is all that are born of God they are brought forth in the day of Gods power in the day wherein God is pleased to put forth his power in them therefore they are called the seed of Christ Isa 53. 10. They are his seed but unless he begets them by his Spirit they can never be so Therefore if we consider the greatness of the work it sheweth plainly it must needs be the effect of the Will of God and his good Pleasure towards man and therefore must be wrought by the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because it is not a work of this world It No other agent can do it is a work of another world it is none of the creatures of this life it is beyond the sphere of the activity of any natural agent they cannot reach it Joh. 1. 13. Which were born not of the will of the flesh nor of bloud c. It is not of mans Will he cannot so much as Will it or Desire it effectually he cannot wish it truly nay his heart had rather have the world nay saith he It is not of the Will of the Flesh that is a man may go and beget another Child in the world because it is of the Will of the Flesh it is in the power of the Will of the Flesh Gods power going along with him but this is not so whatsoever a man be though he hath never so many excellent parts it is not in the Will of the Flesh to do it Then again it is not of Bloud it is no terrene or earthly thing this new creature is otherwise made than any new creature in the world besides therefore he concludes it is only born of God it is God only that is the great Author of this great work it descends down meerly from above Thirdly Because it is so far from being wrought by any power Man is totally against it of himself in man or any counsel in man or any endeavours in man it is so far from that as that a man is totally against it A man is an enemy unto it a man hath reluctancy and repugnancy against it he would not be regenerate when a man doth think he desires heaven and to be regenerated of God he doth apprehend Regeneration in a wrong way and heaven in a wrong way so as he apprehends it he doth Will it he thinks of heaven as of a fine place and a place full of pleasure and therefore desires it but that he should alwayes be with God that he should alwayes be praysing and thinking of God and minding of God and have his heart weaned from all other things and set it on God this is heaven but he hates these things and so hates heaven so he Wills that which he apprehends to be Regeneration but Regeneration is when a man hath a new heart and when he is a new-man he was wordly before but he is now brought to be spiritual he was proud before but he is now come to be humble but the heart cannot abide this therefore let the Lord fling in abundance of throws into a natural mans heart to begin some preparatory work this way to make a man begin to look out towards heaven he flings all away he is weary of them quickly as a man at a Sermon perhaps may have throws concerning the new Birth but the corruption of his heart will throw all way he cannot endure them they are contrary to the corruption of a mans nature nay when God comes to work upon his own people what a deal of pleading is there with the world the flesh and the Divel that they may not be cast out Therefore when Peter saw that through the grace and power of God this work was wrought in those he wrote unto 1 Pet. 1. 3. Mark how he speaks Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead He lifts up his hands to heaven and blesseth God that ever this work was wrought he saw so much adoe and such a stir and such a deal of opposition this is a plain sign that it is not of man it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. Neither can man Will neither can he run neither go nor stir towards it nay though God make him go how apt is â—e to laggar in the way and draw back again So you see the Fourth Thing Why it must needs be the Spirits Work The Fifth Thing is How the Spirit of God works this Work It is after How the Spirit worketh Regeneration an unspeakable manner Who can declare the noble acts of the Lord The works of God in Nature are marvellous David himself when he looked upon his natural Birth the Conception of him in the Womb of his Mother he wondered at it Psal 139. 14. That was a wonderful work how much more is this unspeakable and unutterable As it is said of our Saviour Christ Who can declare his generations So may I say in a lower sense of this Work Who can declare this Regeneration of his people But yet thus far the Scripture doth authorize and warrant us to go First That he doth it by the word of Life By the Gospel of Salvation by the Preaching of it or otherwise according as he pleaseth that is the By the Word of Life immortal seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God c. And as Paul saith to the Coriâ—thians Though you have ten thousand and instructers yet you have not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. As who should say You are begotten and born again and you are born again by the Word and I was an instrument under God of your new Birth by the Word which I have Preached among you and therefore 1 Tim. 1. 2. he calls Timothy His own Son So Tit. 1. 4. he calls him His Son in the Faith that is he was an instrumental Father under God by the Doctrine of Faith to bring him to be a Child of God So that I say it is done by the Word Of his own Will hath he begotten 〈◊〉 by the Word of truth Jam. 1. 18. The Spirit of the Lord sanctifies the Word when he is pleased to convert a man the Word shall shew him what a miserable creature he is by nature it sheweth him that flesh and bloud cannot enter into the kingdom of God it sheweth him that he is utterly forlorn in himself and past all recovery and shews him where life is to be had namely in Jesus Christ discovering his worth and excellency and necessity and that all Grace and good is in him and shews him the freedom of this gracious offer Thus the Spirit of God when he
the children of Judah fasted and that for 70. years together four times in a year they sought the Lord extraordinarily yet because they did not seek him thoroughly he did not count it sincerely done Zach. 7. 4 5. As who should say You did not fast unto me Doubtless they themselves thought they were very religious what not only to doe the duties of religion but to doe extraordinary duties no question they thought this was very much yet every one were cast off because their hearts were not upright before him Aâ—â—ziah the Text saith did those things that were good in the eyes of the Lord yet the Text makes this exception against him that it was not with an upright heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. Conâ—ider first That God delights only in an upright heart Prov. 11. 20. They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord but those that are upright in their wayes are his delight Upright Prayer and upright hearing of the Word and upright Preaching of it upright walking in a mans Family and upright carriagâ— in a mans conversation when a man carries himself uprightly in all his wayes this man is a delight to God as he saith Isa 66. 2. I can look over heaven and earth but at him will I look that trembleth at my Word The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. When a man can make faithful pleas to the throne of grace for mercy faithful pleas that God would pardon him faithful pleas that God would enable him and accept him and he doth not make these pleas falsly but his own heart can say there is no sin but he sets himselfe against it and there is no commandement but he sets himself to obey it but the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to him he cannot abide it let them pray a thousand prayers God abhors their prayers if they have not upright hearts So 1 Chron. 29. 17. see what David saith as who should say Lord thou hast pleasure in uprightness and then certainly thou hast some pleasure in me for with an upright heart and in the sincerity of my soule have I sought thee Now on the contrary if a man be not upright before God if a man have a loose conversation and he be not sincere the Lord abhors that man Secondly Consider that this is the totall summe of all that God requires in the Covenant of grace that they should be upright and faithful in his Covenant as when he made his Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. 1. he saith Walk before me and be upright This is that God requires and he would be an Almighty God unto him and bless him and do him good to all generations 1 Sam. 12. 24. It is the saying of Samuel to the people Only fear the Lord and walk before him with an upright heart As who should say this is the onely thing and God requires no more if God had required more he might lawfully have done it if he had required the fulfilling of the Law to the utmost rigour he might have done it but this is the onely thing that God doth stand upon that we should be upright before him he doth not look that we should be Angels upon earth but that we should be sincere and noâ— goe a whoring from him wittingly and willingly Thirdly Consider The least faith the least grace and goodness if it be with uprightness is better then all the goodly performances of the whole world God liked more of the poor womans two mites then of all the abundance that the Scribes and Pharisees cast into the Treasury And he that gives a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall noâ— lose his reward Therefore you shall see many poore beggarly things over those things that other men have done have been accepted whereas the building of Hospitals and Colledges have been rejected though a man have but a little knowledge as many of the Martyrs hardly knew how many Sacraments there were yet having uprightness died at stake so if a man have but a little faith with sincerity it shall pass when a thousand presumptuous fools shall goe to hell Fourthly Consider God will wink at manifold and grievous faults so there be sincerity and uprightness Asa his faults were horrible faults 1 Kings 15. 14. yet his heart was perfect What a company of faults had he what an horrible failing was this that he should cast the very Prophet of God into prison that reproved him Now God answers he had his failings and horrible ones yet he was a good man for his heart was upright before me Asa was not himselfe in that businesse Asa was not Asa then his heart was upright with the Lord. So good Jehosaphat a man that was grievously besmeared with corruptions and infirmities and those no small ones how fearfully did he marry his daughters into a most devillish Family as if he had no fear of God before his eyes he married them to the house of Ahab and another time he helped the enemies of the Lord and loved them that hated the Lord I know not how he was hooked in to joyn with Ahab and goe up to Ramoth Gilead and when he had done this and had humbled himselfe for this he did it again 2 Kings 3. 7. And the Reformation he wrought was not thorough as it ought to have been yet saith the Text 2 Chro. 19. 3. There are good things in thee because he was upright the Lord was pleased to accept him nay I will tell you more look upon the people at the Passeover in the dayes of Hezekiah what a company of people came to Jerusalem to keep the Passeover and came horribly unprepared the Text saith they were not prepared according to the Law of Moses which was a grievous thing yet the Text saith the Lord heard the prayers of Hezekiah for them because they prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord they did endeavour to grieve and be ashamed for their failings and want of preparation now on the other side what goodly men doth God reject not being upright and sincere as Jehu what a glorious King was he I warrant all the good people of Judah and Israel blessed God that ever he sate upon the Throne what to root out Baal and to destroy all the Idolatrous Priests and to be zealous in it come and see my zeal for the Lord these were admirable things yet the Lord doth discharge him and would have none of him because he was not upright Look upon the Scribes and Pharisees the none suches and mirrours of their times that was a Proverbe in Israel that if but two men in the world should go to Heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other Pharisee they were thought to be the holiest men in the world yet when the Lord saw this was not with an upright heart he denounceth woe upon woe against them Fifthly Consider That if we be upright it
Sacrament and do the outward things of Religion but never come to worship God in spirit and in truth let me tell you all this Religion is nothing at all suppose a man comes to Church only and lives in his lusts what then Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts Isa 1. 12. Who why God requires it 't is true but not without uprightness to be proud still and worldly still he requires you to come into his courts but not in this manner so likewise for preaching it is an ordinance of God but if a man will preach and doth not lead an holy and mortified life and is not zealous for God and against sin and to hold forth a blessed pattern of uprightness God had as live have that mans room as his company Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to do to take my word into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed As who should say what makest thou here it is fitter for thee to be in an Alehouse then in a Pulpit so God hath commanded prayer but if a man pray not in spirit and in truth and is not an holy man his prayers are nothing Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God As who should say if you prayed with an upright heart your sacrifice would be a delight to God but seeing you are not upright all your prayers and sacrifices are abominable in the sight of God For humiliation to humble us how should we be ashamed there is no uprightness among us the most of us are not upright before men much less before God For exhortation that we would strive and labour to be upright and upright before him that we would cry out with the Prophet David O let my heart be upright before thee that I may not be ashamed if we find listlessenesse and backwardness for God if we find our hearts side with the ungodly let us know we are wicked people and cannot be of God therefore set us labour to be upright before God REV. 3. 2. I have not found thy works perfect before God THe point of Doctrine is this that the Lord will search whither Doctrine God will search whither we be perfect those that seem to be upright be so or no finding presupposeth searching I have not found thy works perfect Now for the meaning of this searching we must know that Gods searching and mans searching do much differ and they differ in five respects First Mans searching may be without finding though a man search all that ever he can yet may be he cannot finde out the matter how it stands Laban searched in Jacobs tent and Leahs tent and the two maids tent and in Rachels tent for his images and when he had done all he could not tell where they were but now when God searcheth men he is sure to find men out O Lord thou searchest me out saith David Psal 139. 1. This is the reason why men that are sligh and subtil they care not much though they be siâ—â—ed by men especially if there be none to witness against them you shall have them swear and swagger they were never guilty of such a thing because they are confident it shall never come to light but if God searcheth he will be sure to find Secondly Mans searching hath ever ignorance foregoing though after search may be he comes to know yet before searching he knows not Job 29. 16. the case I knew not I searched out he searched because he knew not but God as after searching he is sure to know and find out so he knows before all searching as the Church saith if we be false in thy covenant shall not God finde us out for thou knowest the very thoughts of the heart and the reins Psal 44. 21. you see God searcheth because he doth know man because he doth not Thirdly Mans searching is properly so called but when searching is spoken of God it is after the manner of men God doth rather act a kind of searching then search indeed as he doth act a comming down whereas properly he doth not come down for he is everywhere and so he acts a kinde of ignorance as if he knew not and yet he knows all things as he speaks to Abraham concerning Sodom Gen. 18. 21. I will goe down noâ— there is an horrible noyse what horrible sinners these Sodomites be I will gâ— down now and see whither it be altogether according to the cry that is come up unto me if not I will know He speaks after the manner of men he need not come down for he is present everywhere and cannot move from one place to another and whereas he saith if not I will know these things aâ— improperly spoken after the manner of men Fourthly It is mans duty to search if he know not any particular passage of his life whither it be warrantable or no so Magistrates ought to search matters before they determine sentence otherwise they may judge unrighteous judgement now God searcheth not as though he had any need of searching but to tell us our duty to give us a good example this phrase is given to him to shew us what we should do as when there was an horrible attempt in the old world among the Builders of Babel they would build a Tower whose top should reach up unto Heaven Now the Text saith The Lord came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and others may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4. 5. Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no. Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with
should have it in the end though as yet he had it not and this stayed his soul to go on in all his wayes as David when he was cast down and had much ado to keep his hold and had no assurance at that time Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal 42. 11. though he were cast down and dejected this was his stay I shall yet praise him c. he did verily believe he should rejoyce in his holy name and overcome those distresses and have the Lords mercy sealed to his soule and have his mouth filled with his praises Why art thou cast down O my soul I shall yet rejoyce in his holy name I shall yet shew forth his prayses I shall yet be able to apply his promises and be able to say he is my God and my Redeemer Againe the children of God that are effectually called though they doubt Faith contrary to doubting never so much yet their faith is of a contrary nature to their doubting and excludes doubting Mat. 21. If you believe and have faith and doubt not saith the text not as though faith cannot have doubtings stand with it but faith is of that nature as excludes and expells doubtings and fights against it as fire against water and such a man fights against doubtings as he would â—ight against temptations to murther adultery he knows that infidelity is the mother of all sinne and therefore faith fights against doubting and goeth to the throne of grace to be established Lastly Though a child of God doubt of his condition yet this is certaine that Christ is the power of God to that man though he know not whether he A child of God may doubt of his condition be effectually called by Christ yet Christ is the power of â—od to his soul as 1 Cor 1. 24. Vnto them which are called Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God He is powerful to his soul for the humbling awakening quickenning of him for strengthening of him against sinne for the making him hold out in the waies of God he is of power to him in all his ordinances in prayer in hearing the Word and in all his wayes But it is not so with others that question the effectual calling Christ is not the power of God to them Christ is of no effect to them he may be of some effect for enlightnings and stirrings and outward reformation but to bring them to goodness and holiness indeed and to hatred against sinne Christ is not the power of God to those persons but he is foolishness to them Now the next thing that I will shew you is a point that hath been a little touched but I will passe over what hath been spoken and will speak more at large of it I desire to speak more particularly and punctually of this same effectual calling And the first point we will take out of it is this that effectual calling is the Effectual calling is the first gathering of men unto Christ first gathering of men unto Christ the first making of men to come to Christ the first putting of a man into the estate of grace it is the very portall â—o religion the very entry into eternal life it is the first bringing of a man to pertake of the Lord Jesus Christ and to have fellowship with him so it is called in Scripture the gathering of the elect home Isa 56. 8. I will gather saith the Lord the out casts of Israel he prophesieth there of the effectual calling of the Gentiles and God saith here this is the first thing that I will do I will gather them to my people I will make them come home to the Lord Jesus Christâ— this is set forth unto us by our Saviour Christ in two principal parables one of the Net Mat. 13. 47 48. againe the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Nâ—t c. So that here speaking of the effectual calling of people this is said to be the first act of God in it namely the gathering of them for the Kingdom of heaven by the preaching of the Word and this net is the Gospel that is preached the sea is this world the fishes are men and the good and bad are elect and reprobate not as though the elect were good before they are effectually called but they are called good because of Gods designation and decree to make them good and he looks upon them as such as shall be good and such as he hath purposed to make good in his time Now the Gospel doth draw out of the world Gods elect by a general call it calls both elect and reprobate but effectual calling is the gathering of good fishes that in the end of the world shall be put into vessels by themselves so that effectual calling the first act of it is the gathering of men home to God the other parable is Luk. 15. 4 5. What man having lost an hundred sheep c. all the lost sheep of Israel and of Gods election that are in their lost estate as well as other people before God takes them in hand here you see the first act God doth towards them before which they were altogether lost and are now found againe is the fetching of them home the taking of them upon Christ his shoulders and bringing them home unto him I say effectual calling it is Gods first making of a man to come to Christ you may see it 1 Pet. 2. 4. To whom coming as to a living stone ye also are built up c. he alludes unto their first effectual calling when God did first deale with them he made them to come to him to be put into this building the children of God after that they are effectually called are said to be in this building but this first act of God is the putting of them into this building the bringing of them to be laid into this excellent edifice for there is no such building in the world is it a building whose foundation is Christ and all the Saints of God are built upon it it is the most admirable building in the world now effectual calling brings a man and layes him into this building before a man is effectually called he is as a stray sheep as a sheep scattered abroad and roaming and ranging up and down the waies of sin and of death whom the devil hath poâ—nded as a stray he is departed from God and is roaming up and down in the world he is in a lost estate till God come with this effectual calling and bring him home 1 Pet. 2. 25. For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned to your shepheard that is ever since your effectual calling you are come home to God that was your returning time before you were as chickens subject to the kite till this â—hen
would come to Christ but thorough their daily distempers and untowardnesse and the temptations of Satan they are repelled they would come to God but know not how they have hardly any hope these things are spoken for such poor creatures Thirdly send often unto God call upon his Name as it is said of Fâ—liâ— 3. Send often unto God by prayer when he hoped to receive money of Paul he sent often for him to commune with him Acts 24. 26. So send often to God and be often communing with God and calling upon his name above all duties under heaven there is no Ordinance helps a man more with communion with God then frequent prayer doth or that the heart is more against then that not pray out of formality or in a perfunctory manner but to pray indeed of all duties I commend unto thee that go to God and pray often if thou wouldest hope to receive mercy at his hands JOHN 6. 45. Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me WE come now to the second degree of effectual calling and that is a personal call of this or that man by a particular word when the Lord doth particularize his promises and tenders them to this or that man come unto me and here is free grace and mercy for thee come and believe and rest upon me for it when the Lord doth speak a particular word to the soul as you may see Esay 43. 1. I have called thee by name thou art mine when God effectually calls a man he calls him by name he calls him with a particular word come unto me here is pardon rely upon me and thou shalt have it here is peace of conscience rely upon me and thou shalt attain to it thou art an undone creature in thy self here is mercy for thee not only when there is a general word propounded to the soul but when the Lord joynes with the word and follows it to the soul and conscience come to me man when God calls a man by name so it is said of Matthew Christ saw him sitting at the receipt of custom and said unto him follow me he called him in particular and directed a particular word to his heart and bid him follow him and depend upon him for all good so it was with Zachâ—us when Christ looked up and saw him in the fig-tree he said Come down Zachâ—us he directed a particular word to him this is the thing now I do not meane the outward word onely in the Scripture either preached or read But secondly when it is inwardly spoken by God himself to the soule and set on when God bids a man believe and come unto him this is the thing and this we have heard in the Text Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me for the coherence of these words you must know that in the former verses our Saviour Christ had told them that he was the bread that came down from heaven inviting them to come unto him ver 41 42. and you may see what effect this wrought in their hearts how they murmured at him they were so far from yeilding to his call that they sell a murmuring at him And secondly see how they alledge reasons for their murmuring v. 42. Is â—â— this Jesus the Sonne of Jâ—sâ—pâ— c. as who should say if he came from the earth how did he come from heaven therefore you may see what answer Christ makes v. 43. First he reproves them and said murmur not among your selves as who should say this is no murmuring matter it is a mourning and lamenting matter you should bewaile your condition and turne your murmuring into mourning Again he bids them not wonder at it v. 44. For no man cometh unto me except the Father drawâ—th him as who should say it is no news to me that you stumble at my words and will not hear what I say for nonâ— can câ—me to me excâ—pt my Father draw him you care not for me but murmur against me and your hearts are stoâ—t against the Lord you cannot attain unto it for 〈…〉 Thirdly he shews that some would come to him for all this though some would not yet some would even all his Elect therefore he quotes this saying out of the Prophets Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me the word shall not only come to the outward eare but they shall be taught of God and then they will come home to me and then concludes with the words of the Text Every man that hath heard c. as who should say though you will not yet I am sure every man that hath heard my Father speak to his heart that hath heard him preaching from heaven in his bosome that man will come to me so that God can call those things which are not as if they were though a man be never so rebellious and averse from Christ yet when he speaks a particular word to the soul it comes But you will say what is this particular word which the Lord speaks to the Quest What is that particular word which God speaks Ans It is contained in general soul is there any such particular word to be found in all the Scripture Thâ—mas or Richard do you come to me I answer there is a general word in the Scripture and this particular word is in the general so that though there be not a particular word expressively yet there is equivalently and this I will make appear in three or four particulars First what particular place of Scripture saith that Thomas or James or such a one is a childe of wrath by nature is here any Scripture saith so of him I answer yes this particular is in the general we are all the children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. and cursed is every one that continues not iâ— all the things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. now though a mans name be not named William such a one is accursed by nature yet notwithstanding he findes his particular in the general that he is a cursed creature Again what place of Scripture saith that Robert or John must love God and is bound to love God is there any such place of Scripture no why will you say then that you are bound to love God and obey him if there be no such place of Scripture yes for this particular is in the general Thou shalt love the Lard thy God c. That Commandment is delivered to all men in the whole world So Thou shalt do no murther thou shalt not commit adultery c. this Commandment lies upon the whole world therefore if thou beest a man though thou canst not finde thy name set down that the Lord speaks to thee yet thy particular is in those generals so though it cannot be shewn in all the Scripture that such a particular man shall rise againe yet when the Scripture saith that all
Apostle saith 1 John 5. 20. We know that we are in him that is true his meaning is we are in him by faith that is we have such a kinde of faith whereby we do not only assent to him that he is the Sonne of God and all things are true that are spoken of him but we are in him we are in him that is true that is we are united to him and 2 Cor. 17. 5. Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature and Paul saith of Andronicus and Junia they were in Christ before him Rom. 16 7. So Christ is said to be in them Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates it is the faith of union He that hath the Sonne hath life 1 John 5. 12. That is he that believes in the Sonne of God that is so believes that he hath him and is united to him that man hath life and none else so that it is a faith of union that justifies a man not as though faith of it self doth this for its own worthinesse as though it were able to unite a man to Christ it is only by vertue of Gods Ordinance that faith unites a man to Christ God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse hath appointed faith to be such a thing that upon putting forth of that act he shall presently have relation to Christ and Communion with him by grace are we saved through faith saith the Apostle we are saved through faith but not for any worthinesse of faith but by grace this is the thing the Lord hath appointed such a kinde of faith shall justifie as shall unite a man to Jesus Christ Nay if faith did not do this faith could not justifie and sanctifie and purifie and intitle a man to Heaven for it doth all these by vertue of union first it unites a man to Christ and makes Christ one with him and him one with Christ and so he comes to have right and title to all the merits and all the good things that come by Christ so then if thou hast not this faith of union though thou hast all faiths besides historical faith temporary faith and if it were possible miraculous faith Nay if thou hadst ten thousand thousand faiths more if it were possible yet if thou hast not such a faith as to be united to Christ thou art in thy sins and art under the law and under the curse of the law and under Gods justice if thou shouldest pray never so much and give thy body to be burned yet if thou do not dwell in Christ and Christ in thee if thou be not one with Christ and Christ one with thee thou art nothing but as â—ounding Brasse and as a tinkling Cymball though thou hast been a professor these twenty yeares together and hast been taken for a godly man through Town and Countrey yet if thou art not in Christ thou arâ—â— still in thy sins faith doth unite a man to Christ through the Ordinance oâ— God by the Grace of God it doth unite a man to Christ 1 John 4 15 whaâ— confession doth the Apostle meane there Only a confession of historiâ—â— faith when a man believes that God is so and so and confesseth him No the Apostle expounds himself 1 John 3. 24. as who should say it is such a faith as wholly resignes a man unto God to be ruled and guided by him as well as saved by him it is such a faith as makes a man with minde and heart and will and all that is in a man to cast himself upon Christ so that all obedience and all conformity to the Sonne of God will follow he that hath this faith to keep his Commandements dwelleth in God and God in him Now what kinde of faith can this be can it be only the act of the minde whereby a man believes all the truths concerning Christ doth this unite a man to Christ It were blasphemy to say so for by this Argument the union between Christ and a true believer were no better then the union between a true believer and the Devil because a true believer believes all the truths and assents unto them that God hath spoken concerning the Devil as well as concerning Christ this doth not unite a man there is a kinde of union indeed in the minde but that union is only notional and intentional and rational as for example when I think of an horse or a tree there is an union of the tree with my minde for the tree is in my minde in the notion of it but this is a bare intentional and simple union the maine union of all is in the heart when the heart is united to a thing an heavenly minded man he may have an union of his understanding with the things of this world he may understand carnal men understand their courses and wayes and there is a notional intentional union with these things in his understanding but he is not truly united to those courses except his heart be set upon those courses then he takes them up so untill the heart is set upon Christ a man is never heavenly never godly never a true Christian till he is thus united into Christ Nay I will tell you more and I will prove it and it is a thing to be considered that were it possible Suppose God should reveal he might if he would to any man that he is elected before he is converted Suppose this I do not say God doth thus to any of his Elect but suppose an Elect man that is yet unconverted and yet out of Christ he is a natural man and yet an elected man â—uppose I say God should reveal to this man thou art elected to eternal life I have intended from all eternity to give my Son to thee all his merits and death and passion I have intended them to thee and I have intended thou shalt have fellowship with him God reveales this and the man firmly assents to the authority of the speaker that he is elected to eternal life doth this faith justifie a man A man is in his sins yet for all this though he knoweth and God hath revealed such a thing to him that he hath intended Christ to him as long as he hath not revealed that he is in Christ this doth not put him into Christ this sheweth him that he shall be in Christ but this act of believing doth not put him into Christ therefore the children of God that are converted and are believers and can believe that God hath elected them and eternally intended Christ to them this act of their faith doth not justifie them this only is an act to know that they are justified already and converted already I will shew you an excellent place for this 2 Tim. 1. 12. For which cause saith the Apostle I also suffer these things for I know in whom I have believed and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Mark
him already in the world and therefore he will fling them out of his presence into Hell in Heaven is nothing but beatifical vision viewing of God and delighting in God and not thinking a thought but of God and therefore no roome for those that are empty of grace and not fitted and prepared for it now faith knowes this and believes this and therefore as it layeth hold on Christ for title so it never leaves till it hath gotten fitnesse from Christ as the Apostle speakes Col. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet c. God makes all meet for Heaven that he brings thither and till they are so they cannot be admitted thither if a man will go to heaven he must be a vessel of honour 2 Tim. 2. 21. Therefore Faith purifies a mans heart pares off a mans flesh weanes a man from the world and knocks off a mans cursed corruptions more and more and pulls downe a man before God makes a man stoop to Gods Covenant and to be holâ— and righteous as he is it knows unlesse he be made fit for Gods Kingdome he can never come there we should look to this and it should make us feare and tremble and look to our selves for unlesse we be fit for the Kingdome of Heaven we shall never have abode there John 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe c. That is except a man be made meet for the Kingdome of God he cannot come into it Except he have Heavens frame and disposition and Heavens conversation except his conversation be in Heaven here he can never come there and this is the reason we are so often called upon to be godly in Christ Jesus to walk in purenesse and holinesse of living because no uncleane thing shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem without are Dogges the Lord counts them Doggs that shall never enjoy his presence this is another reason why Faith workes obedience because if he will have Title to the Kingdome of Heaven he must look to be fitted for the same Fifthly because Faith is eminently all that a man is to do it is the whole work of a Christian John 6. 29. This is the work of 5. Because faith is eminently all that a man is to do God c. That is this is eminently all the workes of God But is there no work but this Yes there are many other works but this is the work of God that ye believe because this is eminently all that God looks for as the Apostle speaks 1 John 3 22. This is his Commandement that ye believe c. Is there no other Commandement but this is this all we must do and no more No but this is eminently the Commandement there are other Commandements but all are included in this of beleeving so faith is eminently all graces all other graces are but the daughters and brood of faith they grow out of faith as out of the spring and root so that do this and do all do but beleeve in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and what wilt thou not do it will make thee give over thy sinnes and be humbled and mortified it will make thee give over vaine company and delight in all goodnesse make thee zealous and servent and teach thee how to pray and be thankfull to God it will fill thy mouth with laughter and thy tongue with joy it will make thee do any thing if thou believe Acts 16. 31. As who should say believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and this will make thee do all there will be nothing left as Christ saith If thou believe all things are possible So I may say if thou believe all things will be done and thou wilt stick at nothing be backward in nothing but wilt be brought to obey God in every thing it is like the turning of the Cock if the Cock be turned the water will flow forth so if a mans heart be opened by faith all the heart runnes to God a Wind-mill if the Sailes go the stones and all go so if â—aith be once working and operating all the soul is turning it self towards God though never so Heavy and Carnal and Vaine and Earthly before yet now all is going in the wayes of God As the Mother of Christ said to the servants of the marriage Whatsoever he â—ids you do do it So faith saith thus to all the soul look whatsoever Christ John 2. commands look you do it minde those things he bids you minde affect that he affects retaine that he bids you remember it is like Abner that brought all Israel to be the servants of David so faith when it comes into the foul it brings all the faculties of the soul of the whole man to be subject to the Lord Jesus Christ thus you see that faith works obedience in a man The first Use is this to answer a demand that will arise out of the hearts of people when they heare that Faith makes a man to obey Quest. How doth it make a man obey Answ I answer by setting before a man the corruptions of his owne heart and what woeful stubbornenesse is in the same it makes a man see those innumerable corruptions in the soul and how deeply they have eaten into the soul it makes a man see what a loathsome creature he is and what a deal of rebellion there is in his will and minde and thoughts and affections and what oppositions there are against the doing of Gods Holy Will he seeth that if he will obey God what little help he shall have from himself from his own will his own reason his own parts his own nature though he had never so good a nature Nay how he shall be hindered and hampered and opposed by himself faith lets him see this and so pulls him down before God to abhor himself in dust and ashes it was thus in Paul Rom. 7. 24. O miserable man c. It made him finde this that he could not do the good he would thus faith empties a man of himself and makes him to renounce himself and makes him not to stand upon his own feeet never to stand alone never to go about any thing but with the help of Christ it makes a man see what a damned will he hath what a damned reason he hath what a damned heart and disposition he hath O! saith he here is Wisdome indeed here is a disposition indeed I will never be ruled by this disposition and he looks upon himself as an undone creature if he followes his own desires here be desires indeed and thoughts indeed and here is an horrible frame and this makes him renounce himself and thus faith works obedience in a man by driving of him out of himself and dividing a mans self from himself that he will not be led by his own thoughts nor carried by his owne imaginations it seeth ' Hell in all these and that he can do nothing without Christ live in
Therefore 1 Let us so come to this Ordinance that we may be strengthned 72 2 This condemns the most Christians 3 This shews reason why we doe not receive good by the Sacrament Reasons why men do not receive good by the Sacrament 73 1 Because they come not with lively sense of their wants 2 Without true repentance 74 3 Without faith 4 They do not seek to God to blesse the Sacrament to them 75 5 They doe not behave themselves well at it 6 Do not afterwards examine what good is got by it 7 If they get good they do not interpret it to be by the goodness of God in the Sacrament 8 They do not stir up the Sacraments that they formerly pertook of 76 Doct. A child of God cannot fall from Grace 77 which is 1 Not from any thing in himself 1 Because the best is bid to look on himself as one that may fall into any sin in himself 78 2 Because they are bidden to feare themselves 78 3 To take heed that they do not fall away totally 4 Because they are commanded to grow in grace 79 5 Because exâ—mples of Apostates are propounded for the Saints to take warning by 6 Because people of God are fain to pray God to keep them 7 Because â—no grace received can hold out without continuall influences from heaven 80 But 2 from the meer favour and goodness of God 81 Qu. What is it that doth and shall ever remain in a believer 82 Ansâ— An anointing from the holy one for 1 A child of God if he sinne cannot carry it away as others 83 2 cannot stand it out as others do 2 Lusting against every known sin 84 For 1 He never sins but against his standing purpose 2 Against the study and composure of his heart 3 Something or other breaks the fulness of the voluntariness of it 1 Ignorance 2 Inconsideration 3 Possion 4 Violent temptation 4 Cannot make a trade of sin 85 5 Hath an apness to rise again 3 A tender disposition to look after God 86 For 1 he cannot lie down in spirituall distempers 2 He hath a feeling of his hardness 3 He cannot be so secure as to forget God 4 A love to the Image mercy holiness goodness and Ordinances of God 5 A disposition to check and chidâ— his soul for sin 87 6 The habit of grace Use 1. For confutation of those that hold falling from grace 88 2 For comfort to people of God against fears temptations perserutions 3 Labour to make sure that we be godly Doct. A particular Church may perish 89 Four notes of a true Church that may be lost 1 Sincere preaching of thâ— Gospel 90 2 True and sincere use of the Sacraments 92 3 Sincere profâ—ssion of the Word of God 93 4 True discipline Seven marks of a fals Church 94 1 Antiquitâ— 2 Vniversality 3 Succâ—ssion of Pastors 4 Vnity 5 Miracles 6 Pomp 7 Outward prosperity 95 Reas 1. because the Church is Catholick not tied to any place 96 2 God needs no place or person 3 No particular Church hath a promise of continuance Use 1. To confound the Church of Rome 2 To warn all particular Churches 97 Doct. The second Covenant requires works Works necessary 98 1 By necessity of presence 2 By necessity of inseparable effects 3 By necessity of signs 99 4 By necessity of commandement 5 By necessity of end 1 to glorifie God in the world 2 to do good unto others 100 3 to purifie our selves 4 to qualifie us for heaven 5 to proportion our reward 6 By necessity of thankefulness 101 Use 1. See how the Papists wrong us by accusing us to be against good works 2 Let Ministers call on people to have a working faith 3 This discovers them to be graceless who do not follow Christ in doing good 4 Be exhorted to good works Mot. 1. Good works are signs of our condition and state 1 Of election 2 Effectuall calling 3 Justification 4 Adoption 5 Of our love to God 103 2 The reason why we pray no better is because we are not abundant in good works 3 They would chear us in an evill day 4 Thâ— want of them the cause of temporal judgments 1â—4 Doct. The covenant of grace requireâ— peâ—fect works ibid Not a perfection of degrees but of sincerity Difference between Legall and â—vangelicall perfection 105 1 The law requires performances as well as the will and desire 2 The perfection of the L 〈…〉 stands on quantities as wel as qualities 3 Vpon full measure whether a man have power or no. 4 Admits no failings 106 5 Mâ—kes nothing of repentance Doct We should labour â—o bâ— perfect Reas 1. From the nature of God 107 2 Because God hath commanded us to be sincere 3 Because God knows our hearts 4 God will let down the Câ—venant no lower 5 All Gods Saints have been perfect Use 1. To reprove the want of uprightness 108 2 To humble the people of God 109 3 To exhort us to be upright Mot. 1 God delights only in an upright heart 2 This is the total sum of all that God requires p. 110 3 The least grace with uprightness is better then all the goodly performances in the world 4 God will bear with grievous faults where there is uprightness 5 Vprightness will help us to profit by all ordinances 111 6 Is most excellent ground of comfort 7 Will make us and our posterity blessed 112 Use 4 For examination Signs of uprightnesse 1 An upright man is universal in regard of all Gods commands 2 In regard of all graces 3 Of all places and company 113 4 Of all times 5 Of all his parts understanding will memory c. 114 6 Of all conditions 115 7 Of all relations 116 8 Of all the circumstances of his actions 117 Doct. As we must be perfect so we must be perfect before God 118 1 Not so as God should approve our works in strict justice But 2 On account of his mercy in Jesus Christ Reas 1 Because God hath so commanded 2 Otherwise a man hath no faith 119 3 This is the end of Christs redemption 4 This is the end of election 5 Because God will search us out 120 6 God only doth esteem of the worth of holiness c. Use 1 To condemn the ceremonious devotion of many 2 For humiliation 121 3 For exhortation to be upright Doct. God will search whether we be perfect 122 Difference between Gods searching and mans 1 Mans searching may be without finding 2 Hath ignorance foregoing 3 Is properly so called 4 Is necessary for knowledge 5 Is for himself 123 God searcheth five wayes 1 By his own spirit 2 By the spirit of man 3 By conscience 4 By his word 124 5 By his providence Whereby God discovers mens secret works 1 By letting his people suspect men 125 2 By letting his people injure wicked men 3 By guiding his Ministers to home preaching 4 By their own lusts and corruption 126 5 By persecution Reas 1 It
delights this will dead a mans heart as the Apostle sheweth of the Widows that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5. 6. they were dead while they were alive as soon as ever David gave way to his sinful corruptions his heart was deaded presently upon it as may appear by the prayer he had afterwards when he came to himself and to look out for quickning uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51. 12. as who should say I feel a base dull slavish spirit come upon me that former liveliness that was in me it is wofully decayed sin had made a mighty breach in his soul it had knockt off his wheels and made him dull and therefore he is fain to pray that God would give him a free spirit again so it was with Peter as soon as ever he had given way to his curiosity and security and presumption he would needs go and see sights he would go into the high Priests hall and see how the business went he did not see the proneness of his heart to be carried into sin now you may see how wofully it deaded his heart in a moment as soon as the damsel spake thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee a man would wonder how no life at all almost appeared in that mans heart if he had had any life would he have carried himself in that fashion his life was so gone that he cursed and sware that he never knâ—w the Mat. 26. 47. man if he had any life in him he would rather have said what if I were with Jesus of Galilee I was with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send sorth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into Eph. 2. sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13. 12. it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12. 1. If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21. 34. sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and assisting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4. 13. he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man goon so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5. 18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the
if you would but make conscience to make use of all the checks of conscience and the knowledge you have if you would but make use of the relentings you have now and then and the motions you have now and then if you would but make use of them and exercise them this is the way to quicken you let a man have but a little knowledge and let him exercise it and improve it and frame his life anâ— conversation accordingly knowledge shall be multiplied to this man and so again let a man have any relentings any meltings now and then at a Sermon and exercise these strike while the iron â—s hot and put them to the utmost this is the way to be quickned as it is the saying of one Every thing is increased with the exercise of its own kind as it was with the bread in the Dâ—sciples hands while they were distributing of it it increased so it is with the graces of Gods spirit peculiar and saving graces and common graces let a man exercise the graces of Gods spirit this is the way to abound in them and to have them quickned and strengthned and made more and more operative in a man therefore let us exercise all the graces of Gods spirit and improve them all grace is like a snow-ball the more it is rouled up and down the bigger it grows so let a man but go and improve all the graces of Gods spirit that he hath bestowed upon him there will be addition to every one of them by repenting a man may learn to repent and by relenting a man may learn to relent and by striving against sin he may learn to strive against sin more and more The last means is to consider the examples of the worthies in all ages 7. Meant and such as are even in our dayes we should consider these and these will quicken us up to be more forward when St. James would quicken up the James 5. Christians to whom he writes to waite with patience the coming of the Lord he quickens them by the example of Job and the Prophets so when he would quicken them up to prayer he presseth them by the example of Elias he w 〈…〉 man as well as we saith he and had the like passions yet he prayed when the heavens had been shut three years and six months c. Consider this the zeal of others may provoke us specially if we set it before our eyes we should think with our selves What he so believing and I so full of doubting he so lively and I so dull and blockish he so affected and I so untoward this should shame us and provoke us to stir up our selves by looking upon such especially upon those that have taken up the profession since we did and yet have gone beyond us it should awaken us this is an excellent means to quicken us as our Saviour Christ when he would exhort his Disciples to suffer persecution saith he consider the Prophets that were persecuted before you so if we would be quickned up we should look upon Matth. 6. the Saints that have been quickned before us that we may have their grace and comfort We come now to the last thing and that is to perswade you by some Motives 5 Motives to shake off this deadness Motives are special things to quicken up a man the Apostle when he would quicken up the Corinthians to love he useth divers Motives unto them the first is taken from the collation of love with all the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit he shews without love they are all nothing though a man had all knowledge and all faith so that he could remove mountains and had not love it were nothing so that you see love is an excellent grace 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. Another Motive he takes from the effects and adjuncts of love love suffereth long c. from the fourth to the seventh verse Thirdly He useth another Motive to shew how love doth generally surpass most graces in the endurance of it Prophesies they shall cease knowledge that shall cease and be done away but love that shall never be done away love never faileth Lastly He compares it with the cardinal vertues with the principal graces namely faith and hope and shews how love is beyond them hope edifies a mans self but love edifies the whole Church of God faith and hope must vanish and will not go into the Kingdom of heaven with us but love it doth alwayes accompany us so that you see the Apostle is careful to use motives to quicken up people to that which he exhorts them unto the Scripture as it doth bid us do a duty so it useth motives to quicken us up to the doing of it And again When it forbids any sin it useth motives to take off our hearts from that sin as when the Apostle would diswade from the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament what abundance of motives doth he heap one upon another to terrifie us from it 1 Cor. 11. 23. c. the first is from the institution of the Lord Jesus Christ I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus c. as who should say what will you prophane his institution Secondly From the time when he instituted it the same night he was betrayed in his agony and in the midst of his sorrows he thought of your good will you prophane such a mercy blessing Thirdly From the nature of the Sacrament it is the Sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and will you not reverence that Another is from the end of the Sacrament it is to shew forth the Lords death till he comes therefore how should we have a care of this that we may come to the Sacrament in a gracious and reverent manner duly meditating what it is having a lively apprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ and to keep a constant memory of what he hath done for us Another is from the greatness of the sin of unworthy receiving he shall he guilty of the body and blood of Christ again from the danger of it whosoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself again from the particular judgements that God had inflicted upon that town for this cause many are sick among you and many sleep and questionless it is for this cause for your unworthy receiving of the Sacrament you see what abundance of motives he brings for this now I say if Motives be good in any point look whatsoever we exhort people unto if it be good to use Motives to stir them up to it then much more in this point in the point of deadness to shake it off in the point of quickning that they would labour to get it and indeed when a man useth Motives to faith and repentance it is not only to get that but to quicken them up to faith and repentance when a man spurs a horse
interrupt us therefore we had need be watchful against him Again We should watch after the duty that we may not lose the fruit and benefit of it most people when they have been at the Ordinances of God are as if they had not been there when they have been at prayer as far from power against sin and drawing mercy down from heaven as if See more of this in the Sermons upon 2 Tim. 4. 5. they had never been down upon their knees Thirdly It is good to watch in regard of God First Sometimes God comes with motions and draws nearer to us then he doth at other times therefore now we had need take hold of them Isa 55. 6. call ye upon him while he is neer as who should say sometimes God is neerer then at other times O now have your eyes in your heads and let not God go but make use of this if ever God speaks to our souls or open our eyes let us make use of these things and be up and a doing lest they slip away from us Secondly Sometimes God doth extraordinarily help us and give us extraordinary favours let us watch those favours for then the Divel is most busie when God doth any notable thing for us when he gives us peace or joy or comforts or power against sin or whatsoever it be then Satan is most busie so soon as Christ had that extraordinary favour from his Father to be owned from heaven before all the standers by This is my beloved son c. Matth. 3. 17. The next newes we hear of he had a terrible assault by Satan when God had shewed great favour to Saint Paul in wraping him up into the third Heaven the next thing he met with was Satan to buffet him Thirdly Sometime God doth punish us and afflict us now how should we watch to get good by our afflictions This is the reason that afflictions and crosses and distresses are so often among us and do no good it is for â—ant of watchfulness Is it so that it is good to watch Then how may we lament the horrible Vse 1 neglect of this duty I speak not to drunkards and prophane persons no wonder though they doe not watch neither doe I speak to the common sort of Christians that content themselves with civility and fair carriage but I speak to those that are of the better sort how horribly is this duty laid aside this is the reason of the want of grace and that people go down the wind and that there are so many Apostates and Decliners and this is the reason that so many become very unsavoury and unfruitful in their lives the reason is because they do not watch what drowsie thoughts have we to be delivered from the wrath of God what lumpish heartlesse care have we to doe good duties This is the reason of the vanity of our minds and the hardness of our hearts and that so little good is done by preaching among us because people doe not watch When you sow your corn you set hullers to drive away the fowls so why doe you not set up hullers a watch over your own hearts that so if temptations come to pick away the Word and the benefit of it you may resist them how should we labour to hide the Word in our hearts that it may do us good The second Use is to exhort us all to take up this duty of watchfulnesse Vse 2 nay to watch in all things as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 4 5. to watch in our eating and drinking that we may not eat and drink our bane to watch in company that if they be good we may get good by them if evill we may get no hurt from them we should watch in good duties for we shall meet with the Devil there too every one that hath the fear of God before his eyes whatsoever grace he hath he should watch over it whatsoever good work he hath to doe he should watch that he may goe on in it for watchfulnesse is an helpfull duty watch and pray it is helpful to prayer and so for all other duties it is a duty destinated to another duty so that we can doe no other duty without watchfulnesse therefore we had need to watch First Considâ—r the misery of them that doe not watch they must needs decline and wax worse and worse you see the Church of Sardis here for want of watchfulness grew dead nay the very good things in her were ready to die Secondly Consider the good of watchfulnesse if we watch we shall be satisfied with grace if we have grace we shall increase it Prov. 20. 13. Slothfulness keeps a man in poverty but he that openeth his eye shall be satisfied with bread It is true as in outward things so in spiritual things let a man be drowsie and slothful he shall be a poor man and a beggar and shall have nothing to shew for eternal life but if thou wilt open thine eâ—es and look about thee thou shalt be satisfied with bread with the bread of life with the image of God with righteousness and holiness the more thou watchest the more abundantly will God bless thee Thirdly Consider that men in their outward callings are watchful the shepherds watch their flocks and the husbandman his seasons when to sow and when to reap his corne when to sell it and when to buy it how much more should we for the good of our souls Fourthly We should consider the examples of Gods Saints David he Psal 119. 92. watched at midnight I will arise and praise thee he would rise out of his bed in the night and pour out his heart before God and bless God for his goodness he would not doe it in his bed but he would goe out of his bed and doe it by his bedside upon his knees how should this stir us up to watchfulnesse Now I come to the second Remedy and that is to strengthen the things that 2. Remedy remain and the rather because they are but remainders and ready to die and their deeds are not perfect before God These words are diversly interpreted by Divines some understand them personally Strengthen those persons that remain as if he should say to the Angel of the Church Thy people are generally cold and dead and drowsie there is hardly any life in them now those that do remain strengthen them that they may be awakened they are ready to die there are hardly any of thy hearers that are upright and sincere before God therefore strengthen them thus Pareus and many others interpret it and this is a very good sense for a Minister is bound to strengthen all his people if any be drowsie to awaken them if any be dead to quicken them and the Lord complains against Ministers when they doe not doe thus Ezek. 3. 4. The diseased have they not strengthened c. But then there is another Exposition of these words given by Divines
receive strength as it is said of Moses Heb. 11. 28. By faith he received the Passeover so if by faith we would receive the Lords Supper and beat down all doubts and fears of flesh and blood and resolve to cast our selves upon Christ and his promises and let him have the disposing of us if we would truly cast our selves upon Christ and believe in his name and so come to the Sacrament we should have strength how can we get strength without this Eph. 3. 17. When we come to the Sacrament we come to partake of Christ and receive Christ that we may dwell in Christ and he in us Now he will not doe thus without faith faith is the wedding garment if we come without it we shall be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness may be thou wert fettered before but now thou shalt be more bound even bound hand and foot that thou canst not stir as the Apostle saith Above all things take the shield of faith so I may say if you will come to the Sacrament to your Eph. 6. own peace and comfort above all things take the shield of faith When men come to the Sacrament only with bodily eyes and bodily hands what do they get nothing but a piece of bread and a drop of wine but if they had faith they should have the evidence of things not seen Christ and heaven and the covenant of grace are not seen with bodily eyes faith would help them to the evidence of these things not seen as St. Austin speaks of a worthy Martyr when he was to suffer Martyrdome he took the Sacrament to strengthen him to suffer Martyrdom and the Martyrs in the Primitive Church every day expecting Martyrdom they every day received the Sacrament to help them with strength but when we come to the Sacrament without faith we deprive our selves of this benefit Now as long as we give way to our sins doubting will reign and faith cannot be in our soules Fourthly Because they do not seek earnestly to God to blesse the Sacrament to them they do not make themselves strong in heaven before they come they do not go with strong cries and groans to the Throne of grace that God would quicken them that they may get the good they ought to do at it If we would come to the Sacrament of Lords Supper as we ought to do we should be earnest with God and wrestle with him that he would make us sensible of our wants and that he would pluck up our hearts to come with faith that he would strengthen us that we may behave our selves well when we are there and when we come away every Ordinance of God is sanctified by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4. 5. Now because either people do not pray at all or if they do they are not earnest with God therefore it is that they return home little the better Fifthly Because they do not behave themselves â—ell when they are at it they are not well occupied when they sit at the Lords Table they know not how to employ themselves as the duty requires this is that would help us to true strength by the Sacrament if we were well employed when we were at it Cant. 1. 12. While the King sitteth at his table c. saith the Church that is while the King was enjoying communion with me and I with him I was just at the same time very well employed I laboured in some measure to stir up all the graces that were in me that my Spikenard might send up a sweet perfume into his nostrils that my faith might work and my love might work so while we are sitting at the Lords Table and the King sitteth down to bid us welcome we should labour to be well employed to keep vanities out of our minds and employ them well that we may have a good meal before we go Sixthly Because people when they have been at the Sacrament they do not examine themselves diligently whither they have got any good by the Sacrament I have received the Sacrament have I got any good by it is my faith strengthned am I yet backward to Gods will untoward in his worship dead in his service am I still hovering and doubting in my conscience have I no care of God have I got no good by the Sacrament if people would but call themselves to account whither they have got any good by the Sacrament this would do them a great deal of good it would make them bewail and lament and cry out if they got no good people let things râ—n on at six and sevens if they get good so it is if they get none so it is but lay it not to heart whereas a godly heart when he hath been at an Ordinance calls himself to account and takes it marvellous heavily if he see he hath got no good as the Church when she prayed and saw her prayers did not prevail it was a bitter thing to her Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow Lam. 3. 44. when she saw she prayed and strived and tugged with God and there was no comfort O how she took it to heart she made it the burthen of her complaint so if Christians would do thus The Sacrament doth not take the Lord covers himself with clouds and hides himself from me he will not own me we should go crying and yelling up and down to see that we do not get good by the Sacrament if we would do thus we might get good by it Seventhly If people do get good by the Sacrament afterwards yet they do not interpret this to be by the goodness of God in the Sacrament may be they meet with some comfort and assistance now and then which might do them a world of good and strengthen their hearts wonderfully if they did look to it when they have gotten many good blessings now they do not construe this to be by reason of Gods Sacrament and Covenant if they did look upon it O this came by vertue of Gods Covenant and the seal of his Covenant to my soul this would make them strong in Gods Covenant and help them exceedingly thus David did if he got any mercy at any time still he laid it upon going to Gods Ordinances this I had because I kept thy precepts This I had because I prayed unto thee and sought thee Psal 119. earnestly I followed God earnestly and now I see his infinite goodnesse and mercy towards me how he hath rewarded me I confess it was a poor thing I did God might even have slung it as dung in my face but see how he hath rewarded me So if Christians would say this I had because I was careful though I had formerly neglected Gods Ordinances yet at last I came to seek him earnestly with my whole heart and to come more preparedly and diligently to the Lords Supper and now this I find I had by it
out to the end if thou wilt keep me and uphold me then I shall keep thy Law for ever but otherwise I shall never do it Nay Christ plainly tells us that he is fain to put in and pour out his prayers before his heavenly father that his dearest Saints and elect may not fall away as who should say Father they may fall totally away if thou do not preserve them as he saith to Peter Luke 22. 32. I have prayed that thy faith fail not faith is the best grace that any child of God hath and love proceeding from faith is a good grace but they are all failing things and may be worn out by corruptions therefore Christ prayeth his heavenly Father that it may be fed and cherished and kept by his heavenly Father that it may never fail implying it would fail otherwise Nay the children of God are fain to confesse in their prayers it were just with God to let them fall totally away by reason of their sins by reason of their unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulness under the means and want of knowledge of his son Jesus Christ they confess it were just with God to be weary of them and give them for gone nay the children of God the best of them all do find that it is a very hard thing to keep themselves from decayes of grace and declinings and weaknings they find that they have much ado to hold their own much more to grow in grace and increase more and more to grow more and more heavenly and more and more vertuous and more and more selfdenying they see how many thousand corruptions and temptations they have and how backward their own hearts are and how soon they are surprized that they have much ado to keep that which is begun in them much more to encrease it and grow in it Nay the children of God may so far fall away that in their own sense and feeling they may think that they have not a jot of grace so that they are sometimes ready to conclude against themselves that they have no grace they were never wrought upon never subdued many times it is thus and though they do not conclude thus yet how often are they put to this desperate lift to look every moment when they shall fall and fall totally and lose all they shall not have a relique of grace in them it is thus with the Saints of God Lastly Because there is no grace received is able to hold without continual influences from Heaven this is the nature of the grace of the second Covenant that it is by continual influence it is not like the first Covenant when God gave Adam all his portion in his hand not only for the present but for ever if he would he might stand for ever he need not pray to God to keep him but if he would obey God he might stand of himself by the Covenant that God had made with him but under the Covenant of grace grace runs thus that grace is but for the present if a man stand now if he would stand the next hour he must have a new supply of grace though he be never so patient now he may be impatient in a quarter of an hour though he be never so humble now he may be as proud as Luciser in a quarter of an hour I say God under the Covenant of grace gives a man only for the present so that now he may know it is in Gods hand he is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation so that grace is in a child of God as light is in an house light is never so in an house but in a moment it will be dark if you shut the windows so it is with a true Christian he had need keep his windows open towards Christ he hath need of continual shinings of grace from heaven as Christ teacheth us concerning our daily bread give us this day our daily bread so it is much more in regard of grace for our souls good Lord give me wisedom and faith and patience this hour and so the next hour and the next day give me the comfort of this day and the assistance of this day give me the concurrence of thy grace this day and so the next and we must never leave praying to God to accompany us with his grace from day to day for a man stands not by the grace that is in him but by the grace that is in God as the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 10. be strong in the Lord by the power of his might he doth not say be strong by the grace ye have received but be strong in the Lord be sure you call upon him and keep close to him there is all you stand by So 2 Tim. 2. 1. be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus if any man in the Church might be strong by the grace in himself Timothy might he was as vertuous a young man as any in the Church no man that Paul loved so as Timothy I know no man like minded saith he he was so endued with Gods spirit and the graces and vertues thereof that there was none like him yet Paul doth not bid him be strong in the grace that was in him but be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus grace is in a child of God as heat is in the water though it be never so seething hot yet take it from the fire and it will fâ—ing out all the heat and be as cold as ever it was so it is here notwithstanding all the graces that are in a child of God if he do not hang over Jesus Christ and keep close to him the daily incursions of sin will consume his graces the temptations of the flesh and the Divel within and the world without will consume them all unless a man be a good husband and receive new supply from Heaven so that we say that no grace received can keep a man from falling but that he may fall totally away in himself Now to come to the true reasons why a child of God cannot fall totally away but something of the Image of God shall remain in him though he may lose much yet he shall not lose all but something shall be remaining in him the reason of this is nothing else but the meer goodness of God to him that God will not let him so fall and God hath covenanted so with him that man that truly believes in his name he shall be kept for ever through faith unto salvation he shall not be quite broken off but he shall have some grace he shall have something of God in him something that shall distinguish him from all wicked men in the world as the Lord saith of David Psal 89 33. though they did sin against him and carry themselves unworthy that God should keep them yet notwithstanding the Lord would whip them and chastize them but his loving kindness he would never take from them why because he
had sworn by his holiness that he would never fail David so that here we see it was meerly through the goodness of God to David and his elect people that they were kept from falling away so Psal 37. 24. saith he the righteous shall not be utterly cast down a child of God may fall and fall souly and fearfully he may stain his own conscience in a lamentable manner and wound his own soul and disable himself to good duties in a fearful manner but yet though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down there shall be some standing still it shall not be an utter fall so he that doth these things shall never be removed Psal 15. 5. he speaks there of a man that shall dwel in Gods holy mount and be names who it is one that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. so that you see it is the promise of God that this man shall stand for ever he shall never be totally unsetled he doth not mean he shall not be moved at all but not absolutely so as to be quite and clean thrown down but yet no thanks to himself but thanks to the promise otherwise he might be moved and unsetled and break his neck and fall and never rise more but the promise is that he shall never â—e moved Psal 112. 6. the righteous shall never be moved he shall be had in everlasting remembrance the Lord will remember a righteous man in the midst of all temptations let all the Divels in hell set upon him the Lord will for ever remember that man and never let him go from him so that you see it is meerly the goodness of God not from any thing in himself not from any grace received but meerly from Gods goodness he may thank the rock he is built upon as Christ saith Mat. 7 25. He that heareth these sayings and doth them I will liken him to a man that built his house upon a rock c. The house fell not but he may thank the rock it was built upon a rock so a childe of God is built upon a rock as we have a Proverb how can he but swim that is held up by the chin so a child of God the Lord holds him up by the chin he shall never sink so as to be drowned he may fall and fall fearfully but not totally but there shall be something of God remaining in him for ever the Lord will ever keep some truth of grace in that mans soule that he hath given the truth of grace to 2 John 2. For the truths sake saith he which dwelleth in us and shall be in us for ever When God hath put in the truth of saving grace into any of his peoples hearts it shall dwell in them for ever the Lord will take an order for the keeping of it therefore though a childe of God may be grievously overcome yet God doth ever let somthing or other remain he doth ever exempt something God deals with his children in regard of their souls as he dealt with Job in regard of his body though he let the Devil have a great deal of power over him yet he did limit him he is in thy hand but save his life though he would not let him have power over his life to kill him he let him have Jobs children in his hands and he let him have his goods in his hands his cattel and his substance in his hands nay he let him have his health in his hands so that he did strike him with boyles and blains and woful sicknesse but yet save his life you shall not take away his life so God deals with the life of his Saints though he may let the Devil horribly tempt them and the World horribly carry them away and the lusts of the flesh horribly vanquish them yet saith God he is my childe and the Devil and the Flesh and the Temptations of the World shall never kill him save his life let him never be dead in trespasses and sinnes as a wretch But you will say What is it that doth remain and what shall for ever remain in the children of God You know David fell into adultery to lie with another mans wife he fell to that pass that he laboured to defend his sin and maintain it that it might not come abroad he added murder to it what grace what fear of God what love to his Majesty what regard of Gods commandements what goodness or holiness at all was in Davids heart now at this time So Solomon when he gave way to Idolatry over all Israel to the Idols of Moab and Ammon and Edom and the Philistins round about that the true God was not truly worshipped what grace had he was there any goodness or piety in Solomon at that time So when Peter denied his Master and forswore him and confirmed it with an oath and cursed himself if he knew the man what grace was in Peters heart at that time So when Asa threw the Prophet into prison when he came to reprove him what grace remained in him at that time Thus the enemies of this Doctrine argue against it therefore they say a child of God may fall totally Was there any grace at all in Davids heart when he was committing adultery and murder was there any grace at all in Lots heart when he was committing drunkennesse and incest one night after another I answer There are four things which shall ever remain in Gods children and shall never be taken away quite and clean after they are once converted and brought home to God First They have an Unction an anointing from the holy one and that is in them and shall abide in them for ever 1 John 2. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him dwelleth in you c. This same anointing it abides in the people of God for ever By this same anointing I mean the opening of their eyes whereby they look upon God and Christ and his goodness and holinesse and righteousnesse and the commandements of God and sin and hell and the world and profits and pleasures they look upon the things of the world and upon the things of heaven in another manner then any other people doe God opens their eyes that they look upon things in a different manner from other menâ— and this unction shall abide in them for ever 'T is true sin may hâ—rribly dazle their eyes by reason of the corruptions of the fâ—esh and the deceivablenesse of sin they may be marvellously weakened in this unction and darkness and deadness of soule may blinde their eyes and dimme their looks but it can never be quite taken away they will have a better sight of God and Heaven and Christ and heavenly things and of the Ordinances of God and of the world and their callings and the businesse of the world they shall see these things after a different manner from the world as for example A child of God shall see more
word of God and looks whatsoever it seeth joyned together by that it joynes together of it self as the Promises and Commandements are bound together by an inviolable knot so faith joynes them together it cannot take the promises of God but it must take the commandements of God also faith looks upon God and as it seeth him to be gracious whereby it comes to have faith to rely upon him so also it seeth him to be holy a God that is severe against sin and hateth unrighteousness so that it is necessary that works be together with faith for the commandement and nature of God require it Fifthly They are necessary also by necessity of end for God hath ordained his people to this end that they should bring forth good works Eph. 2. 10. We are his workmanship created in Christ to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them We are created in Christ Jesus not onely that we should be saved but that we should bring forth good works Now good works are necessary by necessity of end in divers respects First to this end To glorifie God in the world Let your light so shine before men c. Matth. 5. 16. So 1 Pet. 2. 12. the Apostle saith Having our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers c. For when a Christian that professeth he believes in God and Jesus Christ is plentiful in all manner of good works this stops the mouth of all gainsayers You know Piety and Religion is hated in the world the Gospel finds opposition among men Now when those that are Professors are loose and licentious in their lives this opens their mouths against the truth but when our lives and conversations hold forth Jesus Christ as we take up the profession of his holy name so they are agreeable to his will they are just and holy and righteous and good this makes men think in their conscience this is of God this stops their mouths that they cannot rail at the Gospel Secondly They are necessary to doe good to others and convert others as the Apostle instanceth in women that believe if they be zealous of good works if they be chast and humble and meek and discreet by this means they may be instruments to convert their husbands that believe not 1 Pet. 3. The Lord looks that his people all that believe in him should be fruitful in good works that they may winne and gaine others to the faith Thirdly Another end is to purifie our selves for it is vertue that must throw out vice we are all borne by nature filthy and unclean and full of noysome lusts and the way to expel these is by the contrary vertues 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing you have purified your soules by obeying the truth Fourthly Another end is to qualifie us for Heaven we cannot be qualified for the Kingdome of heaven unless we be holy and godly in Christ Jesus except we have our conversations honest as becometh Saints for though it be faith that entitles a man to the Kingdome of Heaven and gives a man right to the Kingdome of God yet holinesse and conformity to the minde of God and the image of God is that which doth fit and qualifie a man for to enter into the Kindome of God as Christ saith Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you can in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though it be true we are saved by grace and so good works have no causality no proper efficiency in our salvation yet notwithstanding they are a cause sine qua non without them there can be no salvation we cannot enter into Gods Kingdome except we be humble and meek and lowly except we fear God and be according to his minde in all things in some measure we cannot enter into his Kingdom Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God A man cannot be admitted to the Beatifical Vision of God except he be pure in heart and he cannot enjoy the Kingdome of grace neither here unless he be pure in heart Rev. 21. 27. Without holiness aâ— man shall see the Lord Heb. 13. It is impossible we should enter into Gods Kingdome by having actual possession of it except we be holy and fitted for it as the Apostle saith Col. 1. 12. It is impossible that drunkards and unclean persons should have society with the blessed Trinity with the eternal God with the Spirit of holinesse to dwell with them for evermore we must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Fifthly To proportion our Reward for though we are saved only by grace yet God doth proportion our reward according to the multitude and zeal and fervency of our good works for Gods Covenant is a remunerating Covenant for mercy doth not consist only in the pardoning of a man but also in the sanctifying of a man and the inclining of a mans heart to new obedience that there may be remuneration for though God doth not reward people for their works yet according to their works he doth 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly c. Though a man be a Believer and a godly man if he be sparing in his godliness he shall fare accordingly and if he be abundant in the work of the Lord he shall reap abundantly for as there are differences and degrees of torments to the wicked so there be degrees in the Kingdom of God and in glory and the Lord doth reward his people according to their works Lastly Good works are necessary by necessity of thankfulness it is necessary that we having received the forgiveness of our sins and God being pleased to be our God and to deliver us from the wrath to come and the power of Satan that we should be thankful for these mercies as David saith Psal 118. 19. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts and be thankeful Col. 1. 15. When David had considered what the Lord had done for his soul saith he what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits as soon as ever God hath been good to a man to open his eyes to let him see his damned estate and condition and to let him have hope and comfort and encouragement in him concerning deliverance from it and bestowing upon him his heavenly Kingdom and glory it cannot be but the soul must be thankful what shall I do unto the Lord for all his benefits you know there is nothing that we can do back again for these benefits except we will praise and glorifie him by living unto him and not unto our selves therefore when the Psalmist had reckoned up the benefits of God to Israel Psal 105. 46. he concludes that they may keep his statutes and observe his Laws First Here we see how horribly the Papists wrong us when they say we Vse 1 do not teach people
is holiness and righteousness that is a sign of our effectuall calling Thirdly They are signs of justification also as the Apostle sheweth but you are washed c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. you see if we be justified we are also sanctified so 1 Joh. 1. 7. if we walk in the light as he is in the light c. We have not one drop of the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our souls by Gods eternal spirit through faith unless we walk in the light and bring forth the works of the light Fourthly They are signs of adoption John 8. 39. If you were Abrahams children you would bring forth the works of Abraham so if we were Gods children we would do the works of God the will of God The Apostle having spoken of the adoption of Saints behold what love the Father hath shewed to us c. presently he tells us that holiness and righteousness follows from hence he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure So Rom. 8. 14. As many are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God this is an infallible sign if we be the sons of God we are led by the spirit of God so that we have no mark that we are the children of God but rather of the Divel unlesse we walk in purenesse of conversation from day to day Fifthly They are the marks of our love to God as Christ saith if you love me keep my commundements John 14. 15. we love not God except we keep his commandments as ever you would be able to say in truth you love me keep my commandments look that you yield not to the corruptions of the world look that you renounce the Divel and all his works I will conclude you love me not at all if you keep not my commandments and he that loves not Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha saith the Apostle Secondly Consider this that the reason why we cannot pray better is Motive 2. because we are no more abundant in good works not only because we want faith but because we want good works for certainly this is a great help to prayer a great support to the soul a great encouragement to go to the Throne of grace and a great sign that God means to hear a man when God hath given him an heart to fear him and love him and make conscience of his wayes as the Apostle saith 1 John 3. 22. Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things pleasing in his sight As who should say when we go to God and intreat him to be merciful to us and intreat such and such favours that we stand in need of we know that we shall receive them because we keep his commandments These are admirable supports to hold up the hands to the Throne of grace and to make us importunate in prayer and confident because we know God hath poured forth his gracious good will and pleasure into our hearts and hath given us a mark he loves us and beares us good will indeed Why can we pray no better our hands are weake and our knees feeble there is no power in our supplications to the Almighty the spirit of grace is departed from us why the spirit of holiness is gone there is the reason of it when people are loose and do not mortifie their lusts when they are not abundant in following God in fearing God and serving God and obeying the commandments of God they cannot have confidence at the Throne of grace Thirdly Consider this would be a great chearing and rejoycing in the Motive 3. evil day whatsoever afflictions come upon us in this world if we can carry letters testimonial in our own conscience that we do serve God with a pure conscience in this world as Paul saith 2 Cor. 1. 12. God knows what evil may befal us before we are a little older what temptations may await us what distresses and calamities may fall upon us happy are we if we have the testimony of a good conscience that we walk in the wayes of God and fear him and love those things that are beloved of God if we love his children his Ordinances his glory and are tender of it a good conscience tender of the commandments of God and his waâ—es is the best comfort a man can have in the world setting aside his faith in God and this is an evidence of his faith too how can we tell what may be may be the best of us may come to Davids pass you know hoâ— he was put to it once in the time of his misery and affliction he was fain to look if he could see an honest life and conversation whither he had pleased God saith he I communed with my spirit and made diligent search Pâ—al 77. 6. How have I pleased God and followed God what manner of â—e have I led he ransacked all his life and conversation and would be glad to see he had done the things pleasing to God iâ— would be more comfort thâ—n if all the Angels in heaven had spoken comfort so temptations or afâ—â—ictions may be upon us that we would be glad to see signs and tokens of Gods favour in sanctifying our hearts and making us to be obedient to his will and tremble at his word and if we cannot see these things woe unto us 1 Tim 6. 19. charge them that be rich in the world that they be not high minded c. So we do not know what times may come we had need lâ—y a good foundation for comfort against the time to come and charge rich men that they be rich in good works charge all Christians all that desire to had in the evil day to be rich in good works and abound in them and lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal life Lastly Consider that your want of obedience and good works is the cause of all Gods temporal judgements why God doth stop the bottles of Heaven and turns the Earth into dust and parcheth our Corn we see God hath begun the plague among us in the principal place of the Kingdom wherefore is all this see what the Prophet saith Jer. 3. 3. therefore have the showers been withholder because you have been wicked thou hast an whores forehead and refusest to be ashamed thy carelesseness and barrenness under the means of grace thy impenitency and hardness of heart these have caused the showers to be withholden and have made God to deny the former and latter rain The second point is this As the Covenant of grace requires works so it Doctrine The Covenant of grace requires perfect works Objection requires perfect works he tells the Church of Sardis that he looks for works and perfect works but câ—nnot find them so that the second Covenant requires perfect works But you will say how can that he Paul himself that was as forward a man and had as
him have but time let him but grow he will quickly be able to look upon it and be able to see what it is so it is with the people of God they are at first very ignorant what God hath given them as the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians Eph. 1. 17. that God would let them be no longer children but that God would open the eyes of their understanding that they might know what the hope of their calling was that he would let them know what he had given them they hardly knew what they had at the first they had an effectual calling from God and they had a thousand hopes they might hope to be strengthened against corruptions to be delivered in six troubles and in seaven they might hope when they died to be translated into the Kingdome of immortallity and glory for evermore they had this hope now saith he the Lord of heaven and earth open the eyes of your understanding that you may see the hope of your calling and the exceeding riches of those things that God hath bestowed upon you Againe they may be ignorant of the voyce of the Spirit they do not understand A young believer is ignorant of the voyce of the Spirit the Spirits language when a child of God is first effectually called he comes into a new world and meets with a new language he is a Barbarian to it and that is barbarous to him he cannot understand the language of the Spirit the Spirit speaks many comfortable things and there are many works of the Spirit whereby the Spirit doth speak to a man for his comfort and consolation if he could take them as a man that comes into a strange Countrey he lives a very uncomfortable life at first he hears them speak but he cannot understand them they speak strange language he cannot tell what to make of it but the longer he is there he comes to understand such a word and then such a word and it may be a sentence now and then and so in the end he understands them plainly so at the first when God calls his people into a new world the Spirit speaks many things to them but yet iâ— is in an unknown tongue it is gibberish to them they cannot tell what to make of it but when they come to understand the dialect they come to rejoyce Againe the children of God are ignorant of the work of grace they think certainly never could any of the children of God that were aright beâ—n that A child of God is ignorant of the work grace estate that I am they never find their hearts so like a log in prayer when I go to the Sacrament sometimes I behave my self like a block and cannot behave my self in any competent manner as I ought certainly none of Gods people can be thus an I am they are ignorant what may be in the people of God what may stand with the truth of God and so they question their estate and conditions out of ignorance afterwards when they come to more experience and finde the wayes of God in them and come to have a knowledge of their owne corruptions and of the goodness of God in purging them out more and more in the end they are able to speak it to Gods glory and their own consolation Againe the knowledge of a mans effectual calling may be hindered by being unresolved of a mans Christian liberty when there be Christian liberties that a How the knowledge of effectual calling may be hindred man hath need of every day and yet notwithstanding a man is not resolved upon it many a man thinks verily if he should finde any delight in the good creatures of God if he should be merry or chearful at any time if he should be talking of his calling in the world and speak of it in his communication and follow his calling diligently if he should be angry and let bitter words fly at any time though his nature make him so he thinks verily and concludes that he hath no grace he is a very worldly carnal man he savours of these things here below he savours of the creature and he is carnally merry though a man may take care for outward things moderately and be chearful so for anger a man may be angry be angry saith the Apostle â—â—t sin not now if he be angry at any time though the thing be lawful and he hath Christian liberty in the thing yet not knowing his Christian liberty this doth exceedingly trouble a man many times and makes him question his effectual calling there be abundance of Christian liberties that we have need of every day and have need of the knowledge of and when the soul and conscience doth not know his Christian liberty I do not speak of this in regard of the world they had need have straight limitations curbs and we had need put in all the caveats that can be for they are apt of their own accord to take too much elbow-roome every man is ready to stand upon his liberty what he may lawfully do but though wicked men damne their own soules in these things yet it is fit the children of God should have their portion and know it and the want of this knowledge hinders a man from the knowledge of the things given him of God Againe a man may be ignorant of the tenderness of Jesus Christ and of A man may be ignorant of the tenderness of Jesus Christ the infinite bowels of the Sonne of God and how chary he is over his people and that he regards a graine of wheat under an heap of chaffe it is very probable that the son of Jâ—roboam had a taint of the family he was taken from which was marvelous foule yet notwithstanding God takes notice of the good things that were in him though in the Churches in the Revelation foule and grievous things were found yet the Lord notwithstanding takes notice of any thing that was good in them if there be but a drop of true saving grace in the heart God will take notice of it though a man be but smoaking flax God will be tender of it now many a child of God doth not know the tender compassions of Jesus Christ and that he will accept them notwithstanding a thousand weaknesses and though they have but a little hold and a little strength to put forth in the wayes of God and they see how many thousand things they can say against themselves when they see not the tender compassions of Jesus Christ and what a tender Saviour he is the tender mercies of our God as it is Luke 1. This hinders them from the knowledge of that which otherwise they might know Againe it may be hindered very much through melancholy it is the very It may be hindred through melancholy coach that the devil rides in as Divines speak it corrupts a mans imagination and fills it with groundlesse fears and doubts and makes a man
prayers makes them depend upon him in all their needs and necessities he makes them deny themselves and works the grace of humiliation more and more and a trade of godlinesse and a course of holiness and piety now not one of these works are till a man is called all things work together for the best to those that are called Rom. 8. 28. this is a leaâ—ing work now all works come in now the word works and prayer works and the Sacrament works and afflictions work and sinne works when a man is effectually called this is the great wheele of motion now all things work together for the good of him that is called according to Gods purpose this is the first ground work the first breaking of the ice the first setting of a man forth towards heaven therefore we shall see when the Apostle is to write to any man or Churches commonly before ever he bids them do this or that the first thing he speaks to them about is this he tells them they are effectually called as Rom. 1. 7. afterwards he bids them yield their members as weapons to righteousness and adviseth them to walk in the Spirit and give up their bodies and souls as a living sacrifice to God not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed in the spirit of their minds and to walk in love and redeemâ— the time and abundance of other works he sets them about but first of all he names their effectual calling as who should say I take it for granted that â—oâ—â—re called it is a folly for me to bid you do this or that if you were not effectually called else I should alwaies be beating what damned and â—iserable creatures you are shall I bid you pray and professe Religion and you not effectually called you can never do this therefore this is the first thing 〈◊〉 called of God So when he writes to the Corinths 1 Cor. 1. 2. called â—â—e Saints it is the fore front of all his Epistles as who should say I shall speak abundance of things to you but you are called of God therefore he bids them do this and that and the other all works come after this effectual calling as it is in other particular callings suppose a man be called to be an Apostle all the acts and performances that an Apostle doth they come after he is called else they are not the acts of an Apostle but a medler therefore in all the Apostles writings when he doth the acts of an Apostle to exhort them and rebuke them in the Lord he shews his calling Paul called to be an Apostle as who should say do not judge amiss of me you may think what have I to do with you we have a Minister already what have you to do in Corinth meddle with your own places where you live mistake me not I am called to be an Apostle so that his calling to be an Apostle is before all other actions first he is called and then exhorts instructs reproves c. Several names given to effectual calling Fourthly Another reason is taken from the names that are given unto effectual calling first it is called a mans gathering unto Christ as Joh. 11. 50 51 52. it is the prophecy of Caiphas though he spake he knew not what yet he spake right as the place doth imply it is expedient saith he that one man should dye for the people and gather together the children of God that were scattered as who should say this is the first act that the Lord Jesus doth upon those that are his they were scattered till then and now when he comes effectually to call them he puts his first act upon them and gathered them to himself so also it is called a drawing unto God Joh 12. 32. When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me that is when he was lifted up upon the crosse he would call the Gentiles all his elect people unto him he doth not speak of all men but he speaks of the elect he will draw all them to him he will call them home So againe it is called in Scripture the entring of a man into Christ as a Scholar that is admitted into a Colledge his name is first entred so effectual calling is a mans first entring into the Schoole of Christ into the family of Christ when a man is first entred into that blessed society as Joh. 10. 9. I am the doore if any man will enter by me he shall be saved and go in and out and finde pasture he speaks here of the first act of a mans coming before that he was quite out of doors this is the first act his first entring into Christ to be of his sheepfold and flock to feed upon his pastures and to have the benefit of his Scepter and be governed and guided by him as the true shepheard effectual calling enters a man into Christ Againe it is called a mans coming in Rom. 11. 25. untill the fulness of the Gentiles is come in that is until the elect Gentiles be effectually called now because he would expresse what effectual calling is he calls it the coming of a man in he was without before as other dogs were that had no part in the tree of life no interest in the salvation purchased as far off as those that were reprobates but now is his coming in and so I might instance in other names Lastly Because it is the first extract of election and predestination unto eternal life as Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate them also he called there was the first impression of the seale upon the wax there was the first image that he made whom he did predestinate them he called afterwards he justified them c therefore you shall finde in Scripture that election calling are put together because this is the first blush of it as Rev. 17. 14. The King of Kings Lord of Lords and they that are with him are called and chosen he puts them both together what a marvelous comfort is this to those that know they are effectually called of God! election and vocation are individual companions and cannot be separated one from the other that man that is elected it is certaine he shall be called this is that which makes a man actually elected my meaning is this though a man were elected before all worlds though now living in the estate of sinne and death and damnation a vile wretched sinner he was elected it may be but not actually elected in himself there was nothing of election in him there was no image nor seale of election stamped upon him nothing of it put forth in him therefore this is the reason why in Scripture vocation is called election 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. You see your calling brethren not many wisemen after the flesh not many mighty c. are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the one is the image and the
better never to have stepped forth when a man steps into a way which seems good to him commonly that way is death to him when he hath gone a thousand miles as he thinks in the profession of Religion and hath gotten the apprehension in his owâ— soul to be the child of God then to lay it down it goes to the heart of him he will build an high wall in his own imagination certainly it is thus indeed it is better to turne then go forward but it is the corruption of a mans heart he cannot abide to returne it will be a shame to him and there must be such a do that he is not able to beare it I do not desire to unsettle any man if a man hath but his fingers ends to lay hold upon Christ any truth to hang upon him let him hang God for bid I should shake such a one but if your error be in the beginning and if you have gone out of the way you were better to returne for you will never go right Vse 2. Here we may see the reason why the Scripture is so urgent to See why Scriptuâ—e uâ—geâ—â— us to make out calling sure make our calling sure because this is the first entrance and admission into Jesus Christ there is an excellent place 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for he that doth these things shall never fall for so an entrance shall be made unto you into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ make it sure why for if you do you shall never fall that is not all neither though this is a great matter is not this a great matter for a man to be sure never to fall away but he shall stand and hold our for ever what a mercy is this yet this is not all for saith he so shall an emrance be made unto you into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as who should say your effectual calling is the very entrance into the Kingdom and glory of Jesus Christ it is the very first entring into the way of eternal life if you are assured of this you are in a faire way you are in the gates of heaven you are in an excellent way if you have made this sure therefore make that pastlal peradventure that you were called indeed of God to partake of Jesus Christ Reas 1. The reason to urge this is first because effectual calling is such a Reas 1 first work that as God doth it at first so it stands for all a man shall never be called more God doth it once and will never do it againe look what God gives a man at first he gives him once for all you may see it Jud 1. saith he I would have you earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints when God did effectually call his Saints he delivered to them faith and he delivered it to them then once for all never to give it to them againe but then they had it once for all as it is said of Christ he was once offered for all Heb 9. So when God doth effectually call a man he doth give him this call once for all he gives him faith once for all and grace once for all but you will say when God gives grace he reneweth it every day and affoards new helps and new assistances 't is true and without this no man can stand without supply from God continually the very elect could not persevere unto the end but yet God gives them no new graces he gives them more of the same love to God and more of the same faith and more of the same desires and endeavours after goodness but the thing is never to do againe as Christ saith to the woman of Samaria 1 Joh. 4. 14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst when Christ brings a man to this well and gives him the first draught he shall never thirst more he shall never have it to do againe God doth it once for all that is that man that is once effectually called is never uncalled if he hath once faith given him he is never totally deprived of it it is once delivered to him for all times afterwards now this shews us that it concerns us nearly to be assured of this when a man hath done a thing that can be but once done it must stand for all and the thing is good and necessary would he not be sure of it such a thing is effectual calling Secondly Because all the promises meet here as all the streams meet where All the promises of God meet in a mans effectual calling the fountaine opens its self so all the promises of God meet in a mans effectual calling when God effectually calls a man he saith take my Son come unto me cast thy self upon me and be ruled by me he doth this effectually and saith thus to him thou shalt have my Son and with him all things pardon of thy sins the peace of a good conscience I will give thee power against â—ll thy lusts the gates of hell shall not prevaile against thee I will keep thee here in this world through faith unto salvation take my yâ—ak upon thâ— and learne of me and thou shalt have all these things and therefore Rev. 19. 9. Blessed is he that is called to the supper of the Lamb these are the true sayings of God as who should say though you may question it and doubt it and call it into controversy I tell you it is true these are the true sayings of God and you may build your self upon it you are blessed if you be once effectually called of God all the promises of God belong unto you Acts 2. 39. the prâ—mises belong to you and to your children to as many as God shall call all that are called of God all the promises of God belong unto them as soon as ever Christ hath effectually called a man he opens his liver-veine and le ts out all his heart blood upon him all belongs to that man it is like the first joyning of hands between man and wife with all my goods I thee â—ndow when God first takes a man out of the world to live unto him and seek his Kingdom and labour to please him and from this time forward to believe in his name with all his goods he him endows he gives him title to eternal life to all the helpâ— and furtherances that ever he shall need for this life or eternal life he shall have all now what a needful thing is it when all the promises meet here as at a fountaine head here is the spring let forth how needful is it I say that a man should labour that he be effectually called of God we should look for iâ— every day and pray to God to have it and strive to have it appeare unto us that our calling is sound here is
hardly heare of a man so humble in an age as he was he did even grudge to think that Christ should come into his house he thought he was unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe though he were in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of a servant his heart was employed and brought low he had no hope in himself all the worth he saw was in Christ this helps a man to the more faith the more a man is emplyed the more may be poured in Wherefore serve all those texts in Scripture The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evill flesh and blood can never enter into the Kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and such a one can never please God while the world stands Wherefore serve all these texts of Scripture when Gods sâ—ings balls of fire upon men that live in their wicked wayes Why do we not open them and presse them upon mens consciences Why do we not apply them to those to whom they belong are they not in the Bible were the Prophets fooles were the Holy Pen-men of the Scripture mistaken in putting such texts into the Bible If they be there they ought to be uttered and applied and if they be to be applied to whom but to those to whom they belong Then such persons had need to look to themselves and we that are Ministers woe unto us if we do not preach terrour to whom terrour belongs as well as mercy to whom mercy belongs but you will say are not we Ministers of the Gospel 't is true and so was Christ yet mark what he saith repent and then believe first he discovers their miserable conditions and breaks their hearts and then bids them lay hold upon the Gospel of peace this is the Method that we that are the Ministers of God should take first wound and then heale first lance and then bind up first detect mâ—ns sinnes and shew them their miseries and then shew them a remedy first let them see what they are and then see how they may be better Then you must be content to let us go up upon Mount Eball and pronounce Vse 2. Be content to heare the curses of the Law preached the curses of God upon those that go on in their sinnes you must be content to have your estates and conditions ripped up be not ready to be snappish and murmuring against the revelation of the Law and the opening of the hellish sink of sin that is in your hearts be you willing to hear it and let us do it 't is true we must be ready to poure in Oyle into every bruised spirit but first we must come with the hammer of the Law to breake and then bind up let me tell you as many as go on in your sins and are yet without Christ let me tell you what your condition is be it known from the Lord whatsoever you may think you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity hell is moved for your coming and the pit is digged for such as you are you are under the wrath of heaven and though God be gracious and full of mercy yet he will never save those that disobey him and stand out against his Holy and Heavenly Word though Christ died for sinners yet he is a stumbling block and a rock of offence to those that are disobedient and stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2 8 Whatsoever you may think of your selves and do not think of these things but suffer the world and your pleasures to take up your mindes think of it what a woefull case you are in know that the great God of Heaven and Earth hath bitter things against you and you shall heare it with both eares when it is too late there is no mercy but for them that repent and forsake their sins there is no Kingdome of Heaven for you you have no hope the Devils and you have one hope What turned so many Angels of Heaven into Hell was it not sin you have that very sin upon you you do not see your misery but if your eyes were open and would but heare what God saith you would loath your selves in dust and ashes and your knees would knock together for anguish of heart What no conversion yet no new creatures yet then no Christ no Heaven no Happiness what a woful thing is this I beseech you think of it and apply it and tell your soules either sin must down or else no Heaven to be looked for either I must be an holy man either God will give me grace and holinesse here or else I shall â—ever see his face with comfort hereafter either I must have my life changed and my conversation made spiritual and godly by Jesus Christ or else I do but deceive my own soul to think of any happinesse this is certaine therefore do not think lightly of any sin there is no sin so small but is able to damn thy soul unlesse thou embrace the Gospel and the Kingdome of God If it were possible that thou never hadst sinned but one sin that one sin will damn thee unlesse thou be a new creature and by Faith embrace the Son of God thou canst not â—e saved there is no sin so small but the wrath of God from Heaven is revealed against it if people did but see their sins like so many Devils if they did but once see these Cockatrices stings if people were but affected with their estates and conditions something might be said but unless mens sins be laid before their eyes and charged upon their souls what hope have we to do them any good Thirdly this is for comfort to those that are humbled such as have had Vse 3. To comfort those that have had this work of the Law on them the Law come unto them and hath knocked them off that they have nothing to trust to and they see what miserable creatures they are look up and hear what the Gospel saith the Gospel of God sheweth mercy freely to be had and delivers promises freely to be apprehended and doth proffer eternal life without money or moneys worth though a man be never so vile and wretched if you see your misery you have Davids own argument go and use it Psal 25. 16. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted all the Saints of God have no other argument but this in begging of mercy as who should say I am a miserable creature no grounds whereupon to expect any mercy I am a desolate afflicted undone man in my self all my hope is in thee go to God and lie at his gate and plead this argument submitting to the Gospel Have mercy on me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted and here now comes in effectual calling when the Law hath shewed a man his wretched estate
casts himself upon this and this draws him to Christ and if he love God and labour to please him and obey him and throw away all whatsoever displeaseth him if this makes him heavenly minded and long after the knowledge of God and the revelation of it this deads his heart to worldly things and makes him spiritual if it be thus this is true and saving faith and not dead faith This is encouragement to those that are without How many are there Vse 3. For encouragement to all that are without among you that are yet in your sinnes and were never yet brought home to Christ Consider what an excellent invitation here for you the Gospel is sent to every Creature under Heaven as you may see Col. 1. 23. You may have Christ if you have a will you may have righteousnesse if you have a will to it you may have redemption if you have a wil to it you may be delivered from sin and Satan if you have a will to it you may have the favour of God if you have a will to it you may have Christ if you will have all Christ he will come to you and will receive you as you may see an excellent place for this 1 Cor. 6. 11. The Apostle there saith that drunkards and adulterers and covetous persons shall never inherit the Kingdome of God such were some of you but you are justified in the Name of Christ as who should say there is no limitation in the Gospel of God as none in the tender of it so none in the execution of it for all you were drunkards and prophane and covetous yet you have found mercy with God by entertaining of this this methinks should envite people and draw people to come to Christ whosoever hath a minde not to perish not to go in a hard heart not to be worldly and without God in the world here Christ doth envite them all to come Matthew 22. 9. Go into the high-wayes saith Christ and whomsoever you finde bid them to the Marriage God knows who we may finde here at Church to day may be some of you are drunkards some enemies to God some hardned in your lusts some relapsed and fallen back into your carnal courses after profession of Religion some mockers and despisers God knows whom we finde we are bid to go into the high-wayes and bid all we finde therefore in the Name of Christ let me speak to you come to Christ will you let your sinnes damne you rather then receive Christ to save you think of this and if you will but follow Christ in all his Ordinances He hath shewed thee O man what the Lord requires of thee that thou shouldest be humbled and see what a wretched creature thou art that thou shouldest see what is amisse in thy soule and use all courses to reforme thy selfe he hath shewed thee how he would have thee pray what company he would have thee keep what kinde of carriage he would have thee use he hath shewed thee O man what he hath required hast thou a heart now to come to Christ he can help thee to all this and though thou hast not power to do all this yet if thou hast but a heart to do it to walk aright and live aright and spend thy dayes well in this world Though thou canst do none of all these things if though hast but an heart to do them and dost beleeve that eternal life is in Christ and this draws thee to Christ if thou doest but beleeve that in him is acceptance with God and he can bring thee to God for pardon and peace and hope and glory if thou doest beleeve this and the faith of this doth draw thee to come unto God I tell thee all thy sinnes shall not damne thee never a one of thy sinnes shall rise up in judgement against thee whatsoever thy conscience whatsoever the devil hath against thee whatsoever feares terrours discouragements are upon thee they shall never withhold thee from eternal life do but come to Christ and lay hold upon him and here he offers himself unto thee thou art not excepted or excluded unlesse thou exclude thy selfe If thou beleeve not thou shalt be damned but whosoever beleeves shall not perish but have everlasting life Use 4. For terrour to the obstinate Vse 4. In the last place this is for use to those that are obstinate namely to be as hell fire and the flames of Tophet in their soules and consciences You have heard the tender of Christ that salvation is in Christ and none other What a miserable taking are you then in that will not have him if we should carry the Gospel up and down into any place would not every one make it welcome If we should carry it into Innes and Taverns and amongst the basest wretches in the Countrey would they not say we will have Christ a man would think so as God saith Matthew 21. 37. Certainly they will reverence my Sonne not as if God were deceived in his expectation but he speaks of the probability of the thing in all reason one would think if they may have eternal life and Gods good will and pleasure toward them that they may have acquittance from all damnation that they may be happy for ever certainly they will receive my Sonne gladly they will take him and receive him in all reason one would think it were so but we see it is otherwise they will not take up Christ and abandon their own courses they will be vaine they will be company keepers they will be worldly and will neglect the best things they will have their pleasures and they will have their fopperies and fooleries they will not have Christ there be many things in Christ that every man would have the very devils in hell would have it namely to be redeemed from hell to have some peace in their consciences but the Regiment of Christ the dominion of Christ to have all Christ this they will not this therefore is no comfort to stubborne sinners but hell and damnation is the portion of all that refuse him Ezechiel 34. 16. See what the Lord there saith I will destroy the fat and the strong and feed them with judgement you that have fat hearts and strong your hearts are strong and your consciences are strong and all our Sermons are not able to make you shake those that are fat and strong saith the Lord I will feed them with judgements none of the mercies and comforts of the Gospel belong to such And assure your selves if you care not for Christ Christ cares as little for you as the Prophet speaks Esay 49. 5. Though Israel be 〈◊〉 gathered I shall have glory in his eyes so though you be not called and brought home though you be not saved I shall have glory saith Christ I shall be known to all eternity to be a Saviour to be a Prince to be the glory of the world I shall be glorious
the excellency and incomparable worth of these things having the power of God in them woeth the heart and enticeth it and draws it and hales it to come to God and weaneth it from the world and he lets them go more and more not seeing such worth in them to draw his minde away more and more hence the Gospell is call'd the power of God to salvation Rom. 16. 6. when God calls a man by the Gospel he puts a power into all the promises to draw a man home to pull a man effectually and powerfully unto him he is enamoured of them and must have them and will have them and casts himself upon God for the having of them when any soul obeyeth the call of God what is the reason that it obeyeth it it feels a power in the Word in the promises of God when he hears it preached as 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came not unto you in Word onely but in power the Lord calling of these good Thes By his grace there was a power went along with the Word and made them receive the Word and that drew their hearts to take it though by nature they were averse from it though by nature they were stubborn and rebellious and would not submit to the Gospel yet when the Lord puts this power into the promise to overwoe the soul more then lusts and sinnes and things of the world could do more then the inclinations of the soul could do it came with a stronger power then all these to the soul and this made the soul hear this voice Secondly he that hears this voice hears more then a man or any creature 2. This voice makes one hear more then any creature can speak say unto him beleeve saying unto him come unto Christ cast thy selfe upon God here is mercy here is a promise here is peace that thou needest when he doth not onely hear the Minister say it all the Congregation hears him speak it and no man stirs but when a man hears more then a Minister say so he feels such a coming of the Word to him that all the created powers in heaven and earth could never move him in that manner then he heares the voice of the Spirit of God for when God calls a man effectually he makes the Gospel a glasse for a man to see the glory of God thorow as you may see 2 Cor. 3. 18. he means by the glasse there the Gospel the Lord when he calls a man he makes the Gospel a glasse to him that he may behold the glory of God the infinite graciousnesse and lovelinesse of God the infinite goodness happinesse and blessednesse of God and what an infinite fountaine of all goodnesse he is in his own Son Jesus Christ he lets him see not only the Gospel every man seeth the Gospel but every man hath not this glasse it is not this glasse to him to let him see the glory of God when God turns a man he comes with this glorious light thorow the Gospel to his soul there is a great light shines from heaven about a man as there did about Saint Paul the Gospel it self a light and every man seeth this light but there is darkness upon the minde still for all that but when God calls a man there is a great light comes into the soul you are a chosen generation c. 1 Pet. 2 9. mark there is a marvellous deal of light the Lord lets into the soul that the soul can now see how the devil and sin and the world deluded him and how the world and all profits and pleasures are a meer painted thing and are meerly vexations of Spirit now he sees how to distinguish between things and things there is a glorious and a marvellous light come in he sees the wiles of his own heart and how he was beguiled before and betwitched by the devil before he seeth all the folly and the Popery of his own heart such a deal of light comes in that it discovers all so far forth as is necessary to bring him to God now he sees that his moaping and blundering upon his sins and condemning of himself it had a form of humility but it was nothing but pride and stubbornnesse of heart and he would rather have him be without mercy then have it upon Gods termes he beholding the glory of God seeth the wyles and deceits of his own soul this light sheweth him the glory of God and propounds to him these things and makes him beleeve them Thirdly this same voice of the Father when the Father speaks to a man 3. It is the irrefragable propounding of the promise it is the irrefragable propounding of the promise to him when the promises of the Gospel are delivered in an irrefragable manner contrary to all the objections of the heart of man all the pleas that can be brought against it it comes in an irrefragable manner and holds itself before him that he may believe not that he may not be tempted to the contrary but he sees thaâ— they are but temptations O saith the soul I see I am unwilling to do good duties what of that if thou wouldest be willing the promise is free may he saith the soul I am full of stubbornnesse and rebellion and unprofitableness what of that that is nothing saith the promise if thou come to me I can heal thee of this stubbornnesse beleeve in me this is the way to be rid of thy stubbornnesse and to have a better heart and more abilities as long as it is a burthen to thee beleeve in me it comes in an irrefragable manner so that the soul can say I refused comfort all this while as David saith Ps 77. comfort was propounded to me but I would not have it I was fullen and peevish and put it off and withstood my own comforts now the soul seeth its putting off of Gods mercie and the forsaking its own mercies and the gracious proffers tendred to it I say when the Spirit speaks this voice to the soul it speaks in a marvellous great and convincing manner it speaks in a prevailing manner it speaks over and above all it speaks in a ravishing manner it makes the soule see a cornucopia of all good an abundant treasury of all mercy in the ways of God and in the promises of the Gospel it makes a man see that whatsoever the heart can wish and desire that is good it is there to be had and no where else to be attained it speaks in an uncontroulable manner to the soul that the soul can stand out no longer but must come off JOHN 6. 35. He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst WE have finished the first part of Effectual Calling and now we come to the second Namely the answer to this Call for this is the difference between effectual calling and that which is not effectual the one makes a man come and the
another and that is this as faith tyeth the heart to 3. Because faith gleweth the heart to the Commandements as well as to the promiâ—es the promises so it glueth the heart to the Commandements these go together and when faith reacheth forth the hand to the one it reacheth forth the hand to the other they are tyed with bonds of adamant that cannot be severed Psalme 119. 56. When faith will go to God in vertue of a promise to do this or that for him he reacheth forth the hand to the Commandements too I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods but me As who should say if you will look upon me as your God by faith then look that you have no other gods but me look that you honour me in all my wayes and stoop to me and obey my Word as the Lord propounded the one so he set before them the other a man forgets that God is his God by faith if he keeps not his Commandements beware saith Moses least thou forget the Lord thy God in not keeping his Commandements How can a man believe in God when he forgets that which he should believe When a man forgets to be subject to God and to give up himself in all his wayes The Promises and Commandements are tyed together with bonds of adamant and no man can pull them asunder as it is with sinne and the threatnings if a man go on in sinne he shall be sure to have the threatnings light upon him they are bound together by bonds of adamant and everlasting coards let a man do what he can if he howle and roare to God to take away his plagues to take away Hell fire and damnation if he go on in sinne it will never be they hang together in an everlasting truth The way of the wicked shall perish and if a man soweth iniquity he shall reap misery saith the Wiseman As a man soweth so he shall reap do not deceive your selves We are marvelous apt to reason as Eve did to put in perhaps perhaps you shall dye Nay assuredly we shall dye if we go on in sinne and will not live that life which God hath set before us the life of faith the life of God the life of Heaven the life of true Holinesse and righteousnesse if we will not submit to this and give up our selves to be brought under it we shall assuredly perish never did any man live and goe on in sinne but he dyed in perdition Never any man lived a wicked and ungodly life but had a wicked wretched and damned death if a man do go on in sinne he shall be sure to have the threatnings of God light upon him he cannot avoyde them so it is on the other side the Promises and the Commandements go together and if a man do observe the Commandements ' of God by a true and lively faith he shall assuredly have the promises and if he reject the Commandements or be unâ—ound in the doing of them he cannot have the Promises if he have the one he must have the other he can never make a faithful Plea for Peace for Pardon for Heaven or any thing that God hath promised that bindes not himselfe over to God to do his will in every thing Nay the strength of Faith puts forth it selfe in as strong an act towards the Commandements as towards the Promises and if there be any difference it is on the Promises side for the Promises are more supernatural then the Commandements for they were once written in the heart therefore the Commandements are not so supernatural a man was once acquainted with them but the Promises of Mercy and Pardon and Redemption are more supernatural and we see this in poore weak beleevers that go on and are enabled to make good conscience of their wayes and to be very carefull of sinning against God and walk in very good strictnesse diligence and circumspection and yet have much ado to apply the Promises and appropriate them to themselves I say broken-hearted people that are weak in faith in regard of personall confidence may yet notwithstanding be very strong in the doing of the Commandements of God The reason is because obedience flows from a direct act of faith and this bearing a man upon the Promises from a reflect act of faith it flowes from a consciousnesse of obedience when a man is conscious that he is sincere then and never before can a man have confidence that the Promises are sealed to him this is a reflect act of faith but it is a direct act that makes a man obey Gods Commandements so that faith must needs work obedience for if there be this blessed couple propounded to the soule in the Gospel together with the Commandements Faith looking on both takes one as well as the other Fourthly there is another close couple that faith looks upon and that is as upon a Title to the Kingdome of Heaven so also to a fitnesse 4. Because faith looks to a fitnesse for heaven as well as a title to heaven for the Kingdome of Heaven and one is as needfull as the other as things without which a man cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Now Faith as it helps a man to a title to Glory so it helps a man more and more with fitnesse because it seeth it cannot be otherwise When David had committed his two fowle sinnes of murther and adultery though he had not lost his title to the Kingdome of Heaven yet he could not enter into it he could not have actual possession of it Why Because he was unfit Heb. 12. 14. Without holinesse a man cannot see God though a man hath all the titles in the world though he be elected to it before all worlds yet till he is made fit for it he cannot enter into it flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God as the Apostle Peter speakes it is an inheritance holy and undefiled and a man must be holy before he can be made partaker of it Joseph must shave himself before he come before Pharaoh Ahasuerus women must be prepared and purified with spices and odours and mirrhe Hest 2. 11. And then they came before the King when they were prepared and adorned and made sweet and persumed So a man must first be prepared and fitted for the Kingdom of heaven or else there is no admission into it heaven is too fine a place for adulterers and drunkards c. As soone as ever the Angels of heaven though glorious creatures began to sinne against God God thrust them out of heaven they left their habitation it was too fine for them and do you think the Lord will admit the Devill into heaven againe in his members what a thing is it when every drunkard and profane person shall think himself meet company for the blessed trinity it cannot be God will never take such foule loathsome creatures into fellowship and Communion with him they are too neare
is an instrument whereby God doth by the acting and placing of it aright upon him let out that power which is in Christ to a poore soul that that power which is in Christ is to him and that goodnesse which is in Christ is to him that he shall have grace for grace an answerable grace for every grace in Christ Ephâ—s 1. 19. The exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that believe When we believe the exceeding greatnesse of his power is to us-ward it is not only a power in God but it is for us and we may take that power and fetch it from God and obtaine of him to put it forth You know that Christ hath promised to take away the stony heart c. He hath made such promises as these to pull down strong holds to overcome Satan and all the enemies of our â—oules to poure out his Spirit upon his people as water upon the thirsty ground now as soone as ever faith comes into the soul it goeth to these promises and takes hold of them Lord here is such a promise Lord make me a new heart make me obey this Commandment and overcome such a sin and all the power that is in God it is to him-ward Secondly Faith doth fetch down power from Heaven in a moral manner 2. In a moral way by considering the exceeding greatnesse of the recompence of reward as it s said of Moses Hebrewes 1. 25. I say faith looks unto Christ looks unto the favour of God unto the forgivenesse of sinnes and Title to Gods Kingdome it looks unto eternal life unto those admirable joyes that are at Gods right hand for evermore which are promised to them that believe it seeth these things and this makes him able to deny any thing to overcome any thing to go about any thing shall I have Heaven the favour of God a Kingdome shall I be happy for ever Shall I have all these things if I will pray and heare the Word Obey God and give over vaine company and joyne to Gods people and hate all manner of evil if I will labour to crosse my own thoughts and desires and approve my selfe to God in all my wayes shall I have all these things this makes him able to do it he looks to this and so goeth about it and when the flesh shall object hardnesse and difficulty and opposition and losse of comfort and losse of carnal ease and delight faith goeth and sets these admirable things against them it sets Heaven and the Kingdome of Heaven and Christ and the joyes of Gods right hand against them and this makes him do it it sets the will of God against his will the favour of God against the favour of men the joyes of Heaven against carnal joyes eternal happinesse for evermore against the sufferings here for a moment weighs one in one scale and the other in the other and so works with them Here we may see what little faith there is among people certainly there Use 2. See what little faith is in the world is but little faith because if there were much faith there would be much obedience given to God we should have admirable Townes gracious Congregations we should have never a drunkard never a prophane person but all Saints and holy men and women every one would be thinking of God and his wayes and heavenly minded if there were much faith people would have their lives changed and their conversations altered as Christ saith When the Sonne of man comes shall he finde faith upon the Earth So may I say if the Sonne of man should now come among us should he find faith among us He should find it very rare for this is certain there are not very many that professe faith drunkards and the greatest company of prophane persons are such as have not the face of holinesse and faith and amongst this little number that professe it how few are there that have true faith indeed You see none have true faith but those that are obedient unto God true faith doth bend the soul to God it makes the soul spiritual and holy and humble and cleane another man from that he was before that he shall be resigned over to God to live at his dispose this is true faith therefore faith is hardly to be found upon earth it is a pitiful thing to see how little Gods will is regarded up and down and though God be our Maker and his hands have formed us though we professe we are his people whom he hath redeemed though we know he hath sent Christ into the world and the blood of his own Sonne is cried up and down in the streets and calls upon men to believe and take hold on it though we do know these things yet for all this equity of obedience to God and notwithstanding the necessity of obedience how do people sleight the will of God it is his will we should be fruitful under the meanes heavenly in holy duties fervent in calling upon his Name that we should have the true feare of his Name before our eyes it is his will that we should serve him in sincerity all the dayes of our lives that we should stand for him and glorifie him before men that we should walk with God and be strangers upon earth and wean our selves from the world and be taken up with him more then with any thing in this life that we should count nothing deare for him and deny our selves in every thing it is his will for us to do these things but who looks after these things As if we were possessed with a legion of Devils we go slighting and contemning and breaking all bonds of equity and necessity of obedience and Gods will is not obeyed his worship is not promoted his name is not feared few give their minds to do these things if God had not thrown millions of devils into hell for â—â—nning against him if God had not revealed his wrath against sinne and iâ—quity and all unrighteousnesse if God had not showen how jealous he stands upon keeping his Lawes and observing his Commandments and his holy and heavenly Word if God had not revealed himself unto us it had been another matter but he hath revealed these things yet how sâ—â—ure are we He hath made it appear Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that doth evil and cursed be the man that obeyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—rds of this Covenant Jer. 11. 63. And he will come in â—laming fire to render vengâ—ance upon all that obey not the truth 2 Thes 1. 8. These things are spoken and delivered and we know these things and confesse them yet God is not respected for all this Nay such is the impudency of men that they will acknowledge that God ought to be obeyed and served and it is good to serve him and it is a dangerous thing not to serve him and yet for all this they will not do it as if it
Now I come to shew you the Effects if this deadnesse how it pulls down the heart this will pull down the heart of a man marvellously when the Law chargeth this upon him that he is but a dead man though the will of man be infinitely unruly it is wild it is like the mad man in the Gospel that the Divel was in no man was able to bind him no Chains were able to hold him no Creature could tame him Mark 5. 34. So it is with the will of an unregenerate man his will is marvellous wild he breaks all bonds and snaps all cords in pieces and casts off the yoak from him Let God bid him do this he will not do it let him be in a good mood he is presently out of it again let him be convinced of his vain hopes and let him see what a wretched Creature he is he will have vain hopes again his will is infinitely unruly and desperately wild the very Divel in hell hath the rule of it it is full of life against God and his Commandments and will never yield while the woâ—ld stands till now the Lord comes with his Law and shews a man that he is a dead man and a damned man and shews him that he is under the wrath of God the Law is able to do this as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4. 15. The Law causeth wrath It makes a man appear to lye under the wrath of God under Gods everlasting displeasure and in the mouth of hell and damnation and if God be not merciful to him and more merciful then to a world of men he seeth he is a dead man utterly lost and undone for ever now this will make his spirit yield and make his heart begin to come in as the Psalmist speaks concerning Princes He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. Kings and Princes have stout spirits now when the Lord sends but a little terrour into their hearts he is able to snib their spirits for all their security and for all the height of their magnanimity he is able to cut off all by sending his terrour into their hearts so the Law sends terrour into the heart Can there be a greater terrour then to have the Law denounce a man to be a dead man and that the wrath of God is gone out against him and that he lyeth in the very mouth of all the Canons of the fury of the most High This will break the heart of a man if his heart were made of brasse this would break it Look as it was with the Moabites 2 Sam. 8. 2. They were stout against David and would not yield and submit unto him but when David smote them and measured them with a cord and cast them down to the ground when he measured them with two cords to put them to death and with one full cord to keep them alive then saith the Text the Moabites became Davids servants and brought him gifts So it is with a prophane creature whilest God lets him go on he is stout and will not serve God but his will is altogether crosse and contrary to Gods will and Commandments he will not take up those courses that God commands he will not submit himself to the precifenesse of the Gospel his will is infinitely crosse in this kind and marvellous obstinate But if the Lord takes him in hand and charges his Law upon his conscience he puts such terrours into his heart that he is willing to submit unto God upon any terms I confesse the Law cannot do this of it self it cannot thus bring down the will of a man and mortifie a mans sins For if the damned in hell were let loose again to live here upon earth they would forget all their former Plagues and Torments and sin would revive again in them The Law of it self can only lay sinne in a swound it will up again if it be loose the law cannot do this of it self but I speak now of the Law as it is Gods Instrument Hereby he pulls down the heart of a man and pulls down his Spirit labour will pull down any mans spirit when a man is in labour and pain and affliction it will make a mans stomack come down as we may see Psal 107. 11 12. Because they rebelled against the words of the Lordâ— therefore he humbled their heart with labour and heaviness then they fell down but there was no helper Before they were stout against the Lord and would not hearken unto him and obey his Commandments now the Lord brought down their heart But how did he bring them down he pulled them down by laying labours upon them labour and torment and heavynesse pulled down their hearts So when the Law makes the heart labour under the wrath of God it lies labouring and quaking and shaking and weltring and bleeding under the wrath of God this pulls down the will And now I come to speak of the Effects it works in doing of it 1. The First Effect is this It casts the heart into those woful privations we read of there are abundance of comfortable things which the man which is alive in his own conceit thinks himself to have Now when the Law comes to deaden him it knocks him off from all those comfortable things he seemed to have whereas he seemed to have some admittance to God in prayer he could pray to him before but now he sees he is an out-cast and dares not lift up his eyes to heaven Before he hoped that God would have mercy on him and that he had some interest in Christ and hope of salvation but now he seeth he is lost Before he seemed to have liberty and freedom he could do this and that and had a thousand evasions but now he seeth himself a meer captive before he thought he had some riches some goodnesse but now he seeth he is but a poor begger before he had some Fig-leaves to cover him but now he seeth he is altogether naked before he was heart-whole and sound he had peace and comfort and quietnesse within him but now he is altogether broken This is the effect of this deadnesse it brings all these privations into the soul death is a privation it self and it brings an hundred privations with it even a privation of all the priviledges of the living this the Law doth when it comes All this while the Soul is lost and captived and poor and blind and miserable and naked and an outcast it is utterly undone and altogether unable to help it self and this as it doth make a man an Object of the Gospel one for whom Christ dyed as it points out such a man so there is a Finger of the Gospel in it also when the soul understands the goodnesse of the Gospel and sees it self to be lost for want thereof yet notwithstanding the first stroke is given by the Law the first stroke that casts the
to deaths door before he quickens him it is the Gospel that truly humbles him and works these Privations and now he is within the compasse of the Promise now he hath a Promise that he shall be quickned and have supply in regard of all these Privations but so long as these Privations are only legal he hath no Promise that he shall be quickned for many are humbled and made dead as it were by the Law and yet shake it off again and go to their proâ—its and pleasures and delights and hardnesse of heart again many a man hath been gastered by the Law and cryed out of his damned estate and condition and yet hath got up again and recovered himself by the world and the things of the world and it was ever so of old as we may see in Cain the Law had discovered him to himself to be a dead man and a damned man I see my sins are greater then can be forgiven or are forgiven or shall be forgiven he saw his punishment was intolerable his condemnation was more then he was able to bear From thy presence am I cast out and a Vagabond shall I be upon the facâ— of the earth Gen. 4. 14. Yet he was not the formal Object of Mercy the Gospel did not quicken him nor convert him he was not the formal Object of Mercy for he shook off these terrours again as we may see in the very same Chapter and went to building of Cities and inventing of Musick and other Arts and Sciences and this quickned and revived him again but he never came to true Life So it is with many men though they be terrified and gastered and humbled and cast down by the Law yet they get up again and run after the world and after security and hardnesse of heart again so that such a man is not the formal Object of Mercy 2. Again We see many though they be wrought upon thus by the Law and their Eyes be enlightned and their Consciences awaked and they see that they are in a wretched and damned estate yet they scrape together a company of vain hopes and so heal themselves again VVhen they have been terrified by the Law they seek presently for Promises and how they may get up again and they would fain get up and they lye at catch at every Sermon and at every Chapter and at every Word which a good man speaks and if they can get any hold they catch at it and so get up again and go on And when they have got a little comfort and think they shall do well they are as carelesse and as stubborn and as secure as ever they were they may go on in the profession of Religion but yet their latter end is worse than their beginning The unclean Divel may be cast out but the Devil transforms himself into an angel of light and enters into them and they go on in doing good duties but they never have the power of Religion Again Thirdly Many that are humbled by the Law they run away and never come to Christ as Judas when he saw he was condemned he went and hanged himself Matth. 27. 3 5. Some expound it of Christ when he saw Christ was condemned but others expound it of himself when Judas saw himself was condemned and that seems to be the meaning of the place for Christ was not condemned nor so much as accused there came not any witnesse against him till Judas had hanged himself as we may see if we read that Chapter But whether that be the meaning or no this is true and certain he saw he was a dead man he saw he lay under the guilt of his sins and he despaired of Mercy and went and hanged himself Again Lastly If such a man were the Object of Mercy then all the damned in Hell were the formal Objects of Mercy for there is never a man in Hell but the Law hath its work to the uttermost upon him it can work a man no lower it can sink a man no deeper it can make a man no more miserable then those that are in Hell Now if a dead man by the Law should be the formal Object of mercy then the damned in Hell should be the formal Object of mercy which cannot be for from thence there is no Redemption Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his angels Matth. 25. there is no quenching of that fire So that we see the legal killing of the Law doth not make a man the formal Object of mercy But yet such a man hath a great deal of advantage he is before a world of other men that live secure if men were in this estate they were in a thousand times more likelyhood to be saved If I could hear of people that were gastered and cast down by the Law that saw themselves without Christ and without Mercy in the power of Satan and in the bond of iniquity if they cryed out I am a dead man and a damned man if I dye now at this present I shall go to Hell if People were in this estate and condition there were more hopes of them a thousand times there is no hope of people that do live secure in their sins so long as the Trumpet of the Law hath not sounded in their ears so long as the Hammer of the Law hath not sounded upon their hearts there is no hope of mercy for them Therefore now for the clearing of this a little more let me shew you First What it is to be dead according as the Gospel makes a man to be a dead man Secondly What is the difference between Legal Privation and Evangelical and when these Privations are Evangelical and put a man under the actual title to Mercy under an actual interest in the Promises Thirdly VVhat Use we are to make of it For the First VVhat it is to be Evangelically dead To be Legally dead is not to be half a quarter so much dead as to be Evangelically dead so as the Gospel makes a man dead before it quickens him VVhen a man is Evangelically dead it makes him more dead by a thousand degrees then all the Law in the world can make him it makes him more dead by odds when a man is Legally dead and sees himself to be a damned creature and whereas he hoped to have mercy he seeth now he hath none and whereas he hoped to go to Heaven he now seeth the Gates are shut against him and whereas he hoped he had some good in him now he sees he hath nothing in him a man would think this were a dead man but his livelinesse is only in a swound the Law lying upon him will not let his livelinesse appear and if the Law should lye upon him for ever it would never let his livelinesse actually appear but yet he is not throughly dead all this while as for example 1. Self-conceitednesse it is not deaded when a man is killed by the
How shall I do that why watch saith â—e of else Christ will come against thee as a thief If a book be in a mans hand when he is drowzy it will fall out he cannot hold it fast So when a mâ—ns heart is drowzy and secure it will let go comfort and any thing that God hath bestowed for the good of the soul therefore we ought â—o watch if we have any sweet disposition of heart to go on in the Service of God and in the duties of Religion we may go on if we be watchful And now to branch this into particulars First We must watch before the Duty Secondly We must watch in the Duty Thirdly We must watch after the Duty First We must watch before the Duty Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. So I may say remember Prayer to keep it holy Before Duty remember Meditation to keep it holy remember all the duties of Religion to keep them holy and perform them in an holy manner think of them before you go about the performance of them we cannot pray unless we watch unto prayer unless we be careful and have our eyes in our heads before we go about the duty In the morning as soon as we awake we should think of prayer and when tempted to sin we should think of prayer If I sin how can I pray unto God I have ever and anon need to poure out my prayers before God now if I commit these and these sins how can I look up to heaven when my conscience doth reproach me for sin So when we hear the word of God look to thy foot when thou comest into the house of God Eccles 5. 1. that is Before thou goest into the House of God to hear the Word of Salvation see into thine own heart think whose woâ—â— it is thou hearest and that thou goest to hear the Word that shall judge thee at the last day When thou comest into the presence of God take heed lest thou hearest as fools hear and take heed lest thou prayest as fools pray and comest to the Sacrament as fools use to come we should watch before the duty that all things may be in a readinesse before we come to the performance of it that we may prevent all things that may hinder us and be â—itted with all things that may help forward the duty that time place and all advantages may meet together for the better doing of it Then secondly We must watch in the duty as well as before the duty In Duty As the Apostle speaks concerning prayer so I may say concerning all other duties Contain in prâ—â—â—â— and watch therein with thanksgiving Col. 4. 2. As we are to watch before that we may have preparation so we must watch in the duty that we may rightly discharge it for though a man hath been watchful before the duty and hath been prepared in some measure and sitted yet you are not without danger But when you are in prayer and when you are at the Lords Table or any other duty for all your former preparation if you be not watchful now you may fail in some kind or other and so mar the duty therefore we should watch in the duty that our hearts may be waking in it and our mind attentive upon it that our hearts may be fixed upon that we are about My 〈◊〉 fixed my heaâ—t is fixed saith the Prophet David he was a joyful man he repeats it again and again as if a man should be jocund and say I have got it I have got it We should get hearts fixed upon the duty that so we may not have wavering hearts half off and half on the duty but that the whole man may be employed about it Thirdly We should be watchful after the duty that we may not lose the benefit and reward of the duty lest the subtilties of Satan and the wiles of our own hearts do rob us of the fruits of it though a man hears very attentively and pray and perform all other duties very enlargedly yet when he hath done all he may lose the comfort and reward of the duty Therefore when we hear the word we should watch over our hearts that the fouls of the ayre may not pluck it out again that if we have any quickning we may not lose it again if we have heard any thing that hath helped us forward in Grace we should take heed that we lose not the ground again As the Publican as soone as he had prayed to God and performed an Ordinance aright how careful was he not to lose the benefit thereof He went to the Temple to pray and he was watchful before the duty thinking I am now going to pray and power out my soul before God He was watchful in the duty for you may see how humbly and feelingly and penitently he did pray standing a far off and smiting upon his brest and not liâ—â—ng up his eyes to heaven bewailing the hardness of his own heart and rowzing it up Lord be merciful to me a sinner and when he had done this he was careful afterwards for the Text saith Luk. 18. 14. As he had prayed for mercy so he was careful to carry it along with him He prayed that he might be justified and as he prayed for it so he was careful to carry home justification in his bosome So when we are at a Sermon we should watch that we may go home quickned and bettered and when we are at conference we should watch that we may return home with the fruit and benefit of the duty So for all other Ordinances we should be careful and watchful that we may not lose the reward for the Divel is crafty and our own hearts are ready to betray us therefore we had need be watchful and that is the second thing we should watch the duties of Religion Thirdly We should watch times and seasons God knows what miserable things are a coming therefore what time the Lord allots us we had Time Present time need improve it to the best advantage that we may redeem the time How many hours do run from us before we are aware How many dayes and months and years have we let slip away and we are little the better Our time is a special thing and therefore we had need to watch it that we may improve it to the best advantage that we may be no longer fools but wise in the imploying of it Secondly We should watch all the times of Gods anger and displeasure it is a miserable thing when a man passeth on like a fool and Gods Time of Gods wrath anger comes forth and a man is not provided hath not a defence for it There be dayes of anger and visitation when God comes to visit people for their sins to visit a parish to visit a family to visit a person and what a woful thing is it for a man to be drowzy and negligent when Gods anger
is Faith and the means of confirming this Faith are the Two Sacraments First The Sacrament of Baptisme we are baptized into the same Body Secondly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper intimated in one part of it namely the Cup which is put for the whole and are made all to drink of the same Cup we are all of one and the self same Body as many as are in Christ are endued with the same Spirit not one endued with one Spirit and another endued with another Spirit but by one Spirit we are Baptized into one Body our Baptisme is one and our Food one it is altogether one though our condition in the world be never so different bond or free though our Countrey and Nation and Parish be never so various one to another one of one and another of another Jews and Gentiles we are all baptized into one Body and this is done by one and the self-same Spirit Now to speak of the putting of a man into the Body of Christ We will shew you these Five things First What this Body of Christ is Secondly What this putting of a man into it is Thirdly That this is done by the Spirit of God Fourthly How the Spirit of God doth it How a man is made part of the Body of Christ Fifthly The Application of the Point For the First What is this Body of Christ which is Spirit of God VVhat this Body is doth ingraft his people into In a word It is the invisible Church of God which is a peculiar company of men and women out of all Nations under heaven predestinated to eternal life gathered together by the Word and made all one in Christ This is the Body of Jesus Christ so that here are Five Things that are to be opened First It is the Church of God as the Apostle saith Col. 1. 18. He is The invisible Church of God the Head of the Body the Church So that the Church is the Body of Christ that same peculiar company of men and women as Saint Peter calls them You are a chosen generation a peculiar people a royal priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. The Author to the Hebrews calls them The Assembly of the first born Heb. 12. 23. And Christ himself calls them A little flock in regard of the multitude of other people that is in the world and are not of this brother-hood Now I call this invisible for though their persons and courses and manner of life be seen and known and they may be known who they are yet all of them were never known nor ever will be there may be more then we can tell and fewer then we think of The foundation of God is sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Lord had seven thousand in Israel that had not bent their knees to Baal when Eliah could see never a one So that this is the First Thing it is the invisible Church of God Secondly It 's such a company as is gathered out of all Nations under heaven Gathered out of all Nations As Saint John speaks Rev. 7. 9. After this behold and loe I saw a great multitude of all Nations and Countryes and Tongues c. Though it be a little Flock in respect of the Reprobate yet it is a great multitude considered in it self and they stood before the throne and before the Lambe with long white Robes and with Palms in their hands This white Robe is the Righteousnesse of Christ Jesus imputed which begets another Righteousnesse which is inherent in some measure and the Palms in their hands is the sign of Victory over Sin Death and Hell and this is a great multitude and it was out of all Cities and Nations and Kindreds of the world and therefore our Saviour Christ speaking of his own taking of this company home unto himself at the last day see what he speaks Mat. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather his Elect from the four Winds from the one end of the Earth to the other The Lord gathers here one and there another as a man would gather a Posie in a Garden here a flower and there a flower This is Another Thing in the Body of Christ it is a Company gathered out of all Nations and People and Places at one time or other Thirdly This same godly Company are a Company of Predestinated Predestinated unto life men unto Eternal life For there are none but the chosen of God that are the true Body of Christ this is a company only of Elect men and women and babes therefore they are called Elect Rom. 8. 33. They are such a company as are written in the Lamb's Book of life Rev. 21. 27. Therefore all those that seem to be of God and go a great way with the people of God and yet turn back as Orphah from Naomi Ruth 1. They were never of this number 1 Joh. 2. 19. They were not of us they went out from us if they had been of us they would have continued with us So that it is only the Elect of God that are of this Company that are the Members of this Body Fourthly It is such a godly Company as is gathered by the Word of God Begotten again by the VVord The Word of God gathers them together they as well as other people by nature are of another Body of another Corporation as vile and as wretched and as miserable in themselves if left to themselves but God found them when he passed by them and said to them Live they were defiled as well as others in their bloud but the Lord turned their hearts by the Word and doth beget them again thereby This is that immortal seed whereby God doth beget them again unto eternal life Fifthly They are such a company as are made one knit and combined together in Christ though themselves are never so many and never so remote and distant from one another may be they never saw one another nor ever heard of one another one lives in one Country another in another one in one parish another in another and have little bodily communion and are not known one to another may be some of this company are in heaven already and some upon earth yet they are all one in Christ they all meet together in one heart and soul in Christ Jesus they are all of one minde in him as being all one body as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12. 12. And they are all one seed Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made He saith not To seeds as if they were many but To thy seed as of one that is Christ that is which is Christ and all that are Christs they are one seed the seed of the woman indeed all men come forth of the womans loins the wicked as well as the godly only here is the difference The one is the seed
to be filled up with any thing else we are guilty of Sacriledge if we do not give him this as Levit. 27. 28. the Lord saith Whatsoever is devoted unto the Lord that is most holy unto him now God saith he hath devoted the seventh day to himself therefore we are to keep it holy Nebuchadnezzar a very heathen when he knew that the Vessels came out of the Temple of the Lord he would not employ them to a common use Dan. 1. 2. He put them into the house of his god which was the holiest place he had Fifthly This is necessary because we are apt to be worldly and carnal Reas 5 and non-resident from Prayer and from the Word and serious humbling of our selves before God if we be never so little taken off how suddenly do our minds cleave unto the world and grow vain and unfit and distempered Now if God should not once in seven dayes have a day to take us off from the world as six dayes are employed in worldly affairs so if there were not a seventh day to take us off there would be no hoâ— with us therefore there must be a whole day to accustom us and habituate us to the Service of God otherwise we should drown our selves in the world The Sixth Proposition is this That as it must be one of seven so it is not Propos 6. That day of the seven to be kept holy on which God rested indifferent which of the seven dayes we keep holy but it must be that day whereupon God rested therefore it hath the name of a Sabbath Sabbath is nothing but rest The reason of the name is Two-fold First Because God rested upon that day And Secondly Because we are to rest upon that day The Seventh Proposition is this That all that is in the fourth Commandment Propos 7. All that is in the Fourth Commandment is not essential to it is not essential to the Commandment the fourth Commandment delivers only these Two things First That God will have a seventh day Secondly That this seventh day is to be the day of Gods rest This is the whole meaning of the fourth Commandment now all other particulars in the fourth Commandment are not essential to the fourth Commandment as that God made Heaven and Earth in six dayes and rested the seventh day c. It is not essential to the fourth Commandment but because at that time when God delivered the Decalogue there was no greater work then the Creation and the rest from that work was the rest from the greatest work in the world theefore it was kept upon the last day of the week upon which God rested from the Creation Now the meaning of the fourth Commandment is in the eighth Verse all the other particulars are but Commentaries to open it to the Jewes Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy this is the fourth Commandment The Sabbath that is the day that God rested on and the day that we are to rest upon this is the holy day that is devoted to the Lord now it was kept upon the last day of the week because God created heaven and earth and rested upon that day and the Creation of heaven and earth was the greatest work that God then had done But then you will say Why doth the Commandment say That in Quest six dayes God created Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day I Answer 1. It is no strange thing to see some things in the Commandments Answ which are not essential to them because the Commandments were delivered to the Jewes though they concern the whole world yet the persons that actually stood before God when the Decalogue was delivered were only the Jewes Deut. 5. 22. God spake to the Jewes now no wonder that God speaking to the Jews did speak divers particulars according to them and in their phrase which if we had been alive and they to succeed us God would have spoken according to us as he did according to them 2. Secondly We see plainly there are some things in the Commandments which do not concern the whole world but only the Nation of the Jewes as in the first Commandment I have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage Thou shalt have no other gods but me That is the Commandment but though they together with the other were put into the Tables of Stone yet it concerns only the Jewes 'T is true indeed it is a type of our deliverance that we are delivered from Hell and Sin and Satan as they were delivered out of Egypt and the house of Bondage but literally these words belong only to the Jews and the Commandment is this Thou shalt have no other gods but me So it is for the fourth Commandment Again There is something in the Fifth Commandment that doth not concern us but only them Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. That thy dayes may be long in the Land which the thy God giveth thee that belongs only to the Jews it is meant particularly of the Land of Canaan This then is the effect of the Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land of Canaan So that the first words are the Commandment and the later part belongs only to the Jewes So Deut. 5. 14. the Fourth Commandment it was put into the Tables of Stone thus Remember the seventh day to keep it holy for the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter c. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou that belongs to us as well as to them but then it follows Remember thou wert a servant in the Land of Egypt Here you see the Jewes have another Argument besides the Arguments that we have but though we have not that Argument yet the Commandment stands still and the Commandment is only thus much namely That there must be a Seventh day and that seventh day God rested upon now whereas the Jewes kept the last day of the week that was only by a temporary Commandment because the making of heaven and earth was the greatest thing that God had then done and God rested from that upon that day but now if God work a greater work then the Creating of heaven and earth and rest from that then by vertue of the fourth Commandment we are to keep that day holy upon which he rested from that work Now I come to the Eighth Proposition That this Fourth Commandment Propos 8. The 4th Commandment continual alwayes to abide in the Church concerning a Sabbath day concerning the keeping of a Seventh day holy is a continual Commandment alwayes to abide in the Church of God I will prove it by divers Arguments that it was not to continue only in the time of the Jewes but it is to abide alwayes in the Church to the
on the Sabbath day as who should say If it be in the Winter that will do hurt and be troublesome to your bodies and so if you fly upon the Sabbath day that will trouble your consciences if you regard Gods commandment and the good of your own consciences if you regard or fear Gods name it will grieve you to fly on the Sabbath day whereby you shall be deprived of the Congregation of Gods Saints therefore pray that your flight be not upon that day Intimating that it was Morall for if it had been Ceremoniall he would not have wished them to pray that it might not be upon that day Now whereas our Saviour doth so often condemn the Pharisees in regard of their strictnesse of the Sabbath it is not as if he did disallow the keeping of it but they were foolishly precise they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel they crowded out and regarded nor Mercy and Judgment they would not pull a poor beast out of a pit or relieve a poor man upon the Sabbath day they found fault that a man should be helped from deaths door by our Saviour upon the Sabbath this was their folly Now our Saviour did not condemn strict keeping of the Sabbath but he did condemn their Superstition for ever since Adams time it was lawful to do works of Mercy on the Sabbath it was Lawful to pull a beast out of the pit and do works of Mercy and Necessity upon the Sabbath day And whereas the Law saith The Jewes might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath Exod. 35. 3 day if we were in their case we might not neither for they were in the Wildernesse in an hot Countrey where they needed no Fire and having their Food provided to their hands And being in an hot Countrey if they kindled a Fire it was out of wantonnesse but if it had been a cold Countrey in Adams time and Abrahams time and in all times it was lawful to kindle a Fire Againe another Argument is this The very Heathen themselves have Reas 7 ever kept a Sabbath day though they could not tell which the day was some kept the Eighth day and some the Ninth yet they ever kept a Sabbath day Yea it is certain many of the Heathen themselves kept the Sabbath after their manner Alexandrinus a godly Father that lived but a little after Christ saith That the Heathen did count the â—eventh day an Holy day And it is related of Alexander Severus Emperour of Rome though he were a Pagan and Infidel yet every Sabbath day he retired from his Warlike affaires and went up into the Capitol to worship his gods And it is reported againe in Heathen Histories our boyes go not to School upon the Sabbath day neither are Humane Arts taught on that day but we have a Rest upon that day Nay some of the Heathens tell us That they keep it from the Creation therefore Philo tells us That the Sabbath day is the Creation day and divers other poor people that never had Scripture or Prophet or Minister among them but went meerly by the light of Nature and what they had learned from their Ancestors and Fathers they did keep the Sabbath day Nay one of them saith That on the Seventh day all the Host of Heaven and Earth was finished Therefore seeing the very Heathen have learned to keep this day Holy it is an Evident Argument that this is a Moral Commandement I conclude the Proof of this Point with the saying of our Saviour Christ Mat. 5. 18. Heaven and Earth shall passe away but not one jot or title of the Law shall passe away Marke our Saviour saith there that there shall not one jot or title of the Decalogue passe away As for the Ceremonial and Judicial law they stand not still but the whole compasse of them is removed the Ceremonial Law is quite and clean abolished and the Judicial Law in many particulars therefore our Saviour meant it not of those two Laws but he speaks of the Decalogue and he saith Heaven and Earth shall passe away before one jot of it shall passe away much lesse an whole branch be rooted out And Gal. 3. 10. the Apostle saith Cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in this Law to do them not only he that continueth not in the fourth and fifth and all the rest And Jam. 2. 10. the Apostle there saith If a man should keep the whole Law of God and be guilty only in one point he is guilty of all Suppose thou didst keep the Three first Commandments and all the Six last if thou keepest not the Fourth Commandment thou art guilty of the breach of all the Commandments I let this passe and come now to the last Proposition which is this That Propos 9. The first day of the week was the Lords day and so to continue to the end of the world though the last day of the week were kept for the Sabbath till the coming of Christ yet the first day of the week that seventh day is now the Lords Day and is so to continue to the end of the World I frame it thus The change of the seventh day to the first day of the week is not by Ecclesiastical Law or by the Law of man or Apostolical Tradition but it is by the Institution and express Commandment of God The first Argument to prove it is taken out of Psal 118. 24. It is an Argument Reas 1 used by the Church of God in all Ages ever since twelve hundred years agoe Saint Austin did use it in his time the Psalmist Prophecieth of the Resurrection of Christ the Stone which the builders refused is become the Head-stone of the Corner this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in ver 22 23 our eyes Our Saviour Christ Mat. 21. doth expound it of his Crucifying and Resurrection This is the day that the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it The Psalmist speaks here of the Resurrection of Christ now speaking of this very day saith he This is The day that the Lord hath made And we for our part that are godly and desire to be built upon this Corner Stone we will be glad and rejoyce in it we will keep it as a glorious day a day of Thanksgiving and Rejoycing in God The thing is plain see Isa 56. 1 2. the Prophet Prophecyeth of the Day of Christ and saith They are blessed that keep the Sabbath thus saith the Lord Keep Judgement and Justice for my Salvation is at hand to come and my Righteousness is to be revealed Blessed is the man that doth this and keepeth my Sabbaths This is a Prophecie of the day of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and he pronounceth a blessing upon those that keep the Sabbath in those dayes Again Isa 11. 10. it was Prophecied of old that the first day of the week should be the Sabbath day the
good works and therefore nickname us and call us Solifidiaâ—s whereas we maintain a necessity of them and as great a necessity of them as they only we beat down the merit of them that no man may think to be saved by works as a reverend Divine Mr. Carter said we teach people holiness and righteousness and good works as if there were no way to be saved but by good works and again we teach that there must be as much hanging upon the grace of God as if we could shew no more to be saved then the vilest drunkard or adulterer all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth and it is Gods mercy that any of us have an heart to do good you see how the world runs after their hearts lusts and every man is of this disposition and it is Gods grace and mercy to incline any mans heart to walk in that way that tends to his heavenly Kingdom and if God should not be infinitely gracious to pardon us for our best doings they would rise up in judgement against us God might condemn us for all our prayert and performances Secondly This teacheth Ministers how to preach to people to call upon Vse 2 them that they have an operative faith not only to believe but to have a faith that may be fruitful and make their lives nâ—t to barren in obedience and to be abundant in the works of the Lord and to serve him and fear him and glorifie him in the world as the Apostle having shewed how Christ gave himself for us to purchase to himself a people zealous of good works saith he these things speak Tit. 2. 14 15. We must speak these things and rebuke our hearers with all authority rebuke evil workers and tell them they turn the grace of Christ into wantonness they trample the blood of the Covenant under their feet and kick at the spirit of grace and misconstrue the meaning of the Covenant of God in Christ and rend themselves off that they cannot enter into life for no man without holiness shall see God Ministers should tell people plainly and affirm constantly that unless they bring forth good fruit they shall be cast into the fire and that without holiness they cannot have license and dispensation to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for God is an holy God and our faith is an holy faith and the promises are made to none but those that lead an holy and a godly life we must preach these things and reprove with all Authority and let people know that are loose Christians and Hell-hounds that if they do not depart from iniquity they shall see God as a Judge to condemn them for evermore Thirdly This confutes all the graceless conceits of men that think to be Vse 3 saved by Christ and yet walk not after Christ they cast not away from them the works of darkness nor renounce their wicked â—ayes and yet hope to be saved by Christ this is a cursed and blasphemous hope whereby a man blasphemes God 1 Joh. 3. 6. whosoever sinneâ—h but 〈…〉 en him neither knâ—wn him if a man live in his sins still that is the meaning of it and walks not after the spirit but after the flesh that man hath not seen him neither ever known him he doth not know Jesus Christ otherwise then the Divels know him otherwise then Hell-hounds and reprobates may know him for the second Covenant is as holy as the first and rather more holy and before God hath done it shall bring a man to a nearer communion with God and a nearer likeness it will raise the powers and faculties of the soul so as I believe Aâ—am in innocency never attained unto so much participation of God as God by degrees will bring a man unto by the Covenant of grace therefore no man can look to â—e saved by Christ except he mean to be ruled by Christ and to have him for his Lord and Master and to obey him in all things if a man should lie sick in his bed of a burning feaver and should say he were well would you believe him so if we see a man that is burning in lust wallowing in sinful courses that hath a carnal and a worldly heart unmortified and unsubdued to God if he should say that he were in Christ and hoped to be saved by him believe him not all the world cannot save this man for the Lord Jesus Christ hath this very name Jesus not only because he shall save his people from hell but also from their sins and make them fruitful in all the works of God Fourthly To exhort that we would consider of this the Gospel doth Vse 4 call for works as well and as strongly yea and more strongly then the Law and there be necessary uses of holiness and obedience and all manner of pious works under the Gospel as the Apostle saith Tit. 3. 4. let us maintain good works for necessary uses c. We are barren trees whatsoever we are we are barren and dead Christians and have no life of God in us if we bring not forth good works for good works are necessary for many uses First They are for signs to shew us what estate and condition we are Motive 1. in we may know what estate and condition we are in by our carriage and conversation whither it be earthly or heavenly holy or prophane so is our condition either happy or damned First They are signs of a mans election 2 Tim. 1. 20. this is a sign and a badge and a token whereby we may know that we are vessels of honour if we be sanctified and made meet for our masters use and furnished and prepared for every good work if we do not deny all ungodly lusts and live righteously and soberly in this present world we have rather badges and tokens of reprobation then election we cannot say that God hath appointed us to attain salvation by Jesus Christ but have rather marks of hell and destruction upon us and what is the reason that men that profess Christ do so much question their election no wonder when we are so scanty in our holiness and obedience to God and so backward to do good there is no nickling of Gods everlasting favour breaking out whereas if we were plentiful in good works it would break forth as the Sun out of a cloud Secondly They are signs of effectual calling Jude 1. if a man be called of God he is sanctified also and kept in an holy course preserved in Christ 2 Pet. 1. 3. you are an holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you 1 Pet. 2. 9. so that we may be sure that we yet abide in darkness and are under the power of sin and Satan if we have not given over our sinful courses and conformed our selves to the Gospel of God we were never called according to Gods purpose but lie under the wrath of Heaven to this day it