Clem.Alex. image. The most part of the fathers have spoken at large touching this word, feed, light, and faving voice calling all unto falvation, and able to fave. Clemens Alexandrinus faith, lib. 2. Stromat." The "divine word hath cried, calling all, knowing well "those that will not obey; and yet, because it is in "our power either to obey or not to obey, that none may have a pretext of ignorance, it hath made a righteous call, and requireth but that which is ac"cording to the ability and strength of every one." The self-fame, in his warning to the Gentiles; "For "as," faith he, "that heavenly ambassador of the "Lord, the grace of God, that brings falvation, bath "appeared unto all, &c. This is the new fong, 4 coming and manifestation of the word, which "now fhews itself in us, which was in the begin"ning, and was firft of all." And again, "Hear therefore, ye that are afar off; hear, ye who are near; the word is hid from none, the light is common to all, and fhineth to all. There is no "darkness in the word; let us haften to falvation, to the new birth, that we being many, may be ing unto the gathered into the one alone love." Ibid. he faith, lone love." That there is infufed into all, but principally "into those that are trained up in doctrine, a cer"tain divine influence, ris à xópposa Ocíα." again he speaks concerning the innate witness, The gather one and And worthy of belief, which of itself doth plainly "chufe that which is most honeft." And again he faith, "That it is not impoffible to come unto "the truth, and lay hold of it, feeing it is most "near to us, in our own houses, as the most wife Mofes declareth, living in three parts of us, viz. "in our hands, in our mouth, and in our hearts. This," faith he, " is a moft true badge of the truth, " which is also fulfilled in three things, namely, in "counfel, in action, in fpeaking." And again he faith alfo unto the unbelieving nations, "Receive "Chrift, receive light, receive fight, to the end "thou mayest rightly know both God and man. "The "The word that hath enlightened us is more plea- The en"fant than gold, and the ftone of ,, lightening great value." word. And again he faith, "Let us receive the light, that “we may receive God; let us receive the light, "that we may be the scholars of the Lord." And again he faith to thofe infidel nations, "The hea"venly Spirit helpeth thee; refift and flee plea"fure." Again, lib. 5. Strom. he faith, "God for"bid that man be not a partaker of divine acquaintance, as erroías, who in Genefis is faid to be a partaker of infpiration." And Pad. lib. 1. cap. 3. "There is," faith he, "fome lovely and "fome defirable thing in man, which is called the "in-breathing of God, utvonua ." The fame man, lib. 10. Strom. directeth men unto the light and water in themselves, who have the eye of the foul darkened or dimmed through evil education and learning: let them enter in unto their own domeftick light, or unto the light which is in their own house, Teds To dixeron cas Badira, unto the truth, which manifefts accurately and clearly these things that have been written. Justin Martyr, in his firft Apology, faith, "That J. Martyr. "the word which was and is, is in all; even that very fame word which, through the prophets, "foretold things to come. The writer of the Calling of the Gentiles faith, Auth. de lib. 1. cap. 2. "We believe according to the fame Voc. Gen. (viz. fcripture,) and most religiously confefs, that "God was never wanting in care to the generality "of men; who although he did lead by particu"lar leffons a people gathered to himself unto god"linefs, yet he withdrew from no nation of men "the gifts of his own goodness, that they might " be convinced that they had received the words of "the prophets, and legal commands in fervices and " teftimonies of the first principles." Cap. 7. he faith, "That he believes that the help of grace "hath been wholly withdrawn from no man," Lib. Pro.III. Proved. wrought by all. 2. cap. 1. "Because, albeit falvation is far from §. XXIV. The third propofition which ought to be proved is, That it is by this light, feed, or grace that God works the falvation of all men, and many come to partake of the benefit of Christ's death, and God's fal- falvation purchased by him. By the inward and efvation fectual operations of which, as many heathens have the light in come to be partakers of the promises who were not of the feed of Abraham after the flesh, fo may fome now, to whom God hath rendered the knowledge of the history impoffible, come to be faved by Christ. Having already proved that Chrift hath died for all, that there is a day of vifitation given to all, during which falvation is poffible to them, and that God hath actually given a measure of faving grace and light unto all, preached the gospel to and in them, and placed the word of faith in their hearts, the matter of this propofition may feem to be proved. Yet fhall I a little, for the farther fatisfaction of all who defire to know the truth, and hold it as it is in Jefus, prove this from two or three clear fcripture teftimonies, and remove the most common as well as the more strong objections ufually brought against it. I Part. 2 Part. Our theme then hath two parts; First, That thofe that have the gospel and Christ outwardly preached unto them, are not faved but by the working of the grace and light in their hearts. Secondly, That by the working and operation of this, many have been, and fome may be faved, to whom 1 the gofpel bath never been outwardly preached, and who are utterly ignorant of the outward history of Chrift. I birth or re by the out Chrift. As to the first, though it be granted by moft, 1 Part yet because it is more in words than deeds (the proved. more full difcuffing of which will occur in the next propofition concerning juftification) I fhall prove it in few words. And firft from the words of Chrift to Nicodemus, John iii. 3. Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Now this birth com- The new eth not by the outward preaching of the gospel, generation or knowledge of Chrift, or hiftorical faith in cometh not him; feeing many have that, and firmly believe ward knowit, who are never thus renewed. The apoftle ledge of Paul alfo goes fo far, while he commends the neceffity and excellency of this new creation, as in a certain refpect to lay afide the outward knowledge of Chrift, or the knowledge of him after the flesh, in these words, 2 Cor. v. 16, 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now benceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature, old things are paffed away, behold all things are become new. Whence it manifeftly appears, that he makes the knowledge of Chrift after the flesh but as it were the rudiments which young children learn, which after they are become better fcholars, are of less ufe to them, because they have and poffefs the very fubftance of thofe firft precepts in their minds. As all comparisons halt in fome part, fo fhall I not affirm this to hold in every refpect; yet fo far will this hold, that as thofe that go no farther than the rudiments are never to be accounted learned, and as they grow beyond these things, fo they have lefs use of them, even so such as go no farther than the outward knowledge of Christ, shall never inherit the kingdom of heaBut fuch as come to know this new birth, ven. to to be in Christ indeed, to be a new creature, to have old things paffed away, and all things become new, may fafely fay with the apoftle, Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we bim but by the no more. Now this new creature proceeds from the work of this light and grace in the heart: grace in the it is that word which we speak of, that is sharp work of light and heart, and piercing, that implanted word, able to fave the foul, by which this birth is begotten; and therefore Chrift has purchafed unto us this holy feed, that thereby this birth might be brought forth in us, which is therefore alfo called the manifeftation of the Spirit, given to every one to profit withal; for it is written, that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body. And the apostle Peter alfo afcribeth this birth to the feed and word of God, which we have fo much declared of, faying, 1 Pet. i. 23. Being born again, not of corruptible feed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Though then this feed be small in its appearance, fo that Chrift compares it to a grain of mustard feed, which is the least of all feeds, Matth. xiii. 31, 32. and that it be hid in the earthly part of man's heart; yet therein is life and falvation towards the fons of men wrapped up, which comes to be revealed as they give way to The king it. And in this feed in the hearts of all men dom of God is the kingdom of God, as in capacity to be profeed in the duced, or rather exhibited, according as it receives depth, is nourished, and not choaked: hence Chrift faith, that the kingdom of God was in the very Pharifees, Luke xvii. 20, 21. who did oppose and refift him, and were justly accounted as ferpents, and a generation of vipers. Now the kingdom of God could be no otherways in them than in a feed, even as the thirty-fold and the hundredfold is wrapt up in a small feed, lying in a barren ground, which fprings not forth because it wants nourishment: and as the whole body of a great is in the hearts of all men. tree |