own fancies This Impartiall selfe examination will serve to cure or at least to allay our Curiosity Lastly In all disputes and doubts ever think that part of the tenet safest which doth least Humor mans Pride and doth most advance Gods Glory we cannot think too meanly and humbly of our selves nor can we too much advance and exalt Gods Soveraignty T is this on which the Justice of all Gods proceedings is grounded iet God be Great and Glorious though every man be miserable To make God all in all besides that it is our duty is likewise nothing else but an Anticipation of happinesse and is by the Apostle recorded to be the Blessed Posture of our suture state 1 Cor. 15.28 Secondly Vse 2 The consideration of our Incompetence to Judge the equity of Gods proceedings serves to suppresse and moderate all repinings at the Providence of God in his outward dispensations No one thing is so great an inducement to Atheisme direct denyall of God as to distrust the wisedome equity of his Providence David confesseth that the temptation arising from hence did so farre prevaile upon him that his feet had at most slipped i. he was just then sliding Psalm 73 even almost going into some erroneous and blasphemous conceit about this matter The temptation was taken from the prosperity of the wicked I was envious at the foolish-saith he v. 3. when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Cur malis benè sit has been a question that much puzled the Heathen world and some of them have many excellent sayings about it but to speak the truth they seeme to be only things of wit rather then of serious judgment for this is certaine who ever sticks long upon this question cannot be guiltlesse since reason cannot resolve it When I sought to know this saith David it was too painfull for me v. 16. I did endeavour to debate and argue the case by my own reason and from thence to answer my scruples but I could not doe it the objection did still prevaile and overmaster me What did David then we find that he went into the Sanctuary of God v. 17. he consulted the Oracle and there he found the reason of their Advancement And then he concludes that discourse with taxing himselfe of great folly for not taking this course sooner but giving so much scope and latitude to his corrupt reasoning So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee v. 22. That which was Davids practise ought to be ours when we are set upon with the same temptation we have lived to see as great variety of strange providences as any nation under Heaven nor is the reason of this as yet revealed we cannot yet spell out Gods meaning but certainly he has a great worke doing which will in due time be accomplished So likewise in all particular events which concerne us let us not so much consider and reflect upon the things we see and feele as upon the hand which sent them This will either ease our burdens or at least make us bear them with more cheerfulnesse if we consider that God laid them on whose Power we cannot resist whose wisedome we ought not to question Let us stop our mouths and quiet our discontents with this that God is in the cloud that he workes all things not according to his will barely though that was enough but according to the counsell of his will There is a wisedome and designe in every thing though we cannot reach it Many impatient Jonahs there are in the World who think it becomes them to quarrell and contest with God though they have but lost their gourd Whose spirit is like a troubled Sea any small wind will raise a storme and beget a tempest in them Let all such hearken to that advice of Hamah Talke no more so exceeding proudly 1 Sam. 2.2 let not Arogancy come out of your mouth for our God is a God of knowledge by him Actions are weighed And not Actions onely but events likewise there are no such things as rash casuall and unpremeditated events but that part of the skale which falls to our lot whether for good or bad comes onely because God is so pleased to order and turne the balance FINIS Acts 13.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as many as were ordained to eternall-Eternall-life believed THe Apostle Paul having in a large discourse deduced Christian Religion from its very Originall and shewed how in the severall ages of the World God still carried on the same designe for the salvation of men by Jesus Christ as he that was not onely foretold but figured in all their Legall Worship you find v. 45. the Jewes contradicting and blaspheming i. either railing on Christ or else reviling Paul and ignominiously slighting and traducing the Doctrine which he had delivered Whereupon the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. speaking freely or plainly tells them that the losse and damage by so doing would onely redound to themselves for hereby viz. by refusing the tender of Salvation so freely offered they evidenced that they judged themselves unworthy so great a mercy and therefore they being as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men selfe-condemned he would have no more to doe with them but from thence forward publish the Doctrine of the Gospell to the Gentiles intimating that God till then had empaled his Church and confined it to the narrow circuit of Judaea thereby as it were imprisoning that sun in a lanterne but now God would resumc his whole right that the earth might be the Lords and the fulnesse thereof excluding no place restreining no people from the benefit and comfort which would flow from the light of the Gospell steaming in and shining amongst them Whereupon it followes v. 48. That when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and Glorisied the Word of the Lord And as many as were ordained to Eternall Life believed From the words I entend to insist upon and cleare two Propositions 1. First That there are some and that a definite and limited number which are by God from all eternity ordained unto Eternall life or salvation 2. Secondly that the reason why one man believes i. embraces the means of salvation and another doth not is finally to be resolved into Gods eternall Election of the one and reprobation or rejection of the other Both these doctrines are cleere from the words of the text for this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As many as were Ordained believed implies first that some certaine persons were ordained whereby they are distinguished from the rest of the common hearers and likewise it is added as a reason why these believed while the others continued in their impenitence they were Ordained therefore they Believed Before I prove the first Proposition viz That there are some and that a certaine number appointed unto life which I think is evident in the text I must not omit that this Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
11.13 both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the saved and in the lost i. e. We do God good and acceptable Service when we preach the Word whether it serves to Save or to Condemne for in the one Gods Mercy in the other Gods Justice is manifested Those that come in will find mercy for thereto they were appointed those that stand out shall be sure of Justice because when they were summoned as well as others yet they would not because they would not They did voluntarily contemne the Word of Life and therefore can blame none but themselves if at last they find it a Word of Death If any think this Harsh and Severe I cannot deny but it is so and thus the Apostle thought it Rom. 9.22 when he sayes that God herein did manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Anger as well as his Power Nay he goes somewhat farther and speaking of the same Decree Rom. 11.22 he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Extreme Rigor and sharp Severity of God but from thence he doth not take occasion to enveigh against it as our Bold and Blasphemous disputers doe but concludes as it were in a Rapture v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the Depth c. As for those many Expressions wherein God is said to declare his willingnesse that All should be saved as 1 Tim. 2.4 c. they may either be Interpreted of Gods will as declared by the Preachers of it which is Indefinite to All that Believe and Repent or else they may be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spoken after the manner of men in the same sense that God is said to have Eies and Eares and other Bodily Parts whereby he is pleased to render himselfe Intelligible by us For if God did indeed Will the Salvation of All then it is Certaine that All would be saved for God can do whatever he wills but since it is manifest that All are not Saved it is evident likewise that God did not will All should be saved for who hath resisted his Will As for that Velleity i.e. a kind of Longing Wishing or Woulding disposition in God which some rashly bring in to salve their Phenomena by since it is Ineffectuall and consequently Imperfect it is altogether unfit to be ascribed to God for it is nothing else but Infirmity and Want of Power in Man So much for the First Observation D. 2. The second Observation was this that the Reason why one man believes i. e. embraces the meanes of Salvation and another doth not is finally to be resolved into Gods eternall Election of the one and Reprobation of the other or more briefly thus that onely those who are ordained unto eternall Life either do or can believe And the Reason is briefly this because onely those who are designed to the End shall be made effectuall Partakers of the Meanes which leads unto it Thus our Saviour Math. 13. rendring a Reason why some did not understand his Doctrine he gives this because to them it was not given and the Apostle calls the Gospell a Savour of Life onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Saved 1 Cor. 1 i. e. Actually designed to Salvation And the same Apostle exhorting the Thessalonians to Faith and Love he gives this as a Motive 1 Thes 9. because they were not appointed to Wrath but to obtaine Salvation by Jesus Christ Where by the way we may take notice that a Certaine Knowledge of our Eternall Election is so far from hindering any in the Practise of Godlinesse that it is by the Apostle used as an Argument to quicken their Endeavour as if he had said because God hath Appointed you unto Eternall Life therefore labour after the Meanes which leads unto it There is a setled Chaine and Connexion of Causes which do immutably inferre one another To be saved presupposes Obedience That Faith That the Gift of God and that runs up to the Highest Link which is the Grace and Favour of God to every poor believer It is certaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all have not the Grace because they want the Gift of Faith that being not thrown at Randome on all but reserved as a Peculiar Blessing for Gods chosen ones and them he calls while he leaves others to their Naturall Hardnesse and Impenitence It is not in Vaine or Figuratively spoken onely 2 Cor. 5.17 that every Believer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said to be new borne againe created and Fashioned c. but these Phrases imply this Necessary Truth that as none but those who are created men can put forth the Acts of men and such Creation they could not procure nor contribute to themselves because as yet they were not so none but those who are Created unto Good Workes can live in them because Naturally they want a Principle whereby they should understand or Relish them And this is the Benefit of that Eternall Election whereby God workes in all that he loves all their workes both in them and for them Phil. 2.13 that they might know and Confesse to the praise of his Glorious Grace that it is not in him that Wills nor in him that Runs but only in God that shewes Mercy Rom. 9.16 Before I make any Use I must prevent an Objection which every man Naturally is ready to Urge and not to take Notice of it were to prevaricate with the Truth The Objection is this if it be so that Some and that a Limited Number are Appointed to Life and onely such can believe then it follows that we may live as we list for if we are Appointed to Life we shall be saved God will in his good time Accomplish his Purpose concerning us which all our Endeavour can neither Promote nor Alter To this Objection which most Carnall Minds do not onely Reason but Live by I may Answer as the Apostle did when having asserted the Freenesse of Grace and how altogether undeserved it was on our part he brings in a profane person asking this Question shall we continue in Sin that Grace may Abound Rom. 6. i.e. what shall we put God to it and Try if we can Out-sin the Riches of his Mercy To this the Apostle replies only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it not be or it may not be such a Thought can never arise in any ones Heart who does Truly understand what Mercy meanes So may I say here if any who conceives himselfe Elected shall draw this Conclusion from hence because God hath chosen me and I am sure of my Salvation therefore I will run on and provoke him daiely and strive as it were to blot out and Crosse his Decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou canst not do it thou canst not apprehend that God loved thee with an everlasting loves and singled thee out from the lumpe of mankind when so many millions were to be undone eternally but it will worke upon thee and melt all thy affections into a gratefull returne
hath been variously rendred and many attempts have been made to draw it from its true and native signification The summe of what they say is briefly this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Actively Qui se parant Vitae aeternae fitly disposed and qualified for the Gospell so that Ordained according to them are not Ordained by God but such as are Ordained by themselves Thus Socinus Grotius his interpreter Dr Hammond That these men who do professedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serve a side and are unwilling to own any thing more in Religion then they can reconcile to reason should thus strangely I will not say Ignorantly for it is too much Learning that causes this madnesse but contrary to all rules of Grammar and Analogy of the Greek tongue make a passive verbe signify Actively is to me no great wonder for if they did not this they would loose their cause and then what would become of their reputation with their followers which whatever becomes of the truth must be secured so impossible is it to drive on those two contrary trades of Gospell obedience and Humane Applause But since the Learned and Ingenuous Mr Mede suffered himselfe to be so farre gone in his Criticismes as to render this Word In Procinctu i. such who are in a posture to lay hold upon and candidates of Eternall life quot quot de Agmine Classe fuerant credentium So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be not Ordained but Ordered i. modo militari In ranke and file as it were marshalled and Embattelled unto eternall life This is a conceit so streined so unsuitable to Scripture language and withall so much misbecoming the learning of that Worthy man 〈◊〉 I cannot passe it over without observing these two things 1. That it is a very hard matter for the soberest and best tempered Christians such as I take Mr Mede to have been to captivate their reason and to subdue their Learning unto the plainnesse and simplicity of the Gospell 2. That there is great need for all those who are students in Divinity and who designe themselves for that Honourable and never enough valued Profession of Preaching the Gospell that they make themselves worthy of it as by all other excellencies so especially by carefull and diligent search of the Scriptures in their Originall Languages And that not onely because he ought not to Prophecy who knowes not how to interpret but lest men who pretend to skill and exactnesse in those Tongues doe abuse our ignorance to an Embracing of their errors while we are not able to distinguish between a true Text and a bad comment For I doe not see how we can rationally refuse any Interpretation though false if we are not able knowingly to make out a better of our own But for the clearing of this Text very little skill will serve for who knowes not that knowes any thing of Creeke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was never yet taken Actively and that the word cannot be otherwise rendred here then it is every where else-viz Ordained or Appointed Thus Rom. 13.2 the Powers that are are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appointed of God And Act. 17.26 God hath bound or limited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fore-appointed seasons i. God hath set a fixed and certaine period unto the duration of those severall changes and scenes of time which he himselfe hath preordained so in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are those that are by God certainly and infallibly appointed unto eternall life God being not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the disposer of seasons but of persons These are they who by the Apostle Paul are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4. the 〈◊〉 saved allready-whose salvation is as sure and certaine as if they were allready put into full Possession of it In another place they are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foreordained or predestined to Grace and Glory and that we might not doubt what it was that gave the birth and rise to such a gracious appointment The Apostle addes that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.5 c. according to the purpose of him who doth not wait for nor depend upon outward motives but workes all things according to the Counsell of his own will Rom. 11.5 They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Election of Grace i. such persons of whose Election Grace onely was the Cause and v. 7. simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Election i. e. those whom God hath culled and chosen out from the Rest of Mankind and designed for Everlasting Happinesse The force of these and many other Texts of Scripture to the same purpose make all sides agree that Some indeed are Appointed unto Life but who these are that God himselfe doth not know so Socinns that though some are Appointed yet there is a Possibility for All so Arminius That is in short that Some shall be saved is Certaine but that the Persons and their Number is unlimited and uncertaine Before therefore I prove the Point by Scripture give me leave to bewaile a little the sad Condition of those men who take a Liberty to Interpret Revealed Truth by Rationall Notions for in so doeing through a just Judgment of God upon their Curiosity they are forced to run into and maintaine those Fond and Ridiculous Errors which a Sober man would blush to own As in this Case can it be imaginable that God should designe any of his Creatures unto Eternall Life and yet not know who they are as Socinus affirmes who brings in God as the Platonists did of Old not chusing of Persons but Propositions not designing this or that man to Salvation and so to Faith Absolutely by vertue of his Prerogative but onely to Salvation Indefinitely upon supposition of Faith which whether any will embrace or not he doth not feare to Assert that God himselfe doth not know So carelesse are men of Gods Honour while they Study and Contend for their own For if the Case be so indeed God doth onely leave himselfe in the Darke and doth not exercise his Power and Prescience about his Noblest Creature Man The Doctrine of Vniversall Redemption though not so barefaced yet labours with the same Absurdity for if God knowes who shall be saved then it is certaine there is no Possibility for all or else we must conclude Gods Knowledge to be onely Guesse and maintaine a too Apparent Contradiction for if God knowes who shall be saved then it is evident that these onely shall be saved who are so known whereas if there be a Possibility left for all then it is Certaine that God did not infallibly know who they were that should be saved but left the whole to Hazard I must confesse I doe not willingly desire to deale this way in Reproving any Error for had I lesse to say in Reason then I have for Gods Eternall Absolute Election yet the Scripture being so Full and Positive in it
of service unto that God to whom thou art obliged for so infinite and undeserved mercy But if any who hath a mind to live wickedly shall Argue If If I am not designed to life I shall be damned let me do what I can I answer First that there is no possibylity for any truth to be so cleare but that evill men may abuse it to their own destruction and I believe every one sees how the making Gods decrees conditionall will lead a corrupt mind to the same Inference For he may as well say If God foresee that I shall believe I shall believe and so in the meane while take his liberty But Secondly Consider that as Gods decree of Election hath no influence to Necessitate the will of any but he that believes though ordained to it yet believes freely and willingly so the Decree of Reprobation hath no influence at all to the Damning of any because though those who are Reprobated shall certainely be damned yet sentence shall not passe upon them according to the act of Gods Reprobation but according to the merit of their works Gods decree is made by power but it 's executed by Law and therefore while thy damnation is yet uncertaine doe not dispute thy selfe into such a state as to endeavour to make it just Lastly The Rule of our Obedince is not Gods decree but Gods command Moses when he had given the Law exhorts them to walke according to it and to check their Inquisitivenesse tells them that they were not to Ascend into Heaven there to pry and search into Gods Decree concerning themselves but the word was nigh them in their hearts that they might do it Deut. 11.12 And the reason is bottomed upon that eternall and unanswerable truth Secret things belong to God but things revealed to us that they may be our rule to walke by So that in short we are so to ascribe all Power Praise to God as to looke upon and acknowledge him the great and supreme disposer of all things but yet we are so to live in our obedience and submission to his command as if nothing was at all decreed concerning us but that we were wholly left to the counsell and power of our own will For if we conclude against our selves and live like reprobates we are sure to perish But if with hearty and zealous endeavour we strive to doe the will of God and leave the event unto his mercifull providence against such I dare boldly affirme it there is no condemnation and the world shall sooner perish then such a soule miscarry Therefore the Vse I shall make of this discourse so necessary for these cavilling times is to exhort us all that we would leave off disputing and fall to practise Since it is certaine that the foundation of God standeth sure which is this that God knoweth who are his i. knoweth them definitely we may vexe and distemper our selves by wrangling but we shall not be able to shake or alter that All the while we are disputing we are like Abrahams Ram caught by the hornes in the Thicket when we should be offered up in sacrifice we are vainly strugling to entangle and snare our selves with our own Dilemmas It would be counted madnesse in a Traveller who has a great way to goe and but a little time to performe his Journies in if he should leave his road and needlessely run into a wood where besides the troublesomenesse of the passage he is sure to loose his time if not himselfe and in the end sit down to lament his folly No lesse unwise are we if we leave the safe and known path of Gods Commandments to wander in the endlesse maze and Labyrinth of Gods decrees If in worship when a man strives to serve God more strictly or in a more specious manner then the rule warrants him his whole devotion is slighted with a Quis Requisivit haec who bad you trouble your selfe with these things how much more severely shall he be reproved who ventures upon a forbidden as well as undoing curiosity In short all the while we are arguing we are out of Gods way and in the way onely of our own inventions and till we get out of it we may justly feare that the issue will be confusion amazement doubting and at last despaire If men would but once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sober in their reasonings it would appeare but a modest request that God and his word alone should have the honour above and beyond our private conceptions For he will be found just when he comes to Judgment but woe be to that man who daires arraign him Whatever vaine men may anogate to themselves and upon the confidence of superficiall and empty Rhetorick venture to entern edle with and to passe their censure upon matters so infinitely above their reach yet they will find at last that obedience is better then knowledge that selfe denyall is the onely Gospell-sacrifice and of all Christians the humblest Christian is the best Therefore Secondly Since there are certaine Number appointed unto Eternall Life let us give our selves no rest till we can comfortably pronounce to our selves that we are of that Number Many are the signes by which a man may judge of his eternall condition and one of them is expressed here in the Text That who were Ordained unto Eternall life believed i. Believed the word of the Lord concerning salvation by Christ So that goe presently and aske your selves this question do I believe i. Am I willing to receive Christ and Salvation Yes perhaps you will say I am willing Then go on farther and aske but am I willing to receive Christ upon his owne Termes to acknowledge my owne wretchednesse without him to fly to him as I would to Shore out of a Tempest Do I see my selfe in so Undone and lost a Condition that nothing but his satisfaction can relieve me then goe to Christ he calls thee he calls thee as effectually as if thou heardst a voyce from Heaven saying Come Come unto me thou weary and laden Soule and I will give thee rest Mat 2.28 Come with all thy Sins nay with all thy Feares upon thee and I will take thy Burden I will settle thy Distractions and speake to thy soule in the midst of its Disquiets Soule be at peace I can make up all thy Wants and am able to save to the uttermost If after this thou canst be content with nothing but Christ if thou art willing to quit all for him and to count the world only as a stage where either thy Faith or Patience must be daily exercised if thou dost find that sweetnesse in the Face of a Reconciled God as no earthly enjoyment could bribe thee to a willing commission of any knowne sin against him then goe and enter into thy Rest and take an earnest of thy future joy For if the case be thus with thee and thou perseverest in it Heaven and Happinesse are as surely thine as if thou wert allready there and even while thou livest thou art placed in so high a sphere of Felicity and content as all the laboured and perishing comforts of this world cannot amount to fill up one minute of thy entire satisfaction This deserves to be more particularly insisted upon and some motives likewise might be used to presse all unto this duty of examining their future state But certainly they who know what Eternity is and how neare they are to it how every minute for ought they know may wast them thither they will not long put off or deferre the enquiry for all the while they doe so they evince to themselves that they have no lot nor portion in the Heavenly Inheritance For though both Grace and Glory are bestowed Freely yet wee may sadly conclude that they are not designed for those who looke not after them FINIS