> the 3. <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;heweth that it is not near re|lation that can &s;erve the turn, though they be <HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;eed. So likewi&s;e <HI>Matth.</HI> the 24.40. Two woman &s;hall be grinding at the Mill, one &s;hall be taken, and the other left.</P>
<P>Fourthly, what he meaneth by, or when a per&s;on or people may be &s;aid to be a di&s;ho|nourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el.</HI> This was partly cleared in the 2. particular, but you &s;hall a little fur|ther &s;ee this cleared: when <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was deli|vered up into the hand of her Enemies, then &s;he was a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el;</HI> when &s;he lieth among&s;t the pots, as <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68.13. When &s;he is ca&s;t a&s;ide, as men commonly ca&s;t a&s;ide a broke pitcher as a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of no u&s;e or honour; and &s;he is again received to be a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of honour, when &s;he believeth in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;he &s;hall again be imployed for the Ma&s;ters u&s;e, <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.23. If they
<PB N="63" REF="36">abide not &s;till in unbelief, they &s;hall be graft|ed in: &s;o that we under&s;tand thus much, that God doth not make men <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of honour and of di&s;honour, but upon ju&s;t ground and &s;ufficient cau&s;es. I might prove this by &s;everal Scriptures, but I &s;hall onely cite two; <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.26. For this cau&s;e God gave them up to uncleanne&s;&s;e, the 2. of the <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> the 2. and 11. For this cau&s;e God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong delu&s;ions; there is a ju&s;t cau&s;e why God dealeth &s;o with men, and God doth &s;o far conde&s;cend as to give man an account of it, therefore he doth not rule by his will or prerogative as &s;ome men &s;ay. Let us then a little inquire into the cau&s;e why <HI>E&s;au</HI> &s;hall be thus hated, or made a di&s;honourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el. E&s;au</HI> is now an ho|nourable <HI>Ve&s;&s;el,</HI> as God maketh u&s;e of him to correct <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> but when <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;hall be &s;ufficiently corrected by him, he is to be thrown into the fire, becau&s;e he hath corre|cted <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> not as being in Gods hand, but as &s;atisfying his corrupt heart and cruel hands, <HI>Obadiah</HI> the 10. For thy cruelties to thy brother <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;hame &s;hall cover thee. The cau&s;e of <HI>E&s;aus</HI> being made a <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> of di|&s;honour, is granted by the Prophet <HI>Amos, Amos</HI> the 1. The whole chapter &s;peaks of
<PB N="64" REF="37">this thing, but e&s;pecially <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. he hath not remembred the brotherly Covenant, but pur|&s;ued him with the &s;word, and ca&s;t off all pit|ty, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 11. Yet the cau&s;e of this up|on <HI>Jacob</HI> or <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is ju&s;t too <HI>Mich.</HI> 1.5. For the wickedne&s;&s;e of <HI>Jacob</HI> is all this come upon them; &s;ee likewi&s;e <HI>Michael</HI> the 6. Yet God had not given <HI>I&s;rael</HI> any &s;uch cau&s;e as he pleadeth with them to be &s;o rebellious, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 3. O my people what have I done unto thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? te&s;tify again&s;t me. The Lord appealleth unto man in all his proceedings, that if man doth &s;ee, or Judge, that God hath not in any thing dealt ju&s;tly, or equally, let him &s;peak, or plead, for he is not afraid that men &s;hould dive or &s;earch into his proceedings in reference to man as &s;ome men will affirm; therefore <HI>Ve&s;|&s;els</HI> of honour and di&s;honour are of Gods making for ju&s;t cau&s;e and grounds, given by them&s;elves and no otherways, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 22. What if God willing to &s;hew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-&s;uffering, the <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of wrath fitted to de&s;truction? I &s;hall be very brief in the following di&s;cour&s;e. The words are a further vindication of God, that he doth not (as &s;ome &s;ay) make <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of honour and
<PB N="65" REF="37">di&s;honour, without reference to their works, nay, he is &s;o far from that that after they de&s;erve to be made <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of di&s;honour, yet he waits a long time upon them; and u&s;eth all means to reclaim them, he &s;uffereth with long patience, the <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> fitted or made up for de&s;truction, this the Prophet <HI>Ezekiel, Ezekiel</HI> the 33.11. &s;peaketh largely to, why will ye die. O hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael?</HI> and how &s;hall I give thee up, (&s;aith God to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI>) it grieves him to do it; and therefore it is called his &s;trange work, executing of judgement of this long-&s;uffering and patience of God, the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaketh, 2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. And &s;up|po&s;e that the long-&s;uffering of God is for Salvation: to this agreeth the fir&s;t of <HI>Tim.</HI> the 4.2, and the 4. and remains the 2. and the 4. Which is very pregnant to this purpo&s;e, but this is not the thing which is &s;o much con|tradicted, but the que&s;tion is, whether this fitting or or making up to de&s;truction, be not Gods appointing and ordaining men to de|&s;truction from eternity? becau&s;e <HI>Peter</HI> the 1. the 2. and the 8. He &s;peaks of &s;ome that were di&s;obedient whereunto they were appointed, and <HI>Jude</HI> &s;peaks of &s;ome that were of ould ordained to this condemnation: for that of <HI>Peter</HI> the words run thus according to the Greek, being not per&s;waded, becau&s;e they
<PB N="66" REF="38">were agreed or re&s;olved <GAP DESC="foreign"> the &s;ame word is u&s;ed, <HI>Joh.</HI> the 9. and the 22. The Jews had agreed or ordained, that if any &s;hould confe&s;&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> they &s;hall be ca&s;t out of the <HI>Synagogue:</HI> for the 2. place, <HI>Jude</HI> the 4. of old ordained, the Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>prae&s;eripti,</HI> ordained by writing: in the Law, and who were them, but un|godly men, turning the grace of God into wantonne&s;&s;e; de&s;truction mu&s;t be to the workers of iniquity. And the cur&s;e of the Lord are in the hou&s;e of the wicked, <HI>Pro|verbs</HI> the 3. and the 33. But he ble&s;&s;eth the habitation of the ju&s;t. The wi&s;e &s;hall inhe|rit love, but &s;hame &s;hall be the portion of fools. So it is fitting for de&s;truction is one mans part, it is he that mu&s;t fill up his mea|&s;ure, as <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaks to the <HI>Jews, Matth.</HI> the 23. Fill ye up the mea&s;ure of your Fathers, and then wrath mu&s;t come upon them to the uttermo&s;t, without remedy when they are thus filled up they are fit for de&s;truction; &s;o was <HI>Pharaoh</HI> fitted for de&s;truction by his of|ten hardening his heart, the fir&s;t of <HI>Samuel</HI> the 6. and the 6. Yet upon &s;uch a per&s;on or people God waits, <HI>Romanes</HI> the 10. and the la&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> All the day long have I &s;tretched out my hand to a gain-&s;aying, and rebellious
<PB N="67" REF="38">people. So God waits all the day long upon wicked men, to &s;ee whether they will return. Thus you &s;ee how the&s;e words agree with the former. Man is very apt to reply again&s;t God, becau&s;e he doth not pre&s;ently make his power appear in puni&s;hing the wicked, and rewarding the Godly, according to that which <HI>Solomon</HI> in the <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes</HI> &s;peaks, Be|cau&s;e judgement is not &s;peedily executed, therefore the hearts of the Sons of men are &s;et in them to do wickedly. This is the u&s;e that mo&s;t men make of Gods long-&s;uffering and forbearance. So <HI>Peter</HI> &s;peaks of mockers walking after their own lu&s;ts: the rea&s;on is becau&s;e all things continue as they were the people of God al&s;o are very apt to repine and mourn that God doth not pre&s;ently re|ward them, <HI>Hebrews</HI> the 10. Ye have need of patience, &s;aith the Author, that when ye have done the will of God, you &s;hould re|ceive the promi&s;es. But here in the words you have the cau&s;e why he doth thus wait, that his blow might be the heavyer unto all the <HI>Pharaohs</HI> in the World, and that his riches of grace might appear the more eminently unto the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God; which brings us to the 23. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 23. <HI>ver.</HI> And that he might make known the riches of his glo|ry
<PB N="68" REF="39">on the <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory. He hath pre|pared unto glory all tho&s;e that believe in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> and obey him, <HI>Romanes</HI> the 2. and <HI>P&s;al.</HI> the 4. and the 3. He hath &s;et apart for him&s;elf the Godly man. The fir&s;t of the <HI>The&s;&s;alonians</HI> the 1. and 4. They were elect of God, becau&s;e they became followers of <HI>Paul,</HI> and the re&s;t, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 6. <HI>The&s;&s;alo|nians</HI> the 2. the 2. and the 13. You are cho|&s;en of God, through <HI>&s;anctification</HI> of the Spirit and belief of the truth: &s;o that if you be &s;anctified and obedient, you may con|clude you are the elect of God, Gods cho|&s;en ones, Gods Jewels, tho&s;e that own <HI>Je|&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> for the foundation-&s;tone to build upon: the fir&s;t of <HI>Peter</HI> the 2. and the 7. God hath prepared glory for no other Per|&s;ons; for no unclean thing &s;hall enter in|to his Kingdom, therefore the Apo&s;tle ad|deth, they mu&s;t be &s;anctified, they mu&s;t be called, not onely on Gods part (which all men are,) but &s;uch as have &s;ubmitted un|to Gods call. Cho&s;en; that is, tho&s;e that are counted Gods choice, that are con|tented to follow him as an obedient &s;pou&s;e; there is a great mi&s;take in &s;uch expre&s;&s;i|ons as the&s;e: you have not cho&s;en me,
<PB N="69" REF="39">but I have cho&s;en you; where we are to con&s;ider <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as one woing a wife, ac|cording to that the 2. of the <HI>Corinthians</HI> the 5. Now we know it is not u&s;ual for the wife to look for, or to chu&s;e the husband: yet there mu&s;t be a con&s;ent|ing or el&s;e it is not a match, and thus the wife chu&s;eth the husband above all the men in the VVorld be&s;ides; and thus <HI>Marie</HI> was &s;aid to have cho&s;en the better part, but <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the fir&s;t mover in this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e; &s;o that the &s;um of all is, God waiteth with long patience upon all, good and bad; <HI>E&s;au</HI> and <HI>Jacob;</HI> he waits on <HI>E&s;au</HI> to &s;hew the power of his wrath, and on <HI>Jacob</HI> to &s;hew the riches of his mercy; and not onely &s;o, but &s;o, but for the Gentiles &s;akes, that they may come in, the fulne&s;&s;e of them, as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks in the 10. and 11. <HI>ver&s;es.</HI> The 24. <HI>ver.</HI> Even as whom he hath called not of the <HI>Jews</HI> onely, but al&s;o of the Gentiles. For the right under&s;tanding of the words, we mu&s;t look into the Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea; Ho&s;ea</HI> the 1. and the 9. and 10. And indeed the whole Chapter, where he &s;peaks both of <HI>I&s;raels</HI> cutting off, and coming in; he in|deavours to take them of from their car|nal
<PB N="70" REF="40">confidence that they were high in the e&s;teem of God, being his children of whoredom, Chapter the 2. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 4. And &s;o he threatneth them as &s;uch a people, yet he interlines his threatnings with pro|mi&s;es of mercy, as <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 23. I will &s;owe her unto me in the earth; I will have mercy upon her that had not ob|tained mercy, &amp;c. So that when the A|po&s;tle &s;peaks of calling, he means calling by the Go&s;pel, offering <HI>I&s;rael</HI> the means which once they abu&s;ed and contemned, and in this appeareth his love; yet this appearance of love from God, is when they &s;hall &s;ay, ble&s;&s;ed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, <HI>Matth.</HI> the 23. and the 39. They &s;hall be glad to imbrace him whom once they rejected, the 1. of <HI>Peter</HI> the 7. and 8. So that it is to the&s;e cal|led ones that the promi&s;e runs, to tho&s;e that are not rebellious, as Chapter the 10. and the la&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> For had God come by this power as &s;ome do imagine, to force men to accept him, then his power was too weak to deal with I&s;rael; for he com|plains, I have &s;tretched out my hand all day long to a rebellious people; and he &s;aith, what could I have done more that
<PB N="71" REF="40">I have not done? as in the parable of the vine-yard; therefore there was all the power Acted on Gods &s;ide, but this would not do; therefore this calling here &s;poken of, is onely the invitation of the Go&s;pel, and tho&s;e that are overcome by this invitation, as to come upon <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> call, they are the called ones, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;peaks of; and upon this we are exhort|ed to make our calling and Election &s;ure: it lies on our part when the means is of|fered, when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> calls we are to an&s;wer. The word <HI>vo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">abo</HI> doth imply the giving a name to a thing; it is &s;o u&s;ed in the next <HI>ver&s;.</HI> In the place where it was &s;aid they are not my people, there they &s;hall be called the children of the living God: &s;o it is u&s;ed, <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> the fourth and the fir&s;t. That you walk worthy of the vocation whereunto you are called. That is, you know that you are called Chri&s;tians, or Saints; I exhort you, that you walk ac|cording to &s;uch a name. So that <HI>Paul</HI> here intimates that upon their return they &s;hall have a new name, that is, they &s;hall be called or named <GAP DESC="foreign">: a people. Ye are to know; they had this name before, but they lo&s;t it by their rebellion
<PB N="72" REF="41">and di&s;obedience; a people that is in oppo|&s;ition to Nations or Gentiles; &s;o that they were a Church for corporation, having Laws and &s;tatutes to walk by, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> the 25. As he &s;aith al&s;o in <HI>O&s;ea;</HI> I will call them my people, which were not my peo|ple; and her beloved, which was not be|loved. And it &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, that in the place where it was &s;aid unto them, ye are not my people; there &s;hall they be called the children of the living God. In the&s;e 3. ver&s;es the 24.25. and 26. is de|clared &s;ome fruits of the long-&s;uffering and patience of God towards the <HI>Ve&s;&s;els</HI> of mercy, prepared unto glory; the 25. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> Seemeth to relate to the Gentiles, and their grafting in: but look diligently into the plaee which <HI>Paul</HI> cites, and it will appear to be undone, or unchurch|ed <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> which were rejected for their whoredoms, and fornications, as plainly appeareth by that Prophe&s;ie. And unto that add <HI>Peter</HI> the 1. the 2. and the 10. And it makes it more plain, for <HI>I&s;rael</HI> now are not a people, by rea&s;on they are &s;cattered, and di&s;&s;olved, and in that &s;ence they may be called Nations, as once the Gentiles were. So that laying the <HI>Jews</HI>
<PB N="73" REF="41">equal with the Gentiles in re&s;pect of being a people, was the onely way to make them capable of mercy. This appears plainly in <HI>Romans</HI> the 3. at the 25. and <HI>Romans</HI> the 11. at the 32. God hath &s;hut up, or concluded all in unbelief; that he might have mercy upon all. Thus God hath hedged up their way with thorns, and &s;topped all pa&s;&s;ages every way, that no life or comfort can come unto it, but by believing and &s;ubmitting to the Go&s;pel, as <HI>Galathians</HI> the 3. and the 22. All are &s;hut up under &s;in. So that now there is no people but believers, as appeareth plainly the 1. of <HI>Peter</HI> the 2. and the 9. Ye are a peculiar people (to wit,) believers; and the <HI>Jews</HI> are not a people, becau&s;e they do not believe. Therefore God may well make a promi&s;e, to make them a people, who are not a people now. In the next ver&s;es the Apo&s;tle doth (as it were) produce a Copy of <HI>I&s;raels</HI> commitment; wherein is declared, fir&s;t, the extent and depth of their mi&s;ery, &s;econdly the cau&s;e, why it was &s;o; where|upon he directeth you to the prophe&s;ie of <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> Chapter the 10. Which I pray &s;eri|ou&s;ly read and con&s;ider, for the better un|der&s;tanding of the&s;e things; wherein is de|clared at large the extent of their puni&s;h|ment,
<PB N="74" REF="42">with the cau&s;e thereof; and al&s;o a promi&s;e of their return: for the extent of the puni&s;hment it was &s;o &s;ore, that a very &s;mall remnant e&s;caped; in-&s;o-much, that it was almo&s;t brought to <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorrah's</HI> condition, wherein there were but eight per|&s;ons &s;aved, 1. <HI>Peter</HI> the 3. and the 20. Now in the 30. and 31. ver&s;es the Apo&s;tle begins to make the application of all that hath been &s;aid, (to wit) that a righteous <HI>I&s;rael</HI> could not be acceptable with God, but the un|righteous Gentiles. For <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> came not to call the righteous, but &s;inners to repen|tance. Which &s;inners we find were under the name of Gentiles; the <HI>Jews</HI> were whole, therefore they needed not the Phy&s;itian, they mu&s;t be ungodly ones, that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> mu&s;t be a Saviour to. So that he concludes thus: a people &s;elf-righteous, are tho&s;e that &s;tumble at <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us,</HI> and &s;tumbling at him they become broken to pieces like an earthen <HI>Ve&s;&s;el:</HI> And upon this <HI>I&s;rael</HI> now lies among&s;t the pots, ca&s;t a&s;ide as u&s;ele&s;&s;e. So that from the whole chapter we draw thus much that <HI>Paul</HI> was very much trou|bled at the <HI>Jews</HI> &s;ad condition, becau&s;e they are fallen from the word or promi&s;e of God. But he calleth to mind &s;everal promi&s;es of
<PB N="75" REF="42">God concerning them, or at lea&s;t &s;o many of them, as &s;hall believe in <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> We may gather thus much from what is here comprehended, that all external pu|ni&s;hments are inflicted upon Nations, peo|ple, or Per&s;ons, as they are found in Arms or oppo&s;ition again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and the de|&s;pi&s;ed way of the Go&s;pel. And &s;econdly, people, Nations, or Per&s;ons, &s;hall be out|wardly exalted, as they are found friends to <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and obedient Per&s;ons to the Go&s;pel. I &s;hall produce &s;ome Scriptures to prove this, and &s;o conclude my di&s;cour&s;e. For this con&s;ider <HI>Matthew</HI> the 19. from the 27. to the end. <HI>Revelations</HI> the 5. and the 10. <HI>Revelations</HI> the 20. and the 4. <HI>Luke</HI> the 12. and the 32. And a place eminent to this purpo&s;e is, <HI>Luke</HI> the 23. and the 43. Where as &s;oon as the thief confe&s;&s;ed <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> whom (all thereabouts) mocked and de|&s;pi&s;ed; <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> makes him a promi&s;e, that he &s;hould have a &s;hare with him in his King|dom. I &s;ay unto thee to day, thou &s;halt be with me in Paradi&s;e; which is this Kingdom. So that you &s;ee, the onely way to have Ho|nour and greatne&s;&s;e; is, to believe in <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> though mo&s;t in the World de&s;pi&s;e and reject him; for if we &s;uffer with him we
<PB N="76" REF="43">&s;hall al&s;o Reign with him, the 2. of <HI>Timothy</HI> the 2. and the 12. the 1. of <HI>Timothy</HI> the 4. and the 8. Godline&s;&s;e hath the promi&s;es both of this life, and of that which is to come. The ju&s;t &s;hall have domini|nion in the morning of the Re&s;ur|rection, P&s;al. 49. &amp; the 7. There|fore &s;eek fir&s;t the Kingdom of Heaven, and the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e thereof, &amp; all other things &s;hall be added unto you.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>Octob.</HI> the 29. 1650.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>John Downame.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
