those who obey him as in the Gospel, because he signifies, that they are the objects of his mercy to save. And those he hardens, aré they who first disobey him in violence, as did Pharaoh. But this hardening is not by any application of sinfulness; it is by God withdrawing his spirit, so that Satan has all the heart, which absence of God thus, is hardness, indeed. Romans, ix. 18. > Next, some being vessels of honour and others of dishonour, signifies, that from among those whom he has appointed to be officers for the Saviour, he makes vessels accordingly, as the succession of years are, who as such are in honour in office, honour in memory or renown, and honour in reserve for them in glory, if faithful. Jacob was in honour thus, which in point of memory still remains, the Prophets also and the Apostles. The raising some up to dishonour, means, that some were raised to publicity in various ways as by a statue or monument to their dishonour for sin. Thus was Pharaoh raised up (not born for it, by foreappointment,) and is to this day, by record, kept up in memory as a vessel of dishonour. Romans ix. 47. But, all these transactions are relative to men in office only. See verse 24 of this chapter, where the Apostle applies it to himself and all the official founders of Christianity. And, allow me to say that, so far from such transactious denoting partial redemption (as many have said of them), they really denote the unmerited will of God in Christ to save; for, all vessels have been for use to some effectual end. As I say, at the close of the paragraph before the next before this, so I say in this case: 1 Lastly, the meaning of the Gospel being the savour of death unto death, and of life unto life, is this; the Apostle in Second of Corinthians ii. 16, signifies, that the Gospel exposes the state of death in sin, which, when not renounced, is sure eternal death to them, and so the Gospel leaves in present and to eternal death, by exclusion from God. But to them who obey, it teaches present spiritual life in righteousness, and eternal life in heaven, upon obeying in spiritual life, to the end, On God's Knowledge relative to the first Crime, and the Reason of Him not preventing Creation afterwards. It is certain, that God gave a law to the first offenders; and, that he gave them power to obey or disobey, as is plain in the very institution of it, because, had there been no possibility to exceed its boundaries, its gift to them would have been vain, being useless. And, they having power equal to obey or disobey, then, God knew, that one side was as likely as the other; and, so we have no more reason to say until he saw crime's motion in Satan, that he knew crime would be in any way more than he knew obedience would be (I say again) one by equal powers being as the other likely. Wherefore, none have a right to say he knew from eternity that Satan would sin. Let none be presumptuous in such affirmations, Psalm xix. 13. Nor, does this idea of the knowledge of God oppose his infinite knowledge; for, infinite knowledge is the knowing of all things in any place, situation, kiud, or time, &c. of being; and not of none being; for, none being is nothing to know. God, therefore, is infinite in knowledge, though he might not know that Satan would sin, for the reason stated. God has known from the beginning all he would do as being certain to come to pass; for, none could hinder what he was determined to do; to this purpose it is in Acts, xv. 18. But sin being of the Devil, was not God's work. And as to the knowledge of the first sin, it was as in this foregoing. As relative to him creating after the first crime, it appears that he had determined to create before sin, and so truth to that bound him so to do; and so, he could not prevent the liability of the human species sinning, by not creating them. But still in mercy, there is the antidote to Satan, in Christ. On unpardonable Sin. Many have disbelieved the power to sin to an unpardonable extent, in the Gospel ages. I am certain, that it is possible because, the infinite mind would not even intimate it, if it be not possible. Matthew's Gospel, xii. 31, 32. In the times of ignorance, God winked, but in the Gospel dispensation since Christ, he requireth more than of old; crime, therefore, is much more hardening than of old, Many have been forsaken of God: Pharaoh was, Saul was, and, for aught we know, Judas was: and many cautions are in the scriptures against the crime. The sin seems to be a determined, knowing, and constant opposition to truth, which the Holy Ghost convinces the persons of, at the times when they have equal powers to obey or disobey. It is a hard thing to do it, being opposite to God's strivings, but when done really unpardonable. The signs of it, are a seared conscience, hardened heart, and a total disregard for God or salvation by Christ; but, however wicked any have been, yet, when the conscience is penetrable, the heart soft, or a regard for God in Christ exists, at any time, it is an effect of the Holy Spirit; for, all good is from God, and so it shews he has not forsaken the soul, and so it is salvable. Shun sin; for, be assured, The bates of sin, are pleasing ill; GOD is Love, in CHRIST only. 000000& Index. Preface Reasonings on God as from Nature Proofs of the Scriptures containing the Revela- tion of God to Mankind Proofs of the Divinity of Christ The true Meaning of the Sonship of Christ On the Trinity On the Dissolution of this Globe and certain - On the Economy of Redemption On Atheism Miscellaneous Remarks. On the Principles of the Scriptures On the Protestant Version of the Scriptures On the Trinity On the Soul's Cessation and Commencement On the Distinction of Figurative from Literal On Future Punishment On Bodily Management On the Meaning of not being over-much Righte- ous On Man's Appointment to Death, yet some to - 180 181 212 401 .. -405 213 .. 229 On Sundry Passages which seem to speak of On God's Knowledge of the first Crime |