OF THE TRUE, REAL, AND SAFE
GROUNDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST;
OR, UPON WHAT
WARRANTS A SINNER MAY ADVENTURE
TO REST AND RELY UPON CHRIST FOR
SALVATION.
by George Gillespie,
Scottish Commissioner To the
Assembly of Divines At Westminster.
There are some divines abroad who,
condemning Arminianism (and much more Pelagianism), yet have not adhered to the
orthodox doctrine asserted by the most approved protestant writers, and
received by the best reformed churches, against the Arminians, in the article
concerning the death of Christ. These have found out a middle and a singular
way of their own, that Christ died for all men conditionally, viz., if they
shall believe in him, that he hath redeemed all upon condition of faith. One of
their arguments is, because otherwise we cannot encourage stoners to believe,
nor satisfy a troubled conscience, nor keep it from despairing. Upon the like
ground, that all may be comforted (every man being assured that Christ died for
all men, and so for himself), Mr. Moore hath written a tract of the
universality of God's grace, and of Christ's dying for all men, as himself
expresseth in the title of his book. It is also one of Mr. Saltmarsh's
encouragements which he gives to sinners, that Christ died for sinners as
sinners, as he speaks, whereupon it followeth (according to the rule, a
quatenus ad omne) that he died for all sinners.
Surely this is not the way
(as is pretended) to case and encourage the troubled and terrified conscience;
neither can they, by their principles, minister solid comfort to a sinner
tempted to despair of mercy. All the scrupulosity and unsatisfaction of
conscience which they object against our doctrine (that Christ died not for
all, but for the elect only, whom the Father gave him) followeth as much, yea
more (as I shall show afterwards) upon their own way. First of all, when they
give comfort and encouragement to sinners upon this ground, that Christ hath
died for all upon condition of faith, it is to be remembered that, conditio
nihil ponit in re, the generality of men can draw no result from the death of
Christ (as it is set forth by their doctrine) but that Christ hath, by his
death, made sure this proposition, that whosoever believes on him shall be
saved, or that all men shall be saved, if all men believe, Now a conditional
proposition is true in the connection of one thing to another (if this be that
shall be), although neither the one nor the other shall ever have an actual
existence. If Satan and wicked men get their will, Christ shall have no church
on earth; if the elect fall away from faith and obedience, they shall perish;
if the damned in hell had place and grace to repent and to believe in Christ,
they should be saved, or the like. So what solid comfort can the soul have from
that conditional proposition (which is all the encouragement they do or dare
give from the death of Christ to all men), - all men shall be saved by Christ
if they believe on him. Is it not as true and as certain (may a sinner think
within himself) that no man on earth shall be saved, if no man on earth
believe; and, for my part, if I believe not I shall be damned? If all this hang
upon the condition of my believing (saith the troubled conscience), why, then,
hath not Christ merited to me, and will he not give me, the grace of believing?
That new doctrine answereth, that Christ hath merited faith, and gives the
grace of believing not to all, but to the elect only; that God hath, in his
eternal decree, intended to pass by, in the dispensation of his grace, the
greatest part of mankind, and to keep back from them that grace without which,
he knows, they cannot believe on Jesus Christ; that though Christ meant that
all men should have some sort of call to believe on him, and should be saved
upon condition of their believing, yet he had no thought or intention, by his
death, to procure unto all men that grace without which they cannot believe.
This doctrine of theirs, while it undertaketh to comfort all men, and to
encourage all to believe, it tells them withal upon the matter, that all cannot
be saved because all cannot believe, that God will not give faith, and so not
salvation either, unto millions of sinners. What comfort is it, then, to know
that all shall be saved if all believe, when men are told withal, that all
shall not, cannot believe, and so shall not be saved? This latter they hold as
well as we, therefore their universal comfort taken from Christ's dying for all
men upon condition of faith, amounts to as much as nothing.
The true and
safe grounds of encouragement to faith in Christ are these: First, Christ's
all-sufficiency, - if he will he can. He is able to save to the uttermost, Heb.
vii. 25. Art thou a sinner to the uttermost? his plaister is broad enough to
cover the broadest sore. As God's mercy, so Christ's merit is infinite; and the
reason is, because the blood is the blood of God as well as of man, Acts xx.
28. This is a good strong foundation of comfort, if a soul, convinced of its
own sinful estate, and of the vanity of creature comforts, doth so far settle
its thoughts upon Christ, that as he is the only Saviour, so an all-sufficient
Saviour. Then is the sinner so far encouraged (which is no small encouragement)
as to resolve, There is virtue enough in the blood of Christ to cleanse my
crimson sins, even mine. There is no help for me out of Christ, but in him
there is help for all that come unto God by him. It is a great part of true
faith to believe that Christ is able and all-sufficient. Therefore he himself
said to the blind men, Matt. ix. 28, 29, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?
They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to
your faith be it unto you." He that said, "Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make
me clean," was not rejected by Christ as an unbeliever, but he got a good
answer from him, "I will, be thou clean," Matt, viii. 2, 3; so every poor
sinner that comes unto Christ as sufficient, and believing that Christ, and
Christ only, can purge him from all sin, and save his soul, hath a true, though
imperfect faith, and is in a fair way for salvation. There is many a true
believer whose faith cannot as yet rise so high as to stay and rest upon the
good-will and love of Jesus Christ to him in particular; but the soul believes
the all-sufficiency of Christ, and that he only is the Saviour, and so cometh
and draweth near unto God, by and in Christ, as the summum bonum, which he
values above all things; and thus his faith, although it hath not yet attained
to a particular recumbency on the love of Christ to him, is a true faith, which
Christ will not despise.
Secondly, Christ's intention to die for all men
and for the whole world, that is, for all sorts of sinners in the world, and so
for sinners of my kind, may every poor sinner in particular think within
himself. Here is an universal encouragement unto all from a true and real
ground, and drawn from the will and intention, as well as from the power and
all-sufficiency of Christ, which I shall make good from Scripture; for he hath
died for all sorts of persons; there is no condition excluded. For this I take
1 Tim. ii. 6, "Who gave himself a ransom for all;" so, ver. 4, "Who will have
all men to be saved." The meaning must needs be of all sorts, not of all
persons; for besides that the Apostle's all can be no more than Christ's many,
- Matt, xx. 28, "The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many," -
this very text hath abundance of light to give itself, if we look to the
context either before or behind: before, there is an exhortation to pray "for
all men," ver. 1; which, although the Arminians make an argument that all men
is meant of all persons, and not only of all sorts, both in that verse and vet.
4, 6, because, say they, we ought to pray for all men universally pro singulis
generum, and not only for all sorts; yet it is indeed an argument for the
contrary. For to pray for all men, without exception of any person, is not
commanded, but we find the contrary commanded. Jeremiah was forbidden to pray
or make intercession for the obstinate, incorrigible Jews, Jer. vii. 16; xi.
14; xiv. 11. God would not have Samuel to mourn for Saul after he was rejected
of the Lord, 1 Sam. xvi. 1; and we ought not to pray for such as sin unto
death, i.e., the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, 1 John v. 16. Paul is
so far from praying for Alexander the coppersmith, that he imprecates the
vengeance of God upon him, 2 Tim. iv. 14. We may not pray for the Pope, who is
the great antichrist and son of perdition; neither may we pray for, but against
Babylon, especially after the people of God are out of her. We are bidden pray
for our enemies, but not for the malicious, incorrigible enemies of Christ.
Wherefore, when the Apostle bids us pray "for all men," his meaning is, that we
should not exclude no degree nor kind of men, great or small, Jew or Gentile,
bond or free, &c.; and so he doth upon the matter explain himself in the
very next words, "For kings and for all in authority." He saith not for "all
kings," but he will not have us exclude kings nor queens, as such, from our
prayers, nor any other subordinate rulers. When he saith "All that are in
authority," he means any kind of lawful authority; for we may not pray for
those who are in any unlawful or usurped authority in the church, -
archbishops, bishops, deans, archdeacons, &c., which prayer were an
approbation of their unlawful callings in the church. I do not say that we may
not pray for the persons of any archbishops, bishops, &c., but we may not
pray for them as clothed with such an office or authority; as we are there bid
pray for kings quatenus kings, that we may live under them a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; so that a king or emperor, as he
is clothed with such authority, may not be excluded from our prayers; but if we
look upon all kings and emperors personally, individually, or numerically, so
it cannot hold true that we ought to pray for all that are in authority,
otherwise the ancient church had been bound to pray for Julian the apostate.
Again, If we look to that which in that place follows, we find, ver. 8, "I
will therefore that men pray everywhere (or in every place), lifting up holy
hands." What means he by enpanti topw? He means not in every individual place
without exception, for this were neither possible (because there are many
places in which there are not, neither can be, any to pray) nor fit, because we
ought not to pray with lifted-up hands in the streets or in the market-places:
there are fit places both for public and private prayer, and there are also
unfit places either for private or public prayer. The meaning therefore is,
that the worship of God is not restricted to Jerusalem now under the New
Testament, John iv. 21, 23, but that any place, being otherwise convenient and
fit for prayer, is sanctified for prayer, and that prayer made in any such
place is no less acceptable to God than the prayer which was made in the temple
of Jerusalem. And now why should we not understand pantas anqrwpous, ver. 4,
and uper pantwn, ver. 6, even as en pantitopw, ver. 8, and the rather if we
consider what is interlaced; for the text runs thus: "Who gave himself a ransom
for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a * * teacher of
the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray everywhere."
Whereby it appears that the Apostle's plain scope is to take away that
difference between Jew and Gentile, and to intimate that we must pray for all
sorts of persons, because Christ died for all sorts of persons, and will be
worshipped in every nation under the heaven. So that Beza did fitly express the
sense when he rendered ver. 1, 2, 6, pro quibusvis, ver. 4, quosvis, and ver.
8, in quovis loco, to note an universality of kinds, not of individuals.
Grotius, also, on Mark ix. 49, noteth the same thing, that pas is used for
quivis, not only in the New Testament, but by Aristophanes and Sophocles.
Lastly, I know no reason but our translators should have rendered 1 Tim. ii. 4,
"Who will have all manner of men to be saved," and, ver. 6, "Who gave himself a
ransom for all manner of men, as well as Matt. iv. 23, they render pasannoson,
all manner of sickness, Matt. xii. 31, pasa amartia, all manner of sin, and
Acts x. 12, pantata tetrapoda, all manner of four-footed beasts.
In the
same sense I understand Heb. ii. 9, "That he, by the grace of God, should taste
death for every man, uperpantos, - which phrase the Apostle rather useth to the
Hebrews to wear out that common opinion of the Jews, that the Messiah was only
to be a Saviour to them, as, under the law, the sacrifices were offered only
for the sins of the congregation of Israel Howbeit I may further add, for
clearing this text, 1. Seeing the text hath no more but uperpantos, that is (as
the Tigurine rightly rendereth the letter of the text) pro omni, we may well
supply it thus: uperpantos uiou, - pro omni filio, not for every man (which,
though it be the expression of the English translators, cannot be necessarily
drawn from the original), but for every son, whether Jew or Gentile, i.e., for
every one predestinated to the adoption of children, which I confirm from the
two next verses (both of them having a manifest connection with ver. 9); for
these all for whom Christ tasted death, are called "many sons," ver. 10; and
"they who are sanctified," also "brethren," ver. 11. See the like phrase, Mark
ix. 49, pas gar, - "for every one shall be salted with fire," i.e., every one
who shall enter into life; for this sense is to be gathered from verses 43-47;
and when it is said, 3 John 12, "Demetrius hath good report of all men," we
must either understand all the brethren, or make some such restriction of that
universal expression, upo pantwn, for most men in the world knew not Demetrius.
So Luke xvi. 16, Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man
presseth into it," kaipas eis authnbiazetai. Now, therefore, there can be no
farther use of uper pantos in that text to the Hebrews than in these other
texts here cited. 2. It may be also supplied thus, uper pantoseqnous or laou;
and it is in itself true that Christ tasted death for every nation, or for
every people, for in him are all the nations and kindreds of the earth blessed,
Acts iii. 25; Gal. iii. 8; that is, the elect of all the nations, which, upon
the matter, comes to one and the same thing with the former sense, although the
former expression suiteth better to the context; yea, although it had been said
that Christ tasted death uperpantos anqrwpou, - for every man (which is not
said), yet every man could be here no more than all men; Rom. v. 18, "As by the
offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of
life." Wherein the second branch, all men, - eis pantasanqrwous is no more, and
can be no more, but all who are in Christ, or all regenerate and justified
persons; for 1. By these all men the Apostle understands (as is manifest by
comparing this with the preceding verse) "they which receive abundance of
grace, and of the gift of righteousness;" and he addeth concerning them, "That
they shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." 2. The comparison between
Christ and Adam clears it; for they are both set forth as public persons. All
who are in Adam are actually involved into the sentence of condemnation, and
all who are in Christ are actually translated from the state of condemnation
into the state of justification. But I proceed.
Another scripture which
hath been understood for Christ's dying for all men, being indeed meant of all
sorts, is 1 John ii. 2, "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for
ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world," which is to be expounded
by that promise made to Abraham, that in his seed all the families or kindreds
of the earth should be blessed, Acts iii. 25; Gal. iii. 8; and by Rev. v. 9,
"Thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." So Rev. vii. 9, after the sealing
of an hundred and forty and four thousand out of all the tribes of Israel, it
is added, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the
throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands." For which cause also the news of a Saviour are called good tidings "to
all people," or to "every people," Luke ii. 10. So the apostle John, who was of
the Jews, tells us there that Christ is a propitiation, not only for the sins
of himself and of others of his nation, who were then believers, but likewise
for the elect of all nations and all the world over.
To the same purpose it
is said, John iii. 16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." Where okosmos is of no larger extent than opisteuwn, which
the Tigurine rendereth omnis qui credit, not quisquis, "that every one who
believeth in him should not perish;" so that "every one who believeth" is an
exegesis or explanation of the word world. Howbeit, if any like better the
ordinary reading, "that whosoever believeth," it comes in the issue to the same
thing; for it is a great mistake to think that the world here is a genus, which
is divided in believers and unbelievers, and that the word whosoever is added
in reference not to the world before mentioned, but only to one kind or sort of
the world, which, by the way, is also inconsistent with their principles who
hold that Christ died for all, to purchase life to all, upon condition of
believing; for if so, there can be no partition here of the world, but the
latter branch as large as the first. But if there be any partition here of the
world, I say if there be, for the text may be understood exegetice, not
partitive; as I have showed already, it is not partitio in generis species, but
totius in partes; that is, the world which God loved is not divided into
believers and unbelievers, but, by the world, is meant the elect of all
nations, and this whole world is subdivided into its parts by the word
whosoever; that is, whether Jew or Gentile, whether Barbarian or Scythian,
whether bond or free, &c. For this the Apostle explaineth the very same
words, paso pisteuwn, Rom. x. 11, 12, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same
Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him;" so Gal. iii. 28; Col. iii.
11; Acts x, 34, 35. And though some have, with much scorn, set at nought that
expression, "The world of the elect," i.e. the elect of all the world, yet it
will puzzle them to give any other sense to John vi. 33, where it is said that
Christ "giveth life unto the world;" or to John xvi. 8, where the Spirit is
said to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment; or John xvii.
21, where Christ prayeth "that the world may believe;" and the Father heareth
him always, as in other petitions, so in this.
The third encouragement to
believing is, that Jesus Christ hath died, as for persons of all sorts and
conditions, so for the expiation of all sorts and all manner of sins, and hath
plainly assured us, that "all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
unto men," Matt. xii. 13; he excepteth only one kind, "but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." Where exceptio firmat
regulam in non exceptis, this being the sole exception, maketh the general
promise the surer, that not some sorts only, but all sorts of sin, yea of
blasphemies, not only may, but shall be forgiven unto men. Now to be clear
concerning that one sin excepted, 1. It is not properly any sin of the second
table, but of the first, and is therefore called blasphemy. 2. It is not every
blasphemy, for any other blasphemy is declared in that text to be pardonable.
3. It is a willful blasphemy, contrary to the illumination of the Holy Ghost
and knowledge of the truth once received, Heb. vi. 4; x. 26. For which reason
Paul's sin when he blasphemed the name of Christ, and was exceedingly mad
against it, was not the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, because he did it
ignorantly. If Peter had at that time sinned Paul's sin it had been the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and so unpardonable, for it wanted nothing
but knowledge and illumination to make it that unpardonable sin which the
Apostle himself, 1 Tim. i. 13, doth intimate. 4. Neither is it every blasphemy
against knowledge, but such as is joined with a hatred of Christ, so far that
if they could they would pull him down from heaven and crucify him again. There
was mercy for those who crucified Christ ignorantly, but no mercy to those who
would do it knowingly. Moreover, although they cannot get Christ himself again
crucified, yet they revile, reproach, disgrace and persecute him in his
members, ministers, ordinances, and all the ways they can put him to shame and
dishonour. Now there are two sorts of those who sin by blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost. Some do not profess Christ and the truth of the gospel, yet
maliciously, and against their knowledge, reproach or persecute it. So the
Pharisees, Mark iii. 28-30, in saying that Christ had an unclean spirit, did
blaspheme against the Holy Ghost. Others do profess Christ and his gospel and
truth, yet fall away to be malicious enemies thereunto, against their
knowledge; such an one was Judas: neither is there anything to move us to think
that Judas did not blaspheme the Holy Ghost, except that he repented himself
afterward. But there is nothing in Scripture against the possibility of a
desperate repentance in those who blaspheme the Holy Ghost, but only that they
can never so repent as to be renewed again, Heb. vi. 6. That all sin, 1 John i.
7, i.e., all manner of sin, is purged away by the blood of Christ, and
atonement made for all sorts of sinners, was also signified both by Christ's
healing all manner of diseases among the people, Matt. iv. 23, and by Peter's
vision of all manner of four-footed beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of
the air," let down as it were in a sheet from heaven, to be killed and eaten,
Acts x. 11, 12.
So that as the promise of mercy and free grace comes home
not only to thy nation and to persons of thy condition, state and degree, yea,
to thy kindred and family, but also to thy case in respect of sin, it comes
fully home to sinners of thy kind or case, it tendereth Christ even to such a
sinner as thou art.
Fourthly, Christ receiveth all who come unto him, and
excludeth none but such as by their unbelief exclude themselves, John vi. 37.
Fifthly, It is an encouragement to believing that we are commanded to
believe, 1 John iii. 23, "And this is his commandment, that we should believe
in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us
commandment."
Observe the same authority that commands us to love one
another enjoins also that we believe on Christ.
But if any shall say, I
cannot believe, I have no strength nor grace to believe, I answer (and let this
be the sixth encouragement to believing), That God sets forth himself to be the
giver of faith, Eph. ii. 8; Phil. i. 29; and his Son to be "the Author and
Finisher of our faith," Heb. xii. 2.
If it be objected, I know it is so
indeed; but God works faith only in the elect, and I know not whether I be
elected or not. I answer, thou art discharged (in this case) to run back to
election (which is God's secret), and art commanded to obey the revealed
command, according to that of Deut. xxix. 29, "The secret things belong unto
the Lord our God, but these things which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children, that we may do all the words of this law." And, therefore, seeing ye
are commanded to believe in God, and hear that he is the Author and Finisher of
faith, say with Augustine, Da domine quod jubes et jube quod vis; and with the
disciples, "Lord, increase our faith," Luke xvii. 5; or with that man in the
gospel, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief," Mark ix. 94; and request
Him who hath promised to give the spirit of grace and supplications, that ye
may look on him whom you have pierced, Zech. xii. 10; to lighten your eyes,
lest ye sleep unto death, Psal. xiii. 3; for this looking on Christ (promised
in Zechariah) is nothing else than believing on him. As the looking on the
brazen serpent, which was the type of Christ, is accomplished when we believe
in Christ, who was typified thereby; as is to be gathered by comparing John
iii. 14, 15, with Num. xxi. 8.