"with fear and trembling: for it is God "which worketh in us both to will and to "do of his good pleasure "." 6. In the comparison of independent paffages, it is obvious to remark, as we proceed, that we should be careful to explain the more obfcure and difficult by the clearer and more eafy. "The Holy Ghoft," as Bishop Hall obferved in his difcourfe before the Synod of Dort, "ought to be the judge of all contro"verfies; and those paffages or texts in the "Bible, which feem to mention things obfcurely or elfe tranfiently, fhould be tried 66 66 66 by thofe others, that speak out more plainly "and clearly, and treat of the matters with defizu"." A diftinguished Prefbyter of our Church hath noticed, that this rule "was laid "down, although not ftrictly followed, by St. "Auguftin°:" it were well, if the modern profeffors of that father's doctrines judged it more worthy of their attention. 66 Our Lord had faid to his difciples," How hardly shall they that have riches enter into "Phil. ii. 12, 13. » Brandt's Hift. of the Reformation in the Low Countries, vol. iii. p. 32. book xx. Daubeny's Guide to the Church, p. 88. Ubi autem apertius ponuntur, ibi defcendum eft, quomodo in locis intelligantur obfcuris. Auguft. de Doct. Chrift. lib. iii. cap. xxvi. "the kingdom of God":" but when he found them aftonished at what probably appeared 66 a hard faying," he explained his intention by fubjoining, "how hard it is for them, that "truft in riches, to enter into the kingdom of "God." And he hath been graciously pleafed by his holy Spirit to illuftrate, for our benenefit, many other pofitions, the intent of which we might otherwise have failed of apprehending. Thus fhould we experience any perplexity about the interpretation of that controverted paffage, "He will have mercy on whom he "will have mercy, and whom he will be har"deneth;" and conceive it capable of denoting an arbitrary and irrefpective will in God's dealings with mankind: our underftanding may be enlightened by fuch plain declarations as thofe which ftate, that "bleffed are the merciful, for they fhall obtain mercy;" that "God refifteth the proud, and "giveth grace to the humble';" that "the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to "everlasting upon them that fear him, and "think of his commandments to do them." and that on the other hand, "Becaufe when "the Gentiles knew God, they glorified him 66 66 66 P Mark x. 23, 24. 7 Rom. ix. 18. Matt. v. 7. "not as God, neither were thankful; for this "caufe God gave them up unto vile affec"tions";" that becaufe "his people would "not hearken to his voice, and Ifrael would "none of him, fo he gave them up unto their 66 own hearts' luft, and they walked in their "own counfels *:" and generally, that "he "refufeth to hear thofe, who have fet at "nought his counfel, and would none of his "reproof; for that they hated knowledge, "and did not choose the fear of the Lord Y. 39 Or should we imagine that the Apostle, under the fimilitude of a potter "making one' "veffel to honour and another to dishonour intended to infinuate an unconditional election on the part of God in his dealings with indivi duals; the explicit declaration of the Prophet might convince us, that the fimilitude was intended to illuftrate the dealings of God with refpect to nations; and thofe alfo, not always at leaft unconditional, but liable to be influenced by the conduct of the nations themfelves, even to fuch an extent, as for his purpofes to be faid to be altered, and his promise to be broken. Or fhould we fuppofe, that "the purpose of Rom. i. 21, 26. Pfalm lxxxi. 11, 12. ▾ Prov. i. 25, 29. See the whole paffage. 2 Rom. ix. 21. Jer. xviii. 1-11. and compare Numb. xiv. 30, 84. "God according to election "," noticed by St. Paul, had respect to the perfons of Jacob and Efau; the unequivocal language of Mofes and of Malachi might show, that it related to the nations, which fhould fpring from them; according to the remark of Irenæus, that the conception of Rebecca was a prophecy concerning the two nations. h Or should we be led to doubt of the extent of the atonement made by Chrift, by fuch paffages as ftate, that he "laid down his life. "for his fheep";"" for his friends, who do "his commandments f;" for his "church";" and that "he gave his life a ransom for many ;" and thence to infer that he did not die for all; other plain declarations may convince us, that, although eventually he died for a part only, inafmuch as a part only complies with the conditions, on which his blood is made effectual to falvation; yet such paffages were not intended to limit the atonement made by his death; for that he died to fave not his friends only, but "his enemies;" not for the Church of God only, but "for the Rom. ix. 11. • Gen. xxv. 23. Mal. i. 2, 3, 4. Ex quibus manifeftum eft,-partum Rebecca prophetiam fuiffe duorum populorum. Iren. lib. iv. cap. 38. • John x. 15. Eph. v. 25. f Ibid. xv. 13, 14. h Matt. xx. 28. unjuft, that he might bring them to God;" not for the sheep only, that heard his voice, but for the sheep" that were loft;" not for the many only, but "for alli:" for all men; for every man; for the world, the whole world; not in the Calviniftic fenfe of all forts of men, or fome men of all forts, the world of the elect, and the like; but in their plain and obvious fenfe, of the whole race of mankind, as contradiftinguifhed from believers; that as all had finned and fallen fhort of the glory of God, and by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, fo by the righteousness of one the free gift might come upon all men unto juftification of life. Or fuppofing again, that it were not evident to our apprehenfion, what St. Paul meant to convey by "the spirit dwelling in us," and by our being "led by the Spirit ;" and that we were tempted to mistake the nature of his influence, as the enthufiaft does, and refer it to fome imaginary internal feeling; we might be corrected by his ftating exprefsly in another place, that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meeknefs, temperance';' 66 Rom. v. 8, 10. 1 Pet. iii. 18. Matt. xviii. 12. 1 Tim. ii. 6. 2 Cor. v. 14. Heb. ii. 9. John xii. 47. 1 John ii. 2. Rom. v. 12, 18. Rom. viii. 9, 14. 1 Gal. v. 22. |