so much as is needful to be known unto salvation this being the very end of God as appeareth Joh. 20.31 saith the Evangelist Many other things Jesus did but these are written that you might believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God and by believing might have life i. e faith and salvation through his name so that this is undoubtedly true that the pen-men of the Scripture have thus explained it Vse 1 Wickedly then deal the Papists in that they lay a hardnesse and obscurity on the Word of God and teach that though the Scriptures be delivered in our Mother tongue yet they are so hard to be understood not onely of the ignorant and common sort of people the laity but the learned among themselves they cannot tell when they have the true sense and meaning of the Word of God no not of the things that are fundamental unlesse the Church consent with them Nay the greatest Rabbins and Doctours amongst us cannot understand the Scriptures without consent of the Church Oh consider hath God sent unto us his Word as a Letter and Epistle to testifie his mind unto us and unto his Church and hath he shut it up in such doubtful terms that a man cannot tell when he hath the understanding of it he sendeth it to testifie his mind and will unto us and hath he so shut it up that we cannot tell when we have the sense of it Oh fearful blasphemy why It were better that we had no Scripture written at all far better then to have it so doubtful But there is no jot of it but serveth for the good of his people both in this life and the life to come God hath so ordered the tongues of the holy Writers and Pen-men of Scripture his Prophets and Apostles that the meaning is easie to be understood by such as come unto it with attentive minds that do read diligently mark attentively judge humbly and pray heartily Vse 2 But to make use of this to our selves Is it so that the holy Prophets and Pen-men of Scripture do deliver plainly in one place what is hard in another upon this ground it followeth that the best way of expounding Scripture is by Scripture it self we commonly give thus much to a man that he is the best expounder of himself so then learn we to apply and compare Scripture with Scripture and in that we do not apply Scripture with Scripture it is the reason why we do let slip other places that may help us in the true Application of Scripture it is a subtilty that Satan or the Divel and our hearts are ready to joyn with him that he maketh men to hale and draw unto themselves such places of Scripture as they think do favour them in their sin by their abuse of it they lay hands upon those places that so seem willingly and purposely forgetting other places that do draw them back from such conjecturing as the Usurer wil draw such places as may countenance his sin to his seeming and neglect those that draw him to the contrary Yea many men they turn Gods grace unto wantonnesse to go on in sin with an high hand and stiffe neck adding drunkennesse to thirst they are impenitent in their sins and will not be reformed and yet for all this they perswade themselves that they shall find mercy from the Lord And why whence cometh this The Devil is ready to suggest unto them and to furnish them with remembrance of a number of comfortable places of Scripture that set forth Gods mercy as that in Psal 103.8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse and in Psal 145.9 The mercy of the Lord is over all his works these the devil maketh to intitle to themselves yea with a Psalm of mercy to carry them up to the highest pitch of presumption and to lay violent hands upon those places of Scripture that are full of comfort and to say certainly God is merciful and forgivenesse is with the Lord and though I go on in sin yet I shall find mercy purposely forgetting many other places of Scripture that shew God is a revenging God and a consuming fire that punishes those that go on in sin Psal 25.10 that mercy and truth go together God is merciful but he is also true true in his threatnings as well as in his promises yea forgetting to apply these places full of comfort with the consideration of that which Moses saith Deut. 29.20 If any man go on in the stubbornnesse of his own heart and adde Drunkennesse to thirst one sin unto another the Lord will not be merciful to that man They never remember this the devil teacheth them to forget that God is just and full of judgment and that his jealousie shall smoke against those that go on in their sins surely the Lord will render vengeance upon them Oh therefore in the fear of God take notice of it of this manner of expounding and applying of Scripture therefore learn we to compare Scriture with Scripture and see what qualification thou hast before thou lay hold on the promise of God and learn to compare Scripture with Scripture that we may mitigate the comfort of it and draw us back from wresting and perverting of it else we shall make that which should be our life our death and that which should administer comfort and sweetnesse unto us to be a means to encourage us to sinne and to adde sinne to sinne and so to rush upon our own ruine and destruction In the fear of God therefore consider it and the Lord give you all understanding That is they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are accounted for the seed TOuching the Apostles Denyal that they that came of Abraham according to the flesh are not the true seed these words being an Exposition of the words foregoing the point hence offered is the same which hath been stood upon before which I think needlesse to stand upon the Doctrine being That the coming or descending of good and godly parents is not sufficient to intitle us to be heires of the promise and Gods children I say the point hence arising being the same therefore I will not here meddle with it But come to the Apostles affirmation leaving his negation That they onely are accounted the true seed of Abraham who are the children of the promise that is as we shewed you in opening the Text they only that are after the manner of Isaac children of the promise belonging unto Gods election by the special grace of God and made Gods children hy the vertue of Gods promise they onely are reckoned and accounted for the true seed of Abraham to whom grace and salvation belongeth Now from these words thus understood two things are offered unto our consideration to be stood upon in particular the first is the efficacy and force of the words of Gods promise
throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must
art a foole in so doing thou doest not inquire wisely concerning this But if we will be quick-sighted and searching let us be so in regard of our sinnes and the corruption of our hearts for who can understand his faults Psalme 19.12 The heart of Man is deceitfull who can know it Be curious in searching out thy sinnes and hidden corruptions and in searching out the subtle devices of the Devil here is a matter of just search and inquirie and by this thou shalt gain comfort but by diving into the secrets of God nothing but terrour and danger is to be found But oh man saith the Apostle Who art thou BEfore I leave this Verse it is needful to remove an imputation and slander laid upon us by the Church of Rome the Papists upon that which we have now delivered bend the face of this truth and seem to beat the edge of it against us in this manner An impudent cavil of the Papists answered If this be so that men are to be held and accounted impudent and shamelesse and wickedly bold that dare seek into Gods secrets is this your Doctrine that men are not to prie into those things that God hath not revealed then say they you your selves may be justly charged to be such impudent and shamelesse persons you cannot avoid the same it falleth flat upon your heads and doth convince you of wicked boldnesse Because say they you take upon you to know it and that infallibly that you are in the number of Gods chosen and of them that shall be saved not by conjecture or hope but to know it infallibly Now say they this is a bold presumption for you to prie into Gods secret closet and to step up into Heaven and to make your selves of the privie Councel of God to affirm and aver that you are in the number of Gods chosen for you have no Word nor special Revelation to that purpose as Paul had and some other holy servants of God and therefore the blessed Apostle Paul may say as he said in Romans 8.38 39. I am sure that neither Principalities nor Powers Angels nor things to come shall remove him from Christ But where is your special Revelation and special Word to this purpose that you shall certainly be saved and therefore say they you are wicked impudent shamelesse and bold in so doing Answer To this I answer Though the Word of God in Scripture doe not say unto thee in particular beleeve thou John or Thomas or any other particular name and thou shalt be saved in particular yet the Word of God puts down a general promise and the Word saith John 3.16 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God shall never perish but shall have everlasting life Who is so simple he knoweth not but that the general comprehendeth a special and especially where there is a word of Commandment joyned unto it to apply the promise particularly and where the Minister standeth in the place of Christ 2 Corinthians 5.20 As his Embassadour to assure as many as believe the promise and repent of their sins that they in particular shall be saved even thou whatsoever thy name is thou believing in Christ shalt certainly be saved Oh but say they the Minister may misse the mark and mistake and he may assure a man that he belongeth to God and shall certainly be saved when there is no such matter Answ It is true indeed if so be the Minister take upon him to speak absolutely that this particular man or woman shall be saved But if he speak upon the condition of faith and repentance he cannot mistake he may say to this or that particular man Thou John or Thomas believe thou in Christ and repent truly and unfeignedly of thy sins and thou shalt certainly be saved upon this ground he may assure him of salvation It s no boldnesse to search into that we are commanded so to do 2 Cor. 3.10 Therefore it is not any matter of boldnesse to search into it yea we are bound to search whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no nay we may and we ought to search into that matter whether we be in the number of Gods chosen or no so as we do it by ordinary and direct means by diving and searching into our own hearts and there labouring to find the witnesse of the Spirit and the fruits of true saving faith answerable to the Spirit for by this means we may and we ought to search and try into it whether we be in the estate of faith and of salvation or no nay we have the warrant of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your selves whether you are in the faith or no know you not your selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Therefore it is a mere imputation laid upon us by the enemies of the holy truths of God Come we now to the Apostles Amplification of it in the reproof of the Carnal Reasoner replying against God The Apostles Amplification Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus in which the Apostle sayeth open the absurdity and the grossenesse of the Carnal Reasoner in pleading against God and that by a Comparison and similitude and it is as if so be a peece of Wood or Iron wrought by some Artificer a Smith or Carpenter should say unto him thou art a bungler why hast thou made me of this fashion which were a Monster in Nature And hereby our Apostle implyeth that it is as absurd and grosse for men to quarrel with the Lord and to argue and reason the case with God that is the Creator and Maker why he made them to this or that end or in this or that manner Now this being the drift of the Apostle in this Amplification to shew the absurdity of it hence ariseth this Conclusion That it is a most unmeet thing and a thing odious and hateful monstrous Doctrine 3 and abominable for man the creature to quarrel with God the Creator and to find fault with him touching his will in making and framing and disposing of him this way or that way those persons are odious and hateful to God and monsters amongst men whosoever they be that so dare quarrel with God and reason the cause with him touching his will and decree And to clear and confirm this truth unto us we find in Esay 45.9 10. the Prophet denounceth a woe against such as contend with God their Maker Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it why hast thou made me of this or that form thou hast no hands thou art a bungler to make me And woe to the child that saith unto his father why hast thou begotten me or to his mother why hast thou brought me forth and in Numb 14.3 we find that the people of Israel they quarrelled and found fault with God and broke out into high and vile terms with God standing out with him saying VVherefore
ignorant person but thou art wrought upon by the Word and Spirit of God and sealed up unto the day of redemption thou art sanctified truly by the Word and Spirit thou are not a formal Professour then thou hast right and title to all the comfortable promises of God both of this life and the life to come and here cometh thy comfort these Promises are most firm and stable they are yea and Amen thou shalt certainly be made partaker of it in health and sicknesse in life and in death be will be thy God and the God of thy seed and blesse thee with all heavenly things and thou shalt certainly attain to happinesse and salvation if the promises of God were uncertain and changeable then thy comfort were little or nothing but know that thou being called to faith and holinesse the promises of God to thee are yea and amen and are as unchangeable as God himself Oh what comfort is this that the Promises of God are so unchangeable as God who cannot lye Titus 1.2 James 1.17 with him there is no shadow of changing or alteration and it cannot be that either thy own sins thy own failings no nor yet Satan nor all the power of hell should ever be able to make it void and of none effect this will be a speciall comfort to thee thou being one to whom the Promise belongeth look unto that that thou be one to whom this promise belongeth lay not foul hands upon it yea the consideration of this the thinking and meditating upon this that the promises of God are firm and stable being layed up in our hearts it will keep us from being swallowed up by the surges of the deepest tryals and temptations even then when we are tempted by Satan to diffidence or distrust consider the Lord hath promised in his Gospel Joh. 3.16 Whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but be sure to have everlasting life now this promise of God is firm and stable to him that believeth in Christ Jesus and is able to uphold us from fainting in the middest of the greatest tryals and afflictions for they are firm and stable and cannot be shaken a ground of excellent comfort Notwithstanding it cannot be that the Word of God of should take none effect for all they are not Israel which are of Israel OBserve we here that the Apostle doth not barely affirm thus much That though the Jewes might object that if they were rejected then the promise of God were frustrate and void and of none effect he doth not onely affirm it that this cannot possibly be but he doth further strengthen it with a reason why it cannot so be namely thus because all they are not Israel which are of Israel because all they which came of Abraham of Jacob and of Israel by natural generation all they are not Gods Israel the Israel of God Abrahams chosen seed unto whom alone the Promise was made so that the promise of God is firm and stable so then you see it was from a misconceiving and misapplying of the promise that the Jewes thought that the promise of God was void which was made unto Abraham if they were rejected the Jews applying the promise to the carnal seed of Abraham unto the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and therefore they forced this false conclusion but the Apostle telleth them plainly that all they that came of Israel by carnal generation they are not the true seed of Israel so that their misapplying was the cause of their false collection hence then note we thus much Doctrine That the words of Gods promises being mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not truly comfortable it is not a true ground of comfort to those that so mis-understand it and mis-apply it Or we may put this down in the general thus That the Word of God either promising mercy or threatning judgment or teaching any duty being misunderstood and misapplyed is not the true profitable and comfortable Word of God to those that so misunderstand it and mis-apply it in 2 Tim. 2. we find that the Apostle having exhorted Timothy to a constant undergoing of the labour of the Ministery and to a patient bearing of the Crosses that came by reason of the execution of his office then in the seventh verse he concludeth Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things as if he had said Consider duly what I stirred and exhorted thee unto and the Lord give thee that thou mayest both rightly understand and rightly apply it and so in 2 Pet. 3.16 The Apostle telleth us that the holy Scriptures being wrested and perverted and mis-applyed they are so far from being comfortable that they tend to the destruction of them that mis-understand and mis-apply them they are so far from being comfortable when men do pervert them and turn them which way they list that they tend to their own destruction And indeed though the Scripture be in it self the Will and Wisdome of God revealed unto us and though it be true that God speaketh unto us in and by the same yet the Word of God mis-understood and mis-applyed it is not the word of God neither doth God speak unto us and as One saith well the word of God foolishly perverted and understood it is not the word of God to him that so understandeth it and therefore cannot be truly profitable and comfortable unto him for the Application It concerneth us then in the first place that are Ministers and Messengers Vse 1 of God that take upon us to handle the holy Word of God and to deliver it unto Gods people to be careful of it that we rightly understand and rightly apply the word of God and that we deliver unto our hearers Gods word and out of Gods word Gods mind and meaning that they may say God speaketh in the Preacher 1 Cor. 14.25 so must we deliver the mind and word of God And then onely shall we find the blessing of God upon the Word we handle and then we shall draw men to a holy course of life or at least convince them of their sins if we deliver it so as God may be said to speak in us or by us then we may look for a blessing upon it to the working of grace and to convert them to a holy life for if it be not rightly grounded either upon the Word of God or derived thence surely take it for a truth it is not Gods Word Though it be a sound Orthodox and a true point of Divinity yet if it be not grounded upon the Word of God we handle or by necessary consequence it is mans word and not Gods Word Again this being so That the word of God is not the true profitable Vse 2 and comfortable Word of God being misunderstood and mis-applyed it then concerneth every one of us all that are hearers of the word of God to look unto it that in hearing and reading the holy word of God
the force and strength and vertue of it concerning mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation to all that believe in Christ and repent of their sins In a word the efficacy and force of the Word of the Gospel which indeed is a word of promise it propoundeth to all true believers that are repentant for their sins mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation the observation is this That the Word of Gods saving promise the Word of the Gospel is a most powerful and a most effectual Word it is of a begetting nature it is able as an Instrument to beget children unto God and it doth in Gods appointed time effectually work upon Gods chosen and make them actually the Children of God so that they may be truly called the children of the promise as that special promise in Gen. 18. Sarah thy wife shall have a son as that gave birth and being to Isaac when there was no likelihood or possibility of his being and birth from his parents Abraham and Sarah so the Word of Gods saving promise the words of the Gospel giveth a spiritual being and birth to Gods chosen and make them actually the children of God in his appointed time when there is no likelihood nor possibility in nature Yea when their Nature is in flat opposition and contrariety unto it then doth the Word of the Gospel make them actually the children of God And to this purpose speaketh that holy and Evangelical Prophet the Prophet Esay Esay 11.6 7 8.9 the holy Prophet sheweth that in the dayes of Christ such should be the force and powerful working of the Gospel that it should make men of Wolves to become lambs and of Leopards as meek as kids and men that were as Lions of a Lionish nature to be as meek as a fat beast and as gentle that children should lead them such as were of a wolvish and lionish Nature for so we are by nature fierce and cruel and savage to become meek and gentle and so he goeth on in setting forth the powerful working of the Gospel so in Joh. 5.25 saith the Lord Jesus Verily verily I say unto you the hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the Word of God and they that hear it shall live where by dead ' we shall understand those that are spiritually dead and not corporally dead for of those he speaketh in the 28 verse he saith that the voyce of the Spirit of God shall come to those that are in the graves and they shall arise but hereby those that are dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 and such as are spiritually dead to put the life of grace and of faith and of holinesse into their hearts and soules in the 1. of James 18. saith the Apostle speaking of God of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth by an emphasis or excellency a begetting word the word of the Gospel and not to adde more places this doth sufficiently prove that the Gospel of God is an effectual Word and doth work upon Gods chosen in time and make them to become Gods children actually whereas before they were potentially and may be called the children of the Promise The Reasons and grounds are these First of all the Gospel it is the arm of the Lord so saith the Prophet Reason 1 Esay 53.1 to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is the word of the Gospel yea it is the power of God so the Apostle saith Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 it is the arm of the Lord and the power of God it is a power far passing the power of man or of hell it self and of all the devils it is strong powerful and prevailing there is no opposition whatsoever is able to gainsay it or withstand it but it is able to bear it down to the ground The word of the Gospel it administreth to Gods chosen Gods Spirit Reason 2 whence it is that the Apostle in Gal. 3.2 demandeth of the Galathians What saith he Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or rather by the preaching of the doctrine of Faith the doctrine of the Gospel that is the means of conveying unto you the Spirit namely the Gospel of God which conveyeth it Now the Spirit of God stirreth up the unbelieving that are Gods chosen and inableth them to believe yea it doth beget faith in their hearts and doth certainly and infallibly and that without resistance actually incline their hearts to believe in Christ and so to become actually Gods children thus doth the holy Spirit of God given to Gods chosen bend and bowe their hearts inabling them to believe and make them certainly and infallibly Gods Children such is the power of the Gospel This Doctrine in the first place doth point out unto us one main difference Vse 1 that is between the Law and the Gospel the law doth onely discover sin unto man and what the least sin of man deserveth and is able to go no further it cannot deliver unto a man any means of comfort but seaveth a man liable to the curse of the Law it sheweth them not the means to escape the curse onely as a Schoolmaster it sendeth men to Christ not by teaching and instructing but by whipping and scourging by terrifying upon the sight of sin it sheweth them no pity nor no compassion it driveth them from it self to seek unto a better Schoolmaster and better Physitian to go unto Christ Gal. 3.14 the Law is our Schoolmaster to drive us to Christ But now the Gospel is of force to work upon Gods chosen effectually it is able to confer and to administer unto Gods chosen the Spirit of God which Spirit doth beget faith in their hearts and so they become actually the Children of God this is the efficacy and power of the Gospel Is this so that the Word of Gods promise the Gospel is so powerful Vse 2 and so effectual and able as an Instrument to beget children to God Oh then I beseech you in the fear of God look unto it learn we upon this ground that the Word of the Gospel we living under the preaching of it be thus powerful in our hearts and soules in particular let us never rest untill we find that the preaching of the Gospel hath so wrought upon our hearts and soules that it be so effectual in us to bear down the strength of nature and whatsoever standeth in opposition against it and to cast down the strongest hold of sin and Satan in our hearts and that it hath conferred and conveyed the holy Spirit of God and thereby wrought faith in our hearts Oh let us never rest untill we find this working And consider the Gospel it is the arm of God it hath made some men of wolves to become as lambs of Lions fat beast it hath beaten down the pride of their hearts it hath hammered their hard hearts it hath quelled and overmastered their over-ruling and predominant corruptions take onely the
to the line and from the loynes of Abraham and of Jacob but us whosoever we be that have come of other Nations and People of the World and are called Gentiles and aliens and strangers even us hath he called Now then come we to such things as hence are offered unto us for our Instruction And beloved it is worth our marking in the first place that the Apostle putteth himself in the number of those that are called of God and doth aver himself to be a vessel of mercie whom God hath called even us you and I We that are effectually called are the vessels of mercie I as well as you and you as well as I are in that number Now then from hence it followeth directly That the Apostle Paul was assured of his own salvation Doctrine and he knew it that he in particular was one of Gods chosen and that God had appointed him to life and glorie in Heaven and that he should come to be partaker of it how By his true inward and effectual calling he knew it and was assured of it that he was a vessel of mercie and that he was in the number of Gods Chosen and should one day come to eternal salvation in Heaven Admit this and grant it to be true which the enemies of Gods Truth do contend about that he had a special and Divine Revelation from Heaven which declared to him that he was a chosen vessel yet he knew it not by special Revelation onely but also by his effectual calling here affirmed This Text is clear but he knew it also by his effectual calling and his effectual calling was an evidence that Heaven was prepared for him and he prepared for Heaven so that this is clear vnless they wil denie the evidence of the text And as this blessed Apostle was assured of his own salvation by his effectual calling so doubtless they that are true Christians that are effectually called they come to have a particular assurance of their own salvation that they are in the number of Gods Chosen for the Apostle if you mark it doth joyn others with himself he doth not only say I but you also speaking in the judgement of Charitie therefore we are to abhor and detest that same damnable Doctrine of the Church of Rome who teach that a particular perswasion of a mans own salvation is presumption it is an illusion and deceit of the devil and say they you mock the people and are blind leaders but this is a damnable doctrine of theirs for beloved take away all assurance of a mans salvation and you leave a Christian in a miserable case we strip him of all ground of joy and true comfort and rejoycing yea we take from him all ground of hearty thankfulnesse and encouragements of going on in a good course of life for how can a man truly and soundly rejoyce in the apprehension of the joyes of heaven when he is uncertain altogether whether he shall enjoy them yea or no how can a man be thankful for that thing that he is altogether uncertain whether he shall enjoy it yea or no And how can a man go on constantly in a holy and good course of life when he cannot tell whether it will bring him to heaven or to hell yea or no as the Papists Doctrine doth say Oh it is a most uncomfortable position a position of Desperation that those enemies of Gods grace do hold and teach that a special perswasion of Gods mercy and of a mans salvation it is presumption and a false illusion of the devil for this is a Position directly contrary to the evidence of this Text. Again we see that the Apostle having spoken of Gods vessels of mercy that they are such as are prepared unto glory he doth adjoyn a particular instance who they are that are prepared unto glory even such as are called of God I and you that are effectually called hence ariseth this Conclusion viz. Doctrine That Gods effectual calling is unto men a sure and certaine evidence of their election such as are effectually called amongst men and powerfully wrought upon by the preaching of the Word and brought from their ignorance and unbelief and set out of the estate of Nature into the state of grace they have hereby an infallible evidence that they are such as shall be saved eternally and this truth we finde made good unto us in many places of Scripture in Romans 8.30 VVhom he Predestinated them also he called where we see Gods effectual calling it is a fruit following necessarily upon Gods Predestination as the effect the cause in Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed they that belonged to Election they were wrought upon effectually to believe in Christ and the Gospel and through their Faith and effectual Calling they were made known to be such as were appointed to life and glorie in Heaven in John 10.16 saith Christ Other sheep I have that are not of this fold they also must be called and they shall answer my calling and voice and be effectually to their Calling and shall know of what fold they are of they shall receive my mark and know my voice and answer my call in 2 Thess 2.13 The Apostle having said That the believing Thessalonians were from the beginning chosen to salvation he presently subjoyneth in the 14. verse whereunto he hath called you by the preaching of his Gospel that you might obtain salvation thereby signifying that their effectual calling was an evidence of their election and to these many more might be added all proving that effectual Calling is a certain evidence of Election and it must needs be so for this Reason Because God in time doth call all those whom he hath before all time from everlasting fore-ordained and set apart to life and glory in Heaven and therefore effectual calling it is proper and peculiar onely unto Gods Elect others are called outwardly but Gods effectual calling is proper and peculiar to Gods Childeren and all those shall in Gods due time be effectually called that are appointed to salvation in Heaven so that it followeth necessarily that Gods effectual Calling is unto men a sure evidence of Gods Election of them unto salvation Now this point is of excellent use Vse in the first place it maketh known unto us how we may come to be assured of our own salvation and that that we in particular are in the number of Gods Chosen and such as shal be saved a matter of great weight and a thing indeed wherein many do erre and goe astray in this one point as those are strongly deluded by the Devil who thinke as many doe that if men doe live a civil and orderly life whatsover they be though they be Papists Familists Anabaptists or whatsoever yet if they leade a Civil and orderly life and carriage in the World they shall certainly be saved but these are deceived for it is not a Civil and orderly living in the World
in the world wonder not nor be not amazed forr these things must come to passe and be fulfilled And it argueth a true and a sound faith to see through the thick mists of errour and iniquity and abundance of evil the bright resplendant shining beames of the Majestie and purity of the Word of God And therefore we are to be so farre from being offended at the Combustions and Uproares of the world as that we should be strengthened so much the more and settled and grounded in the holy Word of God seeing God hath Revealed it in his Word and foretold it long before As he saith in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. COme we now to the words of the Testimonie it selfe in these two verses And herein the Apostle doth invert the Order of the words of the Prophet putting that which is first last yea the Apostle doth something alter and change the words of the Prophet and keepeth not strictly and precisely to the very words of the Prophet citing word for word yet he keepeth the scope sense and meaning of the Prophet sound and intire without any alteration or change hence then note we thus much That it is not alwayes necessarie that the very words of the Scripture Doctrine should be strictly orderly and precisely kept in the preaching of the Word so that the sence and scope and meaning of the place be kept sound and intire without wrong change or alteration The Preachers of the Word must look unto it that they neither deprave nor corrupt the places of Scripture that they doe not cut them off and leave out something needful this was the sinne of the Devil in Matthew 4.6 He shall give his Angels charge over thee and leaveth out to keep thee in all thy wayes Nor that they doe not wrest and wring the places of Scripture to a wrong sence and wrong purpose and make them as a nose of waxe and draw them to a wrong purpose and vex the Holy Word of God which is the dealing of all hereticks and especially such as doe turne the places of Scripture and the plain Stories of the Bible into Allegories and so wrong the sence of the Scripture yet Ministers of the Word they may alledge and cite places of Scripture with some alteration so they keep the sence safe sound and intire John 7.38 He that believeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water Where doth the Scripture say so Surely in no place that we finde in the Old Testament expresly totidem verbis in the very same words yet for the matter and substance of these words they may be collected and gathered out of the holy Prophets as out of Esay 44.3 and 49.10 Joel 3.18 in all which places mention is made of pouring water upon the drie and thirstie ground and of diving into the Waters of Life and of a fountain that should issue out from the house of the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus doth apply these words of the Prophets having respect to Christ who is the Fountain of Life and of all Spiritual graces he doth apply them to all those that truely believe in him that though they were drie and barren yet out of them shall flow the rivers of water of Life so that though he doth not set down the words of the Prophets expresly yet he keepeth the sence and meaning of the words So that it concerneth the Preachers of the Word to be very well acquainted with the scope and drift of the Scriptures that howsoever they may misse of the words yet they must keep the sence intire and see that they doe not swerve from the intent and purpose of the Holy Spirit of God in the Text. And as they must be careful that the places of Scripture be fit and pertinent to the purpose they have in hand so also that the places they doe alledge be truely understood and rightly applied according to the meaning of the Word and then they are the true Word of God and are a notable means to beate down the strong holds of sinne and of Sathan to pass by that Come we now to the Testimonie it self recorded by the Prophet and here alledged by the Apostle I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These words are a plain Text and doe evidence unto us the vocation and calling of the Gentiles which was long agoe foretold and now fulfilled the Gentiles are called the Gentiles embrace the faith of Christ which is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel and of Religion 1 Tim. 3.16 VVithout controversie great is the mysterie of godliness what was that God manifested in the flesh seen of Angels justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles a high and excellent mysterie Now touching this mysterie of calling the Gentiles observe the Lord saith I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved Hence appeareth the free mercy and the free grace of God in calling the Gentiles out of the estate of ignorance and unbelief into the estate of true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ into the estate of grace hence then ariseth this point viz. Doctrine That God calleth men effectually out of their natural estate into the estate of grace and doth work grace in them effectually by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the Word out of his meer good will and free mercy nothing moving him thereunto but onely his free mercy the Lord he is pleased to reveal the Gospel to none but to those who out of his meer good will hee pleaseth to cause to understand it and the light of the Gospel though it shine most clearly and resplendantly yet it doth enlighten none nor worke upon none but onely such as it pleased God to illuminate and enlighten by the preaching of the Word though it fall upon their eyes and sound in their eares and shine about them yet the hearts are shut up of all such unlesse those whom God doth illuminate Eph. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of himselfe and other true believers saith expresiy God hath opened unto us the mysterie of his Word the secrets of his Gospel according to his own good pleasure And in the same Chapter the 17. verse He prayeth that the Ephesians might have the Spirit of Revelation and the Spirit of Wisedome Oh Lord open the eyes of their understanding that they may clearly see the riches of his calling and the sweet comforts of the Gospel And hence it was that the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 4.6 That God by the same Almightie power whereby he brought light out of darkness causeth them to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yea the Lord doth afford the outward sound and preaching of the Word out of his free mercie where it pleaseth
us by six priviledges vouchsafed unto them as that unto them was vouchsafed the adoption the glory the covenant the giving of the Law the service of God and the promises Thirdly and lastly he sheweth the reason and ground of his wish because of that people of Israel the fathers came yea Christ Jesus according to the flesh came of them and was of their seed and line of the seed of Abraham even the Lord Jesus the Lord of life and glory whom the Apostle further describeth that he is God over all and blessed for ever unto whom the Apostle assenteth Amen Now before we come to open these words and to handle them particularly I hold it sit one generall thing be observed and that may be thus grounded the Apostle being about to speak of a thing which would be very harsh and hard and odious to the Jewes that they were rejected of God In wisedome he useth as you see a patheticall insinuation of his love unto them it was out of his love and not of hatred he would have them to know and to take notice of it that his speech was from the grief of his heart and soul he had no pleasure in it but with a desire of their good yea he speaketh it with a desire to be severed from Christ for their salvation Now then herein appeareth the wonderfull wisedome of the Apostle to be imitated of the ministers of the Gospell and the observation is this That though Ministers of God must speak such things as they have to speak that are hard and harsh and unpleasing and distasteful to the hearers as just occasion is offered unto them yet it must be with a signification of their love unto them and so as their hearers may discern that those harsh hard things delivered are out of love and to do them good Ministers of the Gospel they must not be men pleasers or daubers to daube with untempered morter and draw a fair skin over a foul ulcer and soothe up men in their sins for if they so demean themselves they are not the servants of Christ Gal. 1.10 saith Paul If I please men I am no true servant of Christ but they must tell men plainly of their sins and of their miserable estate and condition which they are in in regard of their sinnes yea they must set things close unto their hearts and souls and speak such things as be harsh and hard to their hearers yet so as it be with an insinuation of their love and that their hearers may perceive that it cometh of love We read in Luke 19.43 44. Christ Jesus uttereth a very sharp sentence and heavy doom that should befall the City of Hierusalem he telleth them that the time should come when their enemies should cast a trench about the City and compasse it on every side and should lay the City even to the ground and all her children in her and not leave a stone upon a stone a heavy doom yet withal even in the pronouncing of this heavy doom he spake these heavy things how the Evangelist saith in the 41. and 42 verses he spake it with trickling tears in his eyes and shewed his pity and compassion for he wept for them saying Oh I wish that thou hadst known these things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes And in Gal. 3.1 The Apostle uttereth very hard and harsh things he calleth them fooles and bewitched Galathians that they would not obey the truth revealed unto them yet in the 15. verse he sheweth this was out of his love he called them brethren which before he called fooles and bewitched and in Gal. 4.19 he calleth them little children with whom he travelled in birth like a mother and thus are the Ministers of God to do in dispencing of harsh and hard things they are to deal roundly with hearers and to tell them of their sins and to speak unpleasing things to their hearers as just occasion is offered yet so as their hearers may discern that they love them and that it cometh out of the love of the Minister and out of the pity and compassion and tender care that they have of them though they pronounce harshly Ministers must thus do because their hearers being carnal Reason will else take occasion to quarrel with their affection and to carp against them saying they speak out of malice and hatred and spleen and out of a distempered humour unlesse they be mitigated with their love and so they will reject the reproof that may be for their good and not profit by it because it seemeth harsh and displeasing to them We know a wise Physitian when he giveth a bitter pill lappeth it up in sugar that the patient may more willingly receive it and the better retain it in his stomack so must the Ministers of God in this case even in delivering harsh and hard things telling them of their sins and publishing Gods judgments lap them up in the sugared expressions of their love and good will and desire and tender compassion of them that they may be the better received and their hearers profit by the same This concerneth us that are Ministers of the Gospel Vse that we thus deal in dispensing of hard and harsh things such as be displeasing to the eares and hearts of the people with a signification of their love unto them we may and ought to teach hard-hearted impenitent sinners that they are in the way that leadeth to hell and that if they go on in that way without repentance it is not possible for them to escape the damnation of hell they are going on in that way and are sure to come to hell without repentance yet it must be with some insinuation of love and testification of it as we must say I am grieved at the very soul for your miserable estate oh that you had hearts to consider and eyes to see that your miserable estate and fearful condition and the Judgment of God against you and to beseech them earnestly that they would labour to come out of that miserable estate and condition Vse 2 And for you that are Hearers for the use of your part onely to pray unto God and to intreat the Lord for us and to be earnest with God that the Lord would vouchsafe to guide us by his good Spirit that we may shew our selves such as are faithful to the Lord that hath sent us and not such as are studious to speak that which pleaseth men and soothe them up in their sins But that the Lord would give us to shew our studious care and indeavour of the peoples good by a signification of hearty love unto them and tender affection And as the Prophet saith Esay 58.1 We are such as must cry aloud and lift up our voyce like Trumpets this you must pray for us Vers 1 Come we now unto these five Verses as they lye in order I say the truth in Christ I lye not
is but a poor man and a threed-bare fellow as the world disdainfully terms him and is it not a usual thing with men and women out of the cursed corruption of their nature to envy the good gifts of others and the good successe others have in the use of their gifts because their persons dislike them what is more common then for some to envy the good successe that some Ministers have in exercise of their gifts in that they using their gifts carefully and conscionably do gather or build up a people to God and in that they are in such credit and such esteem in the Church and have such great authority in the hearts of Gods people Oh this is an eye-sore to some and they carp at it and this they complain of as Johns Disciples complained to him of Christ Joh. 3.26 they came to John and said to him Rabbi he that was with thee beyond Iordan to whom thou barest witnesse behold he baptizeth and all men come unto him all men follow him a foul fault surely and a sore accusation and just so do some now in our dayes they complain that many flock to such and such Ministers and they envy the good successe those Ministers have in the execution of their Ministerial office and the exercise of their gifts in that so much good is done by their Ministery And why forsooth because they are Puritane Preachers and their persons are such as they cannot affect all these and many others are justly to be taxed as sinning against this holy truth now delivered that we ought to acknowledge and to respect the known excellency dignity and preferment God hath vouchsafed to others be it in place in gifts in the good successe in the use of those gifts whatsoever the persons be that do enjoy it though they be wicked persons yea our Vse 2 enemies and so for a second use of the point We are to take notice of this duty and learn we to mind it as any just occasion is given to us Art thou a wife learn then to acknowledge the dignity and superiority God hath vouchsafed to thine husband as he is thine husband be he never so silly or simple a man or never so wicked or vile a person for as he is thy husband he hath the stamp and image of God set on him in respect of thee and that in it self is good and excellent and ought to be acknowledged and and respected wheresoever it is found Art thou a servant then take thou notice of it that thy Master bears the image of God before thee as he is thy Master and thou art to acknowledge it and with reverence to respect it be thy master never so poor or of never so mean condition in the world Note or be his qualities never so vile And so be persons that are in place over us never so vile or wicked yet we must learn to acknowledge and to reverence and to respect their known eminency and their known lawful authority that comes to them from heaven yea learn we not only not to envy but to love reverence and respect the good gifts of others and the good successe they have in the use of those gifts be the persons never so mean or base in our conceit It may be some are of meaner parts then thy self have in the same calling wherein thou art better successe in the use of their gifts then thou hast in the use of thy gifts what then consider thou that both mens gifts and the successe they have in those gifts comes to them from heaven and it is measured out by the good hand of God and it may be God sees just cause sometimes to grace with successe lesser gifts above greater because haply he sees greater sincerity and faithfulnesse in the use of lesser gifts then in the use of greater and therefore do not thou envy or repine at the good successe others have in the use of their gifts because the persons to whom it is vouchsafed are such as thou canst not affect or because they are of meaner gifts then thy self if thou so do surely thou pickest a quarrel with God himself and he may say to thee as we have it Matth. 20.15 Is thine eye evil because I am good dost thou repine and fret against my good hand and against my disposing of my gifts and successe in the use of my gifts if thou so do thou shalt not escape my punishing hand Oh then take thou heed of this whosoever thou art and learn we to acknowledge and to respect the known true excellency and dignity and preferment that God vouchsafes to any be it in place in gifts in good successe in the use of gifts vouchsafed unto them though the persons that do enjoy it be base and mean yea wicked and vile persons and though they be our mortal enemies this is our duty and it is to be thought on and remembred Now to proceed I hold it not fit to stand on the worthy priviledges belonging to the Jews here reckoned up by the Apostle severally that would be a longer course and not so agreeable to the purpose of the holy Ghost in this place Onely from the glory which the Apostle here puts down as a priviledge vouchsafed to the people of God the Israelites meaning thereby as I shewed before the Ark of Gods Covenant which was a sign of Gods special presence amongst them I thought to have noted briefly that which of late hath been largely and well handled in your hearing namely this Doctrine That the Gospel and holy Religion of God is the glory of a people to whom it is vouchsafed because indeed as hath been said it is a sign of Gods special presence it 's Gods love-token and its a sign that God hath there some that belongs to his election where it is given And it is the Gospel which brings men to the knowledge of life and salvation it being the Word of life Act. 5.20 and the Word of salvation Act. 13.26 yea the Gospel and the holy Religion of God is the very sinews strength and stability of a nation or a people and that which doth establish a Kingdom or Nation and where the Gospel and holy truth and Religion of God is imbraced there is Gods Kingdom as saith the Prophet Esay 52.7 How beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of him that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tydings and publisheth salvation saying unto Zion Thy God reigneth And Gods Kingdom is stable and firm nothing is able to overturn it But I will not stand on this it having been pointed at before in the opening of the words of this Verse only by way of Use this ground of truth serves to discover to us Vse That the Papists that live amongst us in this Land and Kingdome cannot be rightly affected to the good estate of our Land they cannot be true friends to the happy estate and stability of this Kingdome for while they that
to the ground and not be accomplished to whom it belongeth it is impossible but that they should be accomplished and made good unto those that have title to them whatsoever standeth in opposition against them or gainsayeth them For the further confirmation of this point read Matth. 5.18 the Lord Jesus speaking of the Law of God and thereby meaning the whole Word of God he maketh it more firm and stable then the whole frame of heaven and earth heaven and earth shall passe away they shall perish but not one jot or tittle of the Law shall escape unfulfilled every tittle of the Word of God whether promise mercy threatning or Judgment and especially the Promises it shall not escape unfulfilled and in 2 Sam. 2.28 we read the Lord having promised to David to build him a house David doth assuredly rest upon the accomplishment of it and he groundeth his assurance thus For why thou are God and thou canst not change thou art most true and Rom. 3.3 4. The Apostle speaketh thus of the Jewes Though some of the Jewes do not believe shall their unbelief make the Word and Promise of God of none effect God forbid Let God be true and every man a lyar God is certainly true and in Josh 23.15 saith Joshua Now all things are come unto you which the Lord your God hath promised so in Act. 13.32 33. Paul saith to the Jewes the promise made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled unto us their children evidence of Scripture might be plentifully brought for the clearing of this truth That all the Promises of God touching good things of this life or that to come they cannot possibly be frustrate but shall come to passe in Gods appointed time The Reasons and grounds of it are these two Reason 1 First from the Nature of God because God himself is unchangeable and therefore this word is proportionable and answerable to himself yea God is truth it self al-sufficient and able to make good his word and to fulfill his promise and to make it good in despight of all oppositions whatsoever whether it be men or devils he is the truth it self the God of truth and he is also infinite in power Reason 2 Secondly because all the promises of God they are made unto his in Christ he is the ground and foundation of all the sweet and comfortable promises unto his in him they are made good unto his children as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.20 In Christ Jesus all the promises are yea and in him amen they are ratified and confirmed in him now Christ Jesus is a most sure and firm foundation all the devils in hell cannot shake this foundation and therefore doubtlesse upon this ground we may resolve that all the promises of God concerning this life and the life to come they are firm and stable and shall certainly in Gods appointed time be fulfilled Object I but say some God promiseth many excellent temporal blessings unto his children we read in the Book of God of abundance of promises that God doth promise unto his children in this life which many of his children never come to see Answ It is true indeed but yet withal know thus much that even these temporal things are fulfilled as they are propounded they are propounded conditionally with the condition of obedience and with the exception of a Crosse if his children do fear and obey him or if otherwise the Lord see it good to exercise them with some crosse or some affliction and therefore if that many of the children of God do not enjoy the Promises it is because the Lord is pleased to chastise them for their sinnes and he is pleased so to do for their good because the Lord seeth it better and fitter for them to be exercised with afflictions and yet the promises of God are fulfilled according to the tenour that it is made unto them so they are fulfilled with condition of obedience and exception of the Crosse Psal 34.10 Gods Children shall want nothing that God hath promised that he seeth to be good concerning their temporall estate or the good estate in the life to come thou shalt want nothing now for the Application of it First of all this truth that you have here delivered That the Promises Vse 1 of God shall certainly be accomplished whatsoever seemeth contradictory unto them this discovereth unto us what a foul sin it is to be discouraged and daunted to be dejected and cast down and to walk uncomfortably heavily sadly and unchearfully either because they be under some great affliction already or because some great tryal is like to come upon them and hereupon they begin to be sad whence cometh this unchearfulnesse in a Child of God that he walketh thus sadly surely from the bitter root of unbelief because Gods Children consider not as they ought to do the truth and the stability of the comfortable promises of God they trusted not God barely on his Promises where God hath promised I will be with thee when thou walkest through the water and passest through the fire Esay 43.2 in the time of their greatest distresse God will be with them they do not believe and trust this promise of God that he will deliver them in all danger to uphold them and assist them he hath made this promise and this they believe not but withdraw their trust and affiance from this promise of God and so they greatly dishonour God for he that resteth upon the bare promise of God and stable word of God when he hath nothing else to rest upon he doth assuredly honour God wonderfully if we rest upon God when we see all things opposite to us then to rest upon the stable promise of God hereby we shew our zeal unto God but he that withdraweth his heart back from trusting on God dishonoureth God and robbeth him of his truth and maketh God no better then a lyar for if we trust not God when means seem to be with us much lesse will we trust him when all things seem to be contrary unto us therefore we ought carefully to avoyd this sinne This truth in the second place That all Gods Promises are certain Vse 2 this truth duly considered and thought upon may afford matter of strong comfort and great consolation to as many of us that find our selves to be such that have right and title to the gratious Promises of God but if we find our selves to be none of those here is no comfort belonging unto us wicked and ungodly persons that go on in a course of evil howsoever the Doctrine is most sweet and comfortable thou that art an ignorant and a gracelesse person if so be thou findest not thy self qualified aright thou hast no right nor title to the gracious Promises of God but if thou findest thy self to be called to faith and holinesse seconded with a holy and godly life and conversation thou findest thy self now believing in Christ thou art not a debauched wretch or
example of the Apostle Paul that was changed by the voyce of Christ from heaven and the voyce of the Gospel is as powerful from a bloody and tyrannical persecutor to a famous and renowned Preacher of the Gospel Gal. 1.22 And we read not onely in the primitive stories of the Church but have found also in our own time that the Gospel of God hath been of such force that it hath made many to leave their Fathers their Mothers wives children friends their lands and livings and all their riches and possessions and to lose their lives by fire and sword and faggot and by cruel tortures yea by as cruel torments as their tormentors could lay upon them And is not the voyce of the Gospel now as powerful is not the Gospel able to make thee now to lay aside thy profits or pleasures as thy Carding or Dicing nay not to lay aside a cup of beer or wine not needful for thee is not the Gospel able to make thee to lay aside a needlesse new fangled attire on thy head to make thee cut off thy long shag and ruffian-like hair to make thee leave off thy covetousnesse thy Drunkennesse thy whoring thy common swearing by faith and troth is it not able to do this is the power of the Gospel abated can it not make thee leave off thy darling sin it was wont to do this in former time And the Gospel is as powerful now and as able to throw down the strongest hold of sin and Satan as ever 2 Cor. 10.4 to throw down imaginations and strong holds of corruption if thou live under the Gospel where the Gospel is truly and faithfully preached and assuredly either the Gospel hath thus wrought in thee to the purging out of corruptions and those sins thou once delightedst in or it sealeth up unto thee a heavy and fearful conclusion what is that you will say Take it from the Apostle not from me in 2 Cor. 4.3 mark what he saith The Apostle in the second verse of the Chapter sheweth that he and the rest of the Apostles handled the Word of God not deceitfully but in the declaration of the truth in plain evidence of the Spirit and of power they approved themselves to every mans conscience then mark what he bringeth in by way of inference if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish if the Gospel that hath been so plentifully and powerfully preached and so painfully delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit work not in your hearts and souls It is to be feared you are in the way to destruction and in a fearful condition Oh then let us look that we find the power of the Gospel in our hearts and soules and consider it will nothing at all avail us to know that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation though it were to thousands yea to all the world besides if we find it is not so to us to commend the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of it and to say it is a blessed Sermon an excellent Sermon the best sermon that ever I heard it may be worthy to be commended but hath it wrought upon thee thou finding it not powerful to thee it will not be available to take notice of the Gospel to be a Word of power in the general and in the abstract and not find it so in the particular to thy self is the case of the Devil he knoweth the Gospel is a comfortable Word but see what good hast thou gotten by knowing it hath it beat down thy pride thy covetousnesse thy earthly mindednesse happy art thou otherwise it will not be available therefore in the fear of God let us never rest till we find that we living under the sound preaching of the Gospel that hath been effectual to our soules and hearts and hath beaten down our pride our earthly mindednesse and predominant corruptions and hath been of force and efficacy to the conferring upon us the holy Spirit of God and so made us actually Gods Children and heires of grace mercy and salvation then happy art thou Now the second thing that we are to stand upon is this That the children of the promise Doctrine such as are effectually wrought upon by the Word of the Gospel and by that word begotten to the faith and to believe in Christ they are accounted the true seed and the true children of Abraham and they have this honour to be of his seed And all the nobility of Christs Ancestors of Abraham of David is communicated unto them whether they be not of the race of the Jewes but Gentiles as it 's our case if the Gospel hath conferred the Spirit unto thee thou art a son or a daughter of faithful Abraham and all the Nobility of Christs Ancestors is communicated unto thee Gal. 3.7 they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Because Christ himself concerning the flesh came of Abraham Reason as the Apostle speaketh in Ephes 5.30 and they being in Christ they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh they are members with him and therefore partakers with him Oh then what excellent comfort is this to them that are sure of it Vse that the Gospel hath a working upon their hearts and soules that it hath hammered their soules and made them believe in Jesus Christ and though it be so that thou art of mean and base condition in the world yet thou art a child of Abraham an honour far surpassing that to be the sonne or daughter of an Emperour or the greatest Monarch or Potentate in the world all the Nobility of Christ his Ancestours belongeth unto thee if thou be a child of Abraham the friend of God 2 Chr. 20.7 as Jehosaphat calleth him what canst thou want either for thy provision or for thy safety and protection or defence the Lord hath made many sweet gracious and comfortable promises to Abraham that he will be his God his shield his buckler and his exceeding great reward a friend to his friends and an enemy to his enemies and thou hast right and title to all these gracious promises thou being a true believer God is thy shield and buckler a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies what canst thou want either for thy provision and safety or thy protection And therefore in the fear of God think upon it whosoever thou art that findest thy self wrought upon by the powerfull Word of the Gospel that it hath beaten down thy pride thy covetousnesse and hath conferred unto thee the Spirit and that Spirit wrought faith in thy heart thou art a child of Abraham and all the Promises of God touching this life and the life to come thou hast right and title to as a child of Abraham VERSE 9. For this is a word of promise In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son OUr Apostle having delivered this for a certain truth
rejected others out of the mere good pleasure of his will without any thing in man either good or bad quality or any thing done by man either good or evil No doubt God did foresee these things in man but not as a cause moving him thereunto but his election is free And indeed it is an act of Gods soveraignty that he hath over the creatures which is altogether independent upon any thing in the creature or done by the creature as the cause of it as for example In the first Creation of all things when God created the world he first made the matter of all things a confused Chaos and out of that he made the distinction of several things and creatures in their several kinds Now as in that first Creation when that the whole matter of it was alike a confused heap then there was reason why one part of that matter should become fire another water another the ayr and another earth Because this was necessary both for the beauty of the world and the use of the creatures that they might be useful both to man and beast but why this or that part of the first matter should be fire and not water why God would make that part water and another part earth a baser element no reason can be imagined of this but onely the will of the Soveraign Creator because it pleased God to make one part of that first matter water and another fire and another earth and another ayr he might have made that part fire which was water but it pleased the Almighty Creator to make them so So in the general there was Reason why the Lord would receive some to salvation and reject others to damnation both for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy and justice but why God would appoint this or that particular man or woman to life and salvation and not another man why Peter and not Judas not any reason can be imagined rightly and truly but the good will and pleasure of God Vse 1 First of all this truth serveth for the confutation of some erroneous opinions that are contradictory unto it as namely that of the Papists in that they hold and affirm that God indeed foreappointed some to life and salvation from everlasting no doubt say they but how upon his foresight of their free will working together with his grace upon a foresight that their free will would co-operate and co-work with his grace to the doing of good works and thereupon and in respect of that did God fore-appoint them to life and salvation a mere device and shift to delude silly people withal And likewise this truth now delivered meeteth with the erroneous opinions of the Arminians and Anabaptists for they are near one to the other The Arminians hold and affirm that God did decree the choyce of some to life and salvation not actually chuse them but decree some to life and salvation upon the foresight of their faith with perseverance and so say the Anabaptists it was upon the foresight of their faith and obedience to the Gospel so that they jump together in the matter the one upon foreseen faith and the other upon foresight of obedience to the Gospel the Lord did foresee that some would imbrace the Gospel some would believe in Christ some would seek salvation by faith in Christ upon the promises of God and thereupon did he decree the choyce of some to life and salvation or at least say they mincing the matter it was the rule which God did follow in his choyce we will not say they stand upon it to be the cause but it was the rule A frivolous distinction to distinguish between cause and rule or cause and reason But for the opinion it is most false for if so be the foresight of faith and of the obedience to the Gospel was the cause working God to decree the choyce of some to life and salvation then this will surely follow that that which hath onely a being in time was the cause of that which was altogether before time then faith which hath no being in nature but in time it shall be the cause working God to decree the choyce of some to life and salvation before all times a most grosse and absurd thing that the thing in time should over-rule the decree of God from everlasting Again if so be Gods fore-appointing of some to life and salvation had faith foreseen for the cause of it what need then had the Apostle to bring that question or make that Objection that he doth in the 14 verse of this Chapter What shall we say then is there unrighteousnesse with God there would be no shew nor semblance of any injustice or unrighteousnesse with God if so be this were true that Gods fore-appointing of some to life and salvation had faith foreseen for the cause if any had moved this question that it seemeth hard that before the children were born God should receive one and reject the other and so should conclude then God is unjust and unrighteous Then we might answer speaking in the language of the Arminians God did foresee long before that Jacob would believe and Esau would not and this would clear God from any suspition of injustice and this cavil would be quite taken away and so we should make the Apostle to speak very absurdly to move a question that needed not and make an objection needlesly which were most wicked and blasphemous once to suppose such a thing of the blessed Apostle which was guided by the holy Spirit of God infallibly who had cause to move this question so then let the Arminians and Anabaptists passe away with their idle fictions of their idle brains contrary to the truth of God Is this so that God hath fore-appointed some to life and salvation Vse 2 and rejected others merely of his good pleasure and will here then is ground of sweet comfort to thee that hast good evidence of it that thou art in the number of those whom God hath appointed to life thou art sometimes troubled it may be with the consideration of thine own unworthinesse of thy own great unworthinesse and the sight thereof doth many times perplex and trouble thee and make thee walk on very heavily and very uncomfortably and doth much trouble thy Conscience Oh then remember and consider this to thy comfort that the Lord hath set thee apart thou having evidence of thy election to life and salvation before thou hast done any thing without respect had to any thing done by thee either good or evil and will the Lord now reject thee and cast thee off because of thy unworthinesse which thou complainest of no surely he respecteth it not he respecteth neither thy worthinesse or unworthinesse he hath freely chosen thee to life and salvation before thou couldst do any thing and assuredly to thy comfort he will freely save thee he will passe by thy infirmities and pardon all thy sin he will hide them
all and have respect onely to his mercy and eternal love And take heed that in regard of thy unworthinesse thou do not conclude God will cast thee off no God doth it not for any thing foreseen or done by thee but onely of his free grace and mercy and he will freely save thee Again upon this ground of truth learn we to acknowledge and to magnifie the wonderful and unspeakable goodnesse of God if we be such as shall find our selves in the number of Gods chosen we must learn to extol and magnifie the mercy of God for why the Lord out of his mere good pleasure without respect had to any thing in us or done by us merely out of his free love hath fore-appointed us to life and salvation for which we cannot sufficiently magnifie the goodnesse of God consider it there was no difference between thee and others as thou diddest lye in the sight of God no difference between thee and such a one as is rejected and refused and if so be God had not severed thee by his eternal election from others thou hadst been in no better estate then Esau or Judas or Saul or Jezebel or the vilest Reprobate that liveth upon the face of the earth Oh then be stirred up to magnifie the Lord who out of his free mercy hath elected thee and rejected others In the 2 Sam. 6.21 we read that David danced and leaped and rejoyced in his spirit exceedingly before the Ark of God what was in Davids mind was he a mad-man as Michael his wife told him no he considered that God had chosen him and rejected the house of Saul so he saith to Michael the Lord hath chosen me and my fathers house and rejected thee and thy fathers house Oh then how should we rejoyce in Spirit and blesse and magnifie his mercy that he hath chosen us not to a Temporal Kingdom but to an eternal Kingdom in heaven this should make us rejoyce from which he hath rejected many thousands as good as thy self how can I be sufficiently thankful unto God if so be men of eminency and place should shew us a common kindnesse and courtesie we little regard it but if so be those eminent persons do admit us unto their special favour and do yeeld unto us such a kindnesse as they will not communicate to any but their dearest favourites and friends then we highly esteem of it Oh then consider the Lord hath done us that favour wherein the greatest part of the world and of mankind have no share no part nor portion how should this teach us to magnifie praise laud and blesse the holy name of God Oh holy holy holy Lord God ever praised and magnified be thy great name who hast set us apart to life and salvation and rejected many others in the world Yea beloved as God hath put a difference between us and others we belonging to his election so let us manifest and make it to appear that there is a difference between us and them in the course of our lives and conversations that we differ from the wicked manners of the world for they that follow the course and manners of the world they believe not that God hath set them apart to life and salvation if they had hearts to believe it they would manifest it and make it appear in their lives and conversations our life must be a visible disallowing and disavowing of their lives we must confront the wicked we must shine as lights in the world and carry our selves as children of the light and not follow the swaggering fashions of the world for as God hath made a separation between us and them and will make a final separation at the day of Judgement so now there should be a separation I mean not a separation from the Church but from the cursed courses of the world even as Lot did in Sodom Oh therefore in the fear of God let us ever magnifie and blesse the Name of God for choosing us to salvation and let us labour to be answerable in some measure by our obedience unto him For the Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger THe next thing to be considered is the Apostles amplification of the speech of God unto Rebekah and it is amplified by the end of it It was said unto Rebekah by God himself The elder shall serve the younger to what end to this end that the whole matter might depend upon Gods election touching his free choyce not by works but by him that calleth So then the next words to be handled in order of the Text are these that the purpose of God touching or concerning election might remain or abide that is as I shewed you That the eternal purpose and decree of God touching his free choyce of electing some to life and salvation and his rejecting and refusing others might remain firm and stable immoveable and unshaken here then you see we have a ground of the infallible certainty and immutability of Gods decree before we shewed you the freenesse of it here we have a certain ground of the infallible certainty and immutability and unchangeablenesse of his decree in choosing some and rejecting others hence the observation is this That Gods eternal decree and purpose Doctrine touching his free choyce of some particular men to life and salvation and his fore-appointing of some to life and glory is most sure certain and unchangeable and remaineth firm and immoveable God hath from everlasting fore-appointed some particular men to an heavenly inheritance to the Kingdom of heaven and that certainly and infallibly so as that they cannot misse of coming to life and glory in heaven in Gods good time it is not possible that they should come short of it Indeed if we consider one that belongeth to Gods election apart from Gods decree then such a one may perish But if we consider him with Gods decree as we ought ever to do it is impossible that such a one should perish considering him as a chosen vessel of God in his eternal purpose it is not possible that he should misse of salvation And for the confirmation of it to this purpose is the speech of Christ himself in Matth 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false prophets and they shall shew great signs and wonders so that saith Christ if it were possible they should deceive the very elect As if he had said False Christs and false Prophets arising in the Church of God shall come with such powerful working even with the working of Satan and with all power and lying wonders as the Apostle describeth Antichrist himself his followers 2 Thess 2.9 that they shall come with such a powerful working with the lying wonders of Satan that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect but that
be in the matter of justification and sanctification but to answer more fully I hope the Papists will not deny but that Abraham and David had as well Moral works as Ceremonial works if they do they deny the plain truth of God and yet the Apostle saith Rom. 4.4 5 6. These two holy men they were not justified or saved by any thing done by themselves but even by the faith of Jesus Christ being imputed unto them for righteousnesse Object 2 Again say the Papists we grant they were justified by faith why then Faith is a work and therefore works have some stroke in the Justification of a sinner I answer Answ It is true faith is a work it is a work of God Christ calleth it so Joh. 6.29 when the Scribes and Pharisees say what shall we do that we may do the works of God Christ saith believe in God that is a work of all works the best work but we must know that faith doth not justifie as it is a work no not by the worth and goodnesse of faith the very act of believing justifieth not for the vertue and goodnesse of it but it justifieth relativè as an instrument or hand applying and taking hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and so doth faith justifie apprehending Christ as the matter of Justification Yet further they object say the Papists in the places alledged where Object 3 there is an opposition between grace and works the Holy Ghost meaneth works of nature such as are done by the strength of nature and not of the works of grace no these two may well stand together works that come from the grace and Spirit of God and grace these two may well stand together in the matter of salvation To this I answer Answ I beseech you consider with me that place in Ephes 2.8 9. where the Apostle saith by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast of what works doth the Apostle speak of works of nature no such matter but works done by the power of grace how may that appear in the tenth verse he saith we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works plainly teaching us that the works he speaketh of are works done by us framed anew in Christ Jesus by the power of his Spirit and grace we being in Christ made new creatures so to leave the Papists Is it so That Gods eternal election of his chosen before all time and Vse 2 effectual calling in time is merely and onely of Gods free grace and favour and not of the works of men upon this ground we must learn our Lesson and duty howsoever we are bound to the doing of good works of all sorts and kinds within the compasse of our place and callings both duties of piety to God duties of love equity mercy and justice to men and are bound to be rich and plentiful in all good works for necessary uses that they may be fruits of faith evidences of Gods love and favour unto us in Christ testimonies of our thankfulnesse unto God for his mercy and necessary antecedents to God before the reward of life and glory in heaven so that good works are necessary yet mark the Lesson howsoever we are thus bound to good works yet we must renounce the merit of them take heed that we rest not upon the merit of good works we must renounce all trust and confidence in them and stick onely and wholly to the free grace of God for our justification our comfort here and happinesse hereafter all from the beginning to the consummation from predestination to glorification is all of the free grace and favour of God Many silly ignorant people there be that say they hope to be saved but ask them the question how you shall have a blind answer by their good dealing by their good serving of God and by their good prayers they are just and true and by this means they hope to be saved they have no other ground but that which is merely natural Popish and carnal and doth shoulder and thrust out the free grace and favour of God alas if there were no other way to come to heaven but by our good dealing and good serving of God woe be unto us for then no flesh shall ever be saved no mere man shall ever come to heaven if all our happinesse depend upon our own goodnesse all our comfort were at an end For the best of our works are stained like menstruous clouts your hearing the Word our preaching and prayer they are but as menstruous and filthy clouts and have many imperfections cleaving unto them and herein learn a trick and subtilty of Satan if Satan cannot prevail with a man to be abominable and vile in his life to be a debauched creature but that he will live civilly and orderly and will be doing good things then he will temper with him and stirre him up to be conceited of his goodnesse and to rest upon it as the ground of comfort when a man doth avoid the bloody-faced sins of the world then the devil maketh him to think he is a right honest man and make that the ground of salvation but this is as pleasing to the devil as a lewd and a wicked course of life for assuredly the trust and ground of comfort in any thing done by us shall assoon bring a man to hell as the most vile and debauched course of life Oh then trust perfectly to the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.13 the word is very significant and signifieth soundly holily and solidly trust to the free grace of God for if thou trust upon any thing else it will plunge thy soul into the bottomlesse pit of hell yea if we rest upon the grace of God though the Lord do afflict and bring us under in grievous afflictions yet happy are we we are built upon the free grace of God and he will never take his grace and mercy from us as he saith to David 2 Sam. 7.14 15. if thy son sin against me I will correct him with the rods of men but my mercy will I never take from thee thou art in a blessed estate that resteth upon the mercy of God VERSE 12. It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger IN this Verse our Apostle putteth down the speech of God unto Rebekah which we read of in Gen. 25.23 the Holy Ghost in that Chapter telleth us that Rebekah having conceived twins two children in her womb and feeling the children to strive in her womb she went to ask counsel of the Oracle of God touching that matter and the text saith God gave her this Answer two Nations are in thy womb Rebekah two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels and the one people shall be mightier then the other the elder shall serve the younger these were the very words of
more then a probable sign thou art not in the favour of God nor a child of God for together with the outward good things of this life God giveth to his children contentednesse of mind he giveth unto them wealth without woe and store without sore yea in Psal 127.3 God giveth his beloved rest and contentednesse learn we then every one of us to be contented and consider thy dwelling here or there in a fair house or in a foul it is the will of God thou shouldest have it and for thy calling be it rich or poor to be contented do not leave thy station or place of calling out of a discontentednesse and run to Virginia or New-England and I know not whither assuredly the hand of God will follow that man he doth withdraw himself from the Lords protection and the curse of God will follow him and whatsoever he putteth his hand to though he may remove to better his estate yet not out of discontentednesse for this is a bitter fruit of our cursed corruption for the meanest thing we have is more then we deserve at Gods hand therefore learn to rely upon Gods providence and appointment in thy lawful place and calling It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau COme we now to the second thing to be handled in these words And in the second place it being thus spoken unto Rebekah by God himself and that according to Gods eternal and unchangeable decree the elder shall serve the younger it further pointeth out the efficacy and force of Gods eternal election and we may hence further take up this conclusion Doctr. That Gods decree touching his election of some unto life and glory in heaven it is a most powerful and a most effectual Decree exceeding great is the efficacy and force of Gods eternal election And this may easily be conceived so to be that the election of God is so effectual and powerful and so full of efficacy if so be we duly consider the fruits and effects of it it is so effectual that it altereth both the Law of Nature and the corruption of nature as first of all Gods election it altereth the law of nature that appeareth in this example of Jacob and of Esau for whereas by the law of Nature the younger should serve the elder and the elder should have dominion over the younger now you see by the eternal purpose and decree of God touching election the elder is made subject unto the younger and the younger is advanced above the elder Again Gods eternal election it altereth also the corruption of Nature as we may easily instance in this example of Jacob and Esau for Jacob being one belonging to Gods election God wrought upon him by his Spirit God set him out of the state of Nature into the state of grace they being both in one estate by Nature conceived and born in sin alike yet Gods eternal election maketh a separation between them it leaveth the one in the estate of Nature and calleth the other in the state of grace yea in time it changeth the corrupt nature of man and it correcteth the stubbornnesse of Nature and in time it bringeth forth an alteration and a change in the soules of men it changeth them in time from what even from the state of ignorance and unbelief and hardnesse of heart and disobedience to the will of God it changeth them into saving faith saving knowledge softnesse of heart pliablenesse to the Will of God and holy obedience to the will of God in all things so powerful and so effectual is Gods eternal election And to prove this a little further First of all this is that which God himself speaketh of in Ezek. 36.26 where the Lord saith he would take away the stony hearts out of his people out of what people such as belonged to his election and give unto them a heart of flesh to this purpose also is that in Act. 13.48 where the text saith that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to eternal life they believed when they heard Paul and Barnabas preach unto them such was the force of their preordination and fore-appointing to eternal life and salvation as that it wrought in them this alteration upon the preaching of the Gospel it changed them from unbelief to saving faith and in Ephes 1.4 the Apostle saith God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love plainly teaching us this very point that true knowledge true faith true holinesse they are fruits necessarily following upon Gods eternal election God having chosen us to this end he is not frustrate of his end but it cometh to passe And hence it is the Apostle calleth saving faith the faith of Gods elect as a thing properly belonging to Gods elect and a proper fruit of Gods eternal election Titus 1.1 and in 1 Pet. 1.2 the Apostle telleth those to whom he writeth his Epistle that they were elect of God according to the foreknowledge of God unto sanctification of the Spirit Thus we see it evident and plain unto us that indeed so powerful and so effectual is Gods eternal election as that it altereth the Law of Nature and the corruption of nature and in time it bringeth forth in alteration and change in the soul of man changing from the state of ignorance and rebellion to saving knowledge and saving faith softnesse of heart and holy obedience And it must needs be so Reason Because as God hath chosen and ordained some to life and glory in heaven so hath he in his eternal counsel and decree ordained that those men so chosen shall be fitted for life and glory in heaven before they come to the possession of it and that by working in them saving knowledge saving faith and true holinesse without which no man shall ever see God to his comfort Heb. 12.14 or ever enter into the Kingdom of God Col. 1.12 he maketh them first meet for it so that this is certainly a truth that Gods election doth change both Law of Nature and corruption of Nature First of all this truth being duly considered may serve in the first place Vse 1 to keep us from rash Judgments to teach us to take heed that we never take upon us to determine of the final estate of any man to give a definitive sentence of any mans estate be he never so wicked never so vile or cursed in the course of his life to brand him with the black note of a Reprobate and to say peremptorily such an one is a Reprobate for who can tell whether such a one posting on in sinne whether he belong to Gods election or no or whether he will so continue to the end of his life for he may be one that belongeth to Gods election and if he do then certainly the election of God will be effectual for the
issued and sprung from that ever springing fountain of the free love of God Exod. 19.4 he carried his people upon Eagles wings he did favour and do them good from time to time and so in Deut. 30.10 he chose Jacob and the seed of Jacob and brought his seed out of Egypt by a mighty power and Deut. 4.37 he turned the curse of Balaam to a blessing Numb 23.5 when Balaam thought to curse the people of God God turned it to a blessing so I might instance in many particulars how the Lord manifested his love unto his people one for all Joh. 3.16 where Christ saith God so loved the world or his chosen in the world that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life the free love of God was it that moved God to send his Son to be a Saviour unto them Indeed I grant that Gods chosen now believing in Christ they have the pardon of their sins and they have all good things vouchsafed unto them for Christ his sake even for Christ his sake God is pleased to vouchsafe unto them pardon of sin and all other dependents thereon for we must know that though God out of his free love decreed to make Christ a means and a Saviour by whom and through whom men should have pardon of their sins conveyed unto them that he should be the conduit and person that they should receive it by yet the fountain and chief ground is Gods eternal love so that the first cause the first ground of all good things that come unto Gods chosen here and hereafter in heaven it is Gods free love and his free good will and pleasure though Christ be the means of conveyance Because God being most free as he is liberrimum agens he will not have Reason 1 any good thing come from any thing out of himself Because no good can be given above the good will and pleasure of God Reason 2 Christ himself saith so that we have nothing but the free and eternal pleasure of God so that this plainly sheweth Gods free love is the ground of all good things First of all this Doctrine doth put down a main difference plain and Vse 1 manifest between Gods love unto us and our love unto others we love others in respect of some good some worth we see some good quality some excellent and worthy thing in them which doth attract and draw our love unto them we see some beauty some wit some learning some strength or the like that draweth our love unto them and knitteth our hearts unto them and indeed we are bound so to do to love others in respect of their beauty wit learning and the Image of God in them in any manner Now with God there is no such matter our love is bounded and grounded and set upon some excellency or worth in the creature even our very enemies but with God there is no such matter his love is not stirred up nor caused by any good worth or excellency in us or any goodnesse in us no not by any thing out of himself Indeed I grant God loveth his own Image being renued in us and the more we are renued of God the more holy the more religious the more pleasing to God and the more dear and pretious to him God loveth his own Image in us actually but the cause of that is his eternal free love so that though the Lord love us we being renued and holy and righteous yet the cause is his eternal free love which proceedeth not from any thing out of himself but onely his free good will and pleasure Is this so that all good things in this life and the life to come do proceed Vse 2 from the good will and pleasure of God Upon this ground we must learn then to indeavour in every good thing we enjoy yea in the good things of this life that we have and possesse to see Gods love unto us in them to see in the bread we eat the apparel we clothe our selves withal and the good things we enjoy to see Gods love unto us It is not sufficient for us to know that the outward good things of this life are good things in themselves blessings of God a man may go so far by the very light of nature to know that meat and drink and maintenance is a blessing of God and there is no comfort in this knowledge no we must be able to know that these good things come out of Gods free and eternal love and to be blessings unto us in particular and that they flow out from Gods free and eternal favour wherewith he had loved us before the world was and that they coming thus we may use the Apostles form of thanksgiving Ephes 1.3 blessed be God our heavenly Father who hath blessed us with all heavenly and with all temporal good things with this health with this wealth this apparel but some may say how is that to be done I answer Labour thou in the first place to get thy part in the blood of Jesus Christ labour thou to apprehend and apply the merits of Christ his death and obedience to thine own soul by a true saving faith and never rest untill thou hast a true and a saving faith to apply and to apprehend the merits of Christ to thy soul for in Christ alone is the spiritual right and title of all good things applyed to Gods chosen Secondly having gotten this labour thou to find that the outward good things of this life they do stirre thee up and provoke thee forward to love God to fear God to walk humbly before the Lord and to be thankful unto his holy Majesty the outward good things of this life thou hast a true right and title unto them and are means to help thee forward in the wayes of God and to walk humbly before the Lord thy meat thy drink thy apparel are means to help thee forward to thy salvation and to further thee in the way of salvation And it is not with thee after the manner of the men of the world to abuse the good things of this life to vanity and pride to set out their hearts in pride of apparel garishnesse of attire riot and excesse as some do that a man may say and easily discern there is a proud person however you will say under a russet coat may be a proud heart yet a man may say where there is smoke there is fire It breaketh out in their foreheads and foretops and in their long shag'd ruffian-like hair and in their exteriour parts a man may say they are clothed with cruelty and pride hangeth as a chain about their necks Psal 73.6 and their houses and lands are priviledged places for all manner of abomination impiety and ungodlinesse and no man may speak against them especially being men of place and authority great men their greatnesse doth priviledge their places and houses for all manner of impious and abominable courses
doth limit and restrain the mercy of God to them to whom the Lord vouchsafeth mercy and therefore mercy is not a natural property in God Answ To this I answer First of all this Cavil is grounded upon a mistaking and misconstruction of the words of the Apostle For the Apostle doth not here intend and mean the natural property and essential attribute of mercy in God but he meaneth the act exercise and work of that property which is extended and reached out unto man and that is ever guided by the holy will of God Again it is false and utterly untrue that this heretick affirmeth that all the natural properties of God are ever in use to us for justice mercy goodnesse and power and the like be essential and natural in God and yet God doth extend and reach them out to whom he pleaseth according to his own purpose when he will and where he will and how it pleaseth him so that it is false and blasphemous to say that mercy is not natural and essential in God for the testimony of Scripture contradicteth it in Exod. 34.6 the Lord there proclaimeth himself in this manner The Lord the Lord strong merciful gratious and abundant in goodnesse and in truth yea this might be illustrated by many testimonies of Scripture but I forbear it in so pregnant and plain a truth And come we then to that which may be truly concluded from these words I will have mercy upon whom I will And compassion upon whom I will These words being understood as heretofore I have explained them That the act the exercise and the work of Gods mercy and pity and compassion it is ever by God extended to them to whom he pleaseth Hence then we are given to understand thus much Doct. That Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen it is most free and voluntary it dependeth upon nothing out of God but cometh onely and merely out of his own good will and pleasure That the Lord is merciful unto any or that he sheweth any fruit of his love or mercy to any one it is merely from his own good will and pleasure and not depending upon any thing out of his holy and blessed Majestie the Lord being the author of mercy pity and compassion he extendeth his mercy pity and compassion to those to whom he will Or more briefly thus The reason why the Lord doth extend and reach out mercy unto any is his mere will and nothing else And to clear this a little further mark what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1.3 the Apostle there calleth God Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies shewing that God is the Father and begetter of mercy and that mercy and love are as it were his children coming from him and in Joh. 1.15 saith the Evangelist of him we receive grace for grace one grace to another And Christ Jesus saith Luke 10.12 Father I confesse Lord of heaven and earth thou hast hid these things even the things of thy Gospel from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes even so because it pleased thee It was so of thy good will and pleasure nothing moving thee thereunto so that the reason why the Lord doth vouchsafe mercy unto any it is the free will and favour of God nothing else moving him But haply then some may say to me It seemeth not to be true Object that God vouchsafeth mercy unto his chosen and pardon for their sins for the sake of Christ if he shew mercy of his own free will then not for the sufferings of Christ which were a grosse errour to conclude To this I answer that these two things are subordinate Answ as we speak in schooles they do and may well agree and stand together God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ and merely out of his own will how can these two stand together yes very well for why God vouchsafeth mercy to his chosen for the sake of Christ the will of God is that his chosen should have the pardon of their sins through Jesus Christ and that pardon of sin should not come without Christ as Christ affirmeth John 6.40 for this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the son and believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Now if any do object that of the Prophet Esay 43.25 Object I am he that hath put away all thine iniquities for mine own sake therefore it seemeth it is not for Christs sake but for his own sake as the Lord professeth I answer Answ God doth therefore pardon the sins of his chosen for his own sake because he doth it for Christs sake for all the works of every person is the work of the whole Trinity that which the Son worketh the Father and Holy Ghost worketh in Unity of Godhead so that mercy cometh only from God the Father And the reason why God vouchsafeth mercy to any is nothing else but Gods free will This first meeteth with a false conclusion of Arminius and of the Arminians Vse 1 that say God may decree to shew mercy unto such as believe and repent and such as persevere in grace and sanctification Now this is to restrain Gods shewing of mercy to mens qualification And to make something in man to be the cause and reason of Gods shewing mercy Where as these two stand together never they can possibly agree being contraria contraria sine medio That Gods will is the cause of his mercy to man and that God sheweth mercy because of their faith vertue and qualification in good things they are two opposites but to leave them Farther this being so That Gods mere Will is the cause of his mercy Vse 2 unto us and nothing else hereby then we must learn to magnifie the mercy of God vouchsafed unto us in any kind whatsoever hath God vouchsafed mercy unto us in regard of our bodies but especially in respect of our soules hath he converted our sinful soules from wickednesse to himself hath he reached out his mercy so far as that he hath extended his saving grace unto our soules Oh then learn we to acknowledge that it is most free and that it hath been vouchsafed merely from God himself nothing in us as a reason or cause to move him why he should shew us the least mercy And thus meditate and think with thy self whosoever thou art that hast found Gods mercy and his saving grace reached out unto thy sinful soul Oh consider surely I was in the common estate and condition of all men I was guilty of damnation by reason of the sin committed by Adam I was begotten and brought forth in sin and lived therein in a miserable estate and condition and I had no feeling of my misery no desire to be saved and when God sought me I desired him not I closed mine eyes against him and would not see the light I stopped mine eares and would not hear his voyce But the
Lord at the last opened mine ears and eyes and enlightened my mind gave me understanding and made me see what I would not see he touched my heart with his grace and the power of his Spirit and changed my Affections whereas before I had no mind of heaven no desire of salvation untill he made me see what I have not he hath not dealt thus with all many thousands there be that go on without this touch of heart and remorse of conscience without this powerful work of grace they go on in their sins though they hear the Word from Sabbath to Sabbath what was I better then they surely nothing at all by Nature Oh then how am I bound unto God nothing moving the Lord to shew mercy unto me but onely his mere good will and pleasure how am I bound to magnifie the goodnesse of God And indeed this is that glory of the free mercy of God which the Lord would have us to yeeld unto him he would have us to yeeld unto him this glory of his free mercy and how pleasing this is to God and how the Lord esteemeth of this magnifying of his mercy may appear by that description Exod. 34 6 7. The Lord the Lord strong merciful gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth Reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. Thus the Lord doth proclaim himself for this is that wherein the Lord doth take delight to have the glory of his free mercy given unto him And this is the name by which the Lord Jesus will be known to his Elect and chosen in all ages I am a merciful God this is the name by which I will be magnified and in which he delighteth that we should give him the glory of his mercy that we can say when the Lord vouchsafeth mercy unto us that it proceedeth onely from the Lords free will And know that it is not more vile pride in a Begger to attribute the almes that is given unto him unto his own deserts then it is for us to ascribe any the least mercy that God vouchsafeth unto us to our own worthinesse it is monstrous pride in a beggar to ascribe the almes that are given him to his own deservings But it is far more for thee to ascribe and attribute that to thy self which is freely given of God Let us therefore consider that every rag we have it is of the free mercy of God Oh did proud persons consider this they would not so gorgiously adorn themselves and disgrace the holy profession of God if they did consider they have nothing but from the free Fountain of Gods mercy nothing moving him they would not be such carelesse fellowes in their careless bands which sheweth their carelesnesse as they be Vse 3 Again Is Gods mercy reached out unto his chosen most free and depending upon nothing out of God himself surely then a child of God one to whom God hath reached out saving mercy may conclude and gather to his comfort that Gods saving mercy it shall never be removed from him but abide with him for ever for why it dependeth upon the free will of God and that is unchangeable even as God himself And I may say as Pilate saith in Joh. 19.32 when he had written a superscription over Christ and they demanded why he writ so he answered quod scripsi scripsi what I have written I have written so may the Lord say I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Mal. 3.16 I am Jehovah I change not Mercy is mine and who shall take it from me shall the devil no nor all the powers in hell can hinder or frustrate the will of God Oh then consider to thy comfort God hath reached out his mercy to thee and he will never take it from thee for he hath said I will have mercy on whom I will VERSE 16. So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth But God that sheweth mercy THe Apostle in this Verse determineth the point touching Gods Justice in his free choyce of some particulars amongst men to life and salvation In the Verse foregoing he proveth it by the speech of God unto Moses that God hath free liberty and absolute power to shew mercy unto whom he will and compassion to whom he will without respect had to any thing in them Now the Lord having thus described his shewing of mercy merely to depend upon his good will and pleasure hereupon our Apostle in this 16. verse doth bring in a consectarie and infer this conclusion that therefore Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation is not to be ascribed unto the will or unto the works of any man but unto Gods free grace in shewing of mercy So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy In this 16. verse the general things are two First a removal of that which is not the cause of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation and what is that mans willing and mans running it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Secondly the describing and the assigning of the onely true and proper cause of Gods choosing of some to salvation and that is Gods shewing of mercy but in him that sheweth mercy Now I will lay forth the sense and meaning of the words of this verse So then or So therefore it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the text Original these words it is are not to be found but they are necessarily to be supplyed So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth what is that that is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth surely that which the Apostle had spoken of Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation that is not in him that willeth nor runneth Some do here understand Jacobs willing and running particularly but by their favour that is too narrow and too strict for the purpose of the Apostle is more large and general these words being a conclusion of the verse foregoing I will have mercy on him on whom I will And this word him must have as large a sense as the words in the verses foregoing yet Jacob is not to be excluded but rather included and so the meaning is it is not in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or runneth in him that willeth That is in him that willeth and desireth good and endeavoureth after that which is good and that by the power and strength of his mind will and affections or any part or all the powers and faculties of his soul nor in him that runneth We are not to understand as some do Esau's runing onely no nor yet Jacobs running to the fold to fetch a Kid for his father Gen. 27. but the meaning is it is not in him that worketh as it is not in
him that willeth or desireth good so it is not in him that worketh any good thing as David saith Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou hast set my heart at large then when thou hast set my heart free that is pend up by reason of corruption I will do all that is required in thy Lawes and Commandements so by running we are to understand a working of good But in him that sheweth mercy That is in Gods mere mercy and will in vouchsafing and reaching out his gracious hand So then thus briefly conceive we the meaning of the Apostle as if the Apostle had said So then or So therefore that which we have hitherto spoken of and treated on touching Gods election of Jacob or any particular person to life and salvation in heaven It is not either in Jacob or in any other man that willeth or desireth good or endeavoureth after good by the power and strength of all the powers and faculties of his soul of his mind will and affections and all the rest of his powers neither is it in Jacob or any other man working or doing good things no not in any one's running the right way of Gods Commandements and holinesse neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but it is in Gods mere mercy and free will onely out of Gods reaching out his hand of mercy to any one thus understand we the words Come we now to matter of observation And first of all observe we the Apostle here bringeth in this sixteenth verse as a conclusion upon the fifteenth verse and the Apostle doth here apply that which he had set down in the verse foregoing by way of consequence by way of conclusion and application So therefore having cited that testimony of Scripture of God unto Moses I will have mercy on whom I will thereupon in this verse our Apostle draweth out and bringeth in a consequence to that purpose So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but God that sheweth mercy thus you see the Apostles Application so then the Observation is this Doctrine That in preaching of the Word general truths found out in the Word must not onely be made known and delivered but such deductions such consequences such conclusions and applications must be drawn from thence as Gods holy truth will bear the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general truths from the holy Word of God but they must also apply them particularly reducing such truths as it will bear and drawing from it matter of exhortation and reproof as that truth will adhere unto and such applications as do flow from such truths necessarily In the 2 Tim. 4.2 the Apostle chargeth Timothy to preach the Word and to open the secrets of the Gospel and not there to rest but to be earnest in reproving and rebuking and exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine not onely preach but so preach the Word as that in preaching he be instant in rebuking reproving and exhorting as occasion is offered And in Titus 2.15 the Apostle having taught Titus how he ought to behave himself in his Ministry and how to carry himself to all people saith Speak these things and not onely so but exhort and rebuke with all long patience and authority And we find this hath been the practice of the sound and faithful Preachers of God in all ages and times yea we have the example of God himself as we may instance in Amos 4.12 you shall find in the verses foregoing the Lord maketh known this for a truth that he would bring his hand upon them and a heavy Judgment to attach them He teacheth them that Doctrine that they shall have a mighty plague he doth not rest there but he laboureth to make Use and Application of that general truth and to bring it home to their hearts and to stirre them to repentance Because saith the Lord I will do this therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel Reason 1 Because God hath appointed the preaching of his Word not onely for the inlightening of their minds to teach them the points of Catechisme for the information of their judgements but also the reformation of their hearts and lives that their hearts may be wrought upon and their affections moved that they may be stirred up to the love of God and the study of good things and that they may be exercised in holy duties Reason 2 The Minister and Preacher of the Word is Gods disposer of his secrets so he is called 2 Cor. 4.1 a steward of the house of God 1 Cor. 4.2 And it is required of these stewards that they be faithful 2 Tim. 2.15 he must divide the Word of truth aright And he must carry himself as a steward and divide to every one his portion he hat power to point out the Word into several shives and not deliver it in a whole lump but distribute unto every one what is meet As Instructions to the ignorant Comfort to the afflicted Conscience sharp rebukes and reprehensions to the dead and senslesse hearted in their sins and Denunciations of Judgments to such as are secure and slightly passe by the Word of God so that it is a certain truth that the Preachers of the Word must not onely deliver general doctrines of the holy Word of God but they must apply it to the hearers particularly by drawing from them matter of Application not forcing it in by head and shoulders but such as naturally and aptly it will bear How far those Preachers are from this duty that onely rest in delivering the general truth and hover aloft in the clouds and never come down to Application to apply it to their hearers A man may discern with half an eye And I might bend my force to reprove them but I passe them by having none of them to speak unto And first of all take we notice of this by way of Application to this Vse 1 end That the Minister and Preacher of the Word ought and may apply the indefinite and general Promises of the Gospel to any one particular believer for their comfort yea he may assure particular persons that they believing shall certainly be saved It is a Cavil of the Papists to the contrary who are enemies to Gods grace and all saving comfort it is their doctrine and Satanical delusion For say they the Ministers and Preachers of the Word know not whether that particular person he speaketh to be in the number of Gods election or no. But beloved this skilleth not it is not material whether the Minister of God doth know it or no he doth not assure any man that he shall be saved because he knoweth he is in the number of Gods chosen but upon condition of believing upon the condition required in the Gospel And a Minister of Christ according to his office is to apply the general Promises of the Word to particular persons and draw from thence
that can befall man in this world and yet they see it not Oh here is the hand of God already they are blind in their minds and hard in hearts And take notice of it the Lord doth not now in this latter age of the world stand over men with his Judgments and whips and his sword of vengeance in temporal plagues and punishments but rather in spiritual plagues and Judgments upon the soules of men in hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind and the nearer the general day of Judgment is at hand wherein the Lord will render to every man according to his works the more the Lord doth surcease from temporal Judgments and plagues and lets them go on filling the number of their sins and then he layeth load upon them so that the nearer the day cometh the more the Lord surceaseth temporal punishments and punisheth with blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart and therefore let none think that they are well and in good case as many do because they are free from temporal plagues and punishments nor sick nor molested with these and these troubles and yet in their soules they lye under the heavy hand of God in blindnesse and hardnesse in ignorance and obstinacy for herein God hath begun to execute his Judgments already God now sitteth in Judgment upon him his heavy hand of wrath and vengeance is now over him and doth now point and mark him out for a cast-away and seal up unto him his own everlasting damnation the fearfullest and miserablest estate and condition that can befall a man Doth God harden none but Reprobates and such as are fitted for Reprobation Vse 2 Oh learn we then in the fear of God to take heed of that which provoketh God to give us up to blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart the ten plaguess of Egypt were not so great unto Pharaoh as the hardening of his heart and if we would know what that is it is this Custome in sin continuance in known sins wittingly and willingly and a going on in known sins after many Instructions many admonitions many exhortations used to the contrary when men are come to this passe and to this height of sin that they are obstinate and wilful and they will not be reclaimed nor reformed from evil they will swear and swagger and be drunk and run into every idle and new fangled fashion they will live and continue in the damnable sin of Usury in the prophanation of the holy Sabbath of the Lord whosoever speaketh against it surely when men come to this passe and are thus obstinate in sin then the Lord cometh in Justice against them and giveth them over to blindnesse of mind and to a filthy life and so to passe on to their own destruction And to presse it a little nearer take heed whosoever you be that darest justle with the threatening and denunciations of the Word of God that are applyed to your particular sins as in particular that are applyed against your pride and vanity in apparel you that are so shamelesse and so impudent that say we have no warrant to speak against it no have we no warrant and if we have no warrant we are false prophets and deliver visions of our own braines Oh it grieveth my soul to think that you of whom we should have better hopes do speak so wickedly and so shamelesly have we no warrant for it take heed God is stronger then you it will be to the confusion of your soules because you stand in defence of your pride I will not go so far with you as to say that you are already given over to blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart but take this with you you are at the very next door and near unto it to be given over of God and blindnesse of mind and hardnesse of heart to go on with a full swing and full wind and tyde to hell I grant you the best of Gods children may sometimes through the corruption of their minds cast away wholsome admonition as David did 2 Sam. 24. yea though he was dutifully admonished by Joab not to number the people yet David through the pride of his heart would do it so the servants of God may refuse reject and cast off wholsome admonitions and counsels but when men are come to that height that the Prophet speaketh of in Zach. 7.11 12. that they will not hearken but they will have brazen faces and whores foreheads and they dare stand to outface the Preacher and they will not be reformed they are swearers swaggerers Usurers Sabbath-breakers and filthy persons and they will be so they do then provoke the Lord to give them over to Reprobation yea to give it them under the great Seal of Heaven thou art a Reprobate which indeed is a condition fearful and miserable and to be considered with trembling Vse 3 Last of all Is it so that God hardeneth reprobates and none but reprobates are hardened do not thou whosoever thou art imagine or once think that God will ever give thee up to blindnesse of mind or hardnesse of heart altogether that art a Child of God I grant God doth sometimes withdraw his grace from his dear children but in part and a child of God may sometimes in some measure and in some degree be blinded in his mind and hardened in his heart yea a child of God may feel in him the grace of the holy Spirit of God wonderfully decayed but not utterly extinct Psal 51.10 11 12. Oh cast me not away from thy presence with-hold not thy Spirit from me c. What do these prayers argue but that he felt his heart rotten and corrupt and yeelding unto lust and some of his light gone but yet God never blindeth their minds and hardens their hearts altogether for this is proper to Reprobates and such as belong not to God It is the complaint of the dear children of God sometimes Alas I feel such a deadnesse and dulnesse in my heart and soul that I doubt God hath left me forsaken me and given me up to hardnesse of heart I can mourn and weep for other things but I cannot mourn and weep for my sins that I fear I am given up to hardnesse of heart Oh take comfort in it thou that fearest the hardnesse of thy heart it may be a testimony thou art not altogether given to the hardnesse of heart because thou feelest it where there is feeling there is life Corruption feeleth not corruption grace feeleth corruption and if there be a feeling of hardnesse of heart and a groaning and a sighing under it thou art not altogether given up to hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind therefore comfort thy self For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this very end have I stirred thee up that I might shew my power in thee And that my name might be declared throughout the earth ANd beloved it is not to be passed by without noting that the Lord saith his
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
hath the Lord done this to bring us to this Land to fall upon the sword Is it not better for us to return into Egypt and to make a Captain over us the Lord hath mistook himself to bring us hither to fall by our enemies he hath took a wrong aym and so they thought themselves wiser then God And we shall find that Joshua calleth this rebellion in the ninth verse O my brethren saith he how long will ye rebel against the Lord And this sin of theirs made them hateful and odious to God so that we see that it is a thing odious monstrous and abominable for men to find fault with God touching his will in making and disposing of them and this is also proved by two Reasons Reason 1 Because this is a great dishonour to God it tendeth exceedingly to the dishonour of God thus to be found fault withal touching his will in framing of them this way or that way it is an impeachment to the wisdome or power of God or both as if the Lord were not wise enough to dispose of men or had not power enough to dispose of them As we know it tends to the disparagement of a Workman and his disgrace when men find fault with a piece of wood that the Artificer hath wrought for thereby men do argue the Workman to want wit or skill or to want ability and much more doth it tend to the disgrace of the Lord to quarrel with him Reason 2 Again it must needs be most odious for men to quarrel and find fault with God because God being most just his will is the highest and most perfect rule of all righteousnesse and the Lord performeth the act of his will most holily and most purely as Moses saith Deut. 32.4 Perfect is the work of the mighty God all his wayes and Judgments they are just and righteous God is righteous with him there is no unrighteousnesse and therefore it must needs be a great impudency for men to quarrel with the Lord. Vse 1 This being a truth confirmed by Scripture and averred by reason This first lets us see the danger they run into whatsoever they be that mislike the works and the will of God in disposing of them this way or that way they run upon the rock of Gods anger and vengeance and such persons do make themselves odious monstrous and abominable to God But you will say Is there any one so wicked to find fault with God in making of them this way or that way so wicked so shamelesse so impudent Yes there be many in the world what else do they but even find fault with God touching his will in making and framing of them to this or that fashion in that they take upon them to mend Gods work and to make themselves better then ever God did make them taking upon them to mend the work of God as they do that colour their hair and paint their faces and disguise themselves in antick disguised and new fangled attire they will make themselves peacock like in their top and top gallants that bring their hips up to their shoulders surely such persons they are monsters amongst men and such as are to be wondered at and as they are now so proud that they know not themselves they may justly fear that when the Lord cometh to Judgment the Lord will not know nor acknowledg them without speedy repentance but will say unto them Away hence who gave you this coloured hair this complexion on your painted cheeks this antick disguised body did I no you would mend my work and therefore away I 'le none of you begone into utter destruction depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not Matth. 7.22 Again in like sort is it not a common thing beloved with some to dislike the works of God upon themselves and to find fault with Gods disposing of them and a casting of them into this or that estate and condition of life as they being poor lame weak feeble and deformed in their bodies do not they sometimes utter these words Oh it were better for me that I had been made a rich Merchant a Noble man a strong man or a fair man and not as I am what is this but to flye in Gods face and to pick a quarrel with him that hath formed them this is for man a silly creature a worm lesse then a worm to turn against God and as a worm being trod upon doth turn again so doth man bring upon himself a curse and a woe pronounced in Esay 45.9 he that doth quarrel with his Creator doth even dash himself upon the rock of Gods heavy wrath and upon his furious vengeance and so runneth into a dangerous estate Again this being so learn we our duty to hold our selves contented in Vse 2 all estates and conditions of life it pleaseth the Lord to place us in learn we to submit our selves to the good will and pleasure of the Lord the Creator though it be a thing that goeth contrary to reason yet learn we to say with holy David 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I thy poor creature the work of thy hands thou art my Maker and Creator And to help us herein consider first of all that the chiefest thing that the Devil aymeth at when we lye under distresse is to make us flye in Gods face and to quarrel with God and to find fault with him Job 1.11 saith Satan unto God Do but touch him and he will flye in thy face Again secondly consider we that the will of God is the rule of all his actions and his goodnesse is the rule of his will and his will is ever holy and just and good and we being in the number of his children he is most merciful in disposing of our estate and our present estate though it be harsh and hard it is the best estate to us whether it be poverty or prosperity because God our Father seeth it so to be and he is most holy wise just and good and we are to give him the glory of his goodnesse justice wisdom and mercy in what estate soever we be Oh learn we then to rest contented in all estates and conditions of life and to submit our selves to the good will of God the Creator in disposing of us remembring we are his creatures he the Creator we are the formed he the former he is our Maker and it is our duty to be contented VERSE 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour IN this Verse our Apostle goeth on in his personal Answer to the Caviller and Carnal Reasoner and having in the verse foregoing brought a general comparison to prove the grossenesse and absurdity of the Reasoners argument now here in this 21. verse the Apostle subjoyneth a particular instance adding weight and force to his former similitude as if he had said Doubtlesse it is a most
absurd thing for men to quarrel with God as for example it is as if a piece of clay in the hand of the Potter should rise up and find fault with the potter for making one vessel to a better use and another to a baser use why because the Potter hath full power and authority over the clay to make what he will Now the particular implication of this verse that which is herein implyed is thus God is the Potter and man is the clay and as it is lawful for the Potter to make of the clay one vessel for service at the Table and another for baser service in the kitchin or Chamber so much more is it lawful for God to make of man one for honour and another for dishonour the Apostles reasoning is à minore ad majus from the lesser to the greater and if the Potter who is but a creature hath power over the clay which is a creature also to make one vessel to an excellent use and the other to a baser use surely then the authority of God over all and every creature is far greater the Lord hath absolute power to dispose of all as it pleaseth him this way or that way that is the general drift and purpose of the Apostle Now the words of this verse being taken as the first part of the Comparison of the Potter the clay there is no hardnesse in them for the sense and meaning of them Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An non habet potestatem figulus Luti Explication of the words of verse 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex eadem massa Divers opinions concerning the sence and meaning of these words onely they are put down by way of interrogation which is of greater force and not by way of position and the affirmation of this Interrogation is thus much That the Potter hath power and lawfull authoritie over the clay for so the word in the Original signifieth But being taken in the Application as that which they doe imply as namely implying God to be the Potter and man to be the Clay then there is something in them very needful to be explained and there is difficultie in them Hath not the Potter power over the Clay That is in the implication of them Hath not God power and lawful authoritie over Man as the Potter hath over his Clay Yea much more hath the Lord power over Man to make to ordain and to appoint of the same lump Some doe understand of the same lump to be meant the sinne of Idolatrie in which the Children of Israel were in Egypt That the Lord out of that same lump of Idolatrie in which the Children of Israel were with the Egyptians saved the Israelites and destroyed the Egyptians but this is too scantie too narrow and not large enough for to expresse the Apostles meaning for the Apostles drift is not here of inflicting of punishment for that man can give a reason of but the Apostle speaketh of Gods ordaining and appointing And again some Divines doe by this word lump understand the masse of corruption mans fall mans corrupting by Adams transgression Adam being wrapped in sinne Alludens inquit ad Adami creationem humanum genus umdum conditum nisi in opificis mente comparat massae Luti ex qua Deus postea prout ab aeterno decreverat condiderit quotidie condat tum eligendos tum reprobandos qui etiam declarat verbum faciendi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Objection of the Anabaptiste propounded and answered But though this be the opinion of many reverent Divines yet it cannot be the Apostles meaning because as saith Reverend Beza in this sence the Lord cannot be said to make men vessels of dishonour but to finde men alreadie in their estate vessels of dishonour Again the comparison it self seems to exclude and shut out all respect to corruption that there is no respect had to the corruption of man from everlasting for you see here God is compared to a Potter that taketh a piece of clay not stained with any pollution corruption spot or tincture for then the Potter might have some excuse to make a base vessel of it because it was a spotted and tainted piece of Clay so God taketh man as in himself not corrupted for then there was some cause why the Lord should cast away this man and not that man therefore we are here to understand not man corrupted but mankind generally taken One vessel to honour and another to dishonour that is to make one vessel to his Glory to honour everlasting and another to be vessels of wrath to shame and confusion I know what the Anabaptists object against this for they say it is very impious grosse and absurd thus to expound this comparison this maketh God to have no wisdome For what Potter is so foolish to make his pots to break them and to throw them away purposely shall we say then God made man to destroy him to throw him to utter confusion so that say they this is a very impious Exposition of the comparisons But herein they shew their foolishness and weakness I answer we affirme no such matter either of the Potter or of God that God makes man to destroy him for what is it for God to destroy a man It is when he confounds and turneth man to nothing when he doth annihilate and dissolve him to nothing but for God to finde a man in his corruption to throw him into Reprobation this is no destroying of a man Again beloved the Potter is a Creature and hath received a Law from God his Creatour that he must carrie himself toward his workmanship according to his Law that he may prove profitable either to the Church or to the Common-wealth Now this he doth not if he make his Pots with a purpose to break them then he liveth idlely and is a vain foolish fellow But God the great Lord of Heaven and Earth who hath made the world he is not bound to any such law will the Anabaptists in their foolerie bring God under a Law he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and he hath the Prerogative Royal and he is bound to no Law no more to preserve them being made then to make them of nothing when they were not will they bring God under their girdle and under their law therefore notwithstanding their cavil the meaning remaineth a truth and it is as if the Apostle had said Sence and meaning of the words Hath not God power and absolute lawful authoritie over man and as the Potter hath over the Clay even out of the same lump and mass of mankind taken generally to appoint and to ordain one man to be his vessel of mercy in life and glory in Heaven and to another to be a vessel of his wrath in the destruction of hell And thus much for the Apostles meaning Come we now to stand upon the words
in particular Ministers in preaching of the Word must bring similitudes of things known to their hearers not of strange uncouth and far fetcht it may be of such things as never were in the world or at the least never knowâ— to their hearers and first of all in regard of the comparison which is brought from a thing that is easie and ordinarie obvious things the potter and the pots before a mans eyes ordinarily And this we shall find hath been usual with the holy Messengers and Ministers of God in preaching and publishing the word they have brought examples and similitudes not rare and far fetched but things that are known to the people Thus did the Lord Jesus in Matth. 13. He compared the Kingdome of Heaven to many obvious things well knowne To seed sown in the ground to a grain of Mustardseed to a Leaven hid in three pecks of meal which every common huswife knowes And this therefore may bee reprofe to such Preachers that doe in preaching to a common populous Auditorie they fetch comparisons from things beyond the Moon from Celestial bodies and orbes Centrivals and Concentrivals I know not what and also from things beyond sea from Histories out of Plinie beasts aad creatures that vulgar people know not Vse and so they make the poore people who understand them not to gaze and and wonder at them and in stead of explaining they make things more hard and difficult Again We see man is compared to an earthen vessel and a pot of clay here we are put in mind of our framing and making and what we are in respect of our matter and substance and hence the observation is this That man is as an earthen vessel as a pot of clay Doctrine the best and the strongest man in the world in respect of his body is but a vessel of earth a compound of clay made of the dust of the earth this speaketh the Holy Ghost in Gen. 2.7 Man was made of the dust of the ground and in Gen. 3.19 The Lord saith unto man after his fall Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Thou art immortal in respect of thy first making but now thou art but dust Gen. 18.27 Abraham acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes A man of excellent parts and endowments And in the 2 Cor. 5.1 The Apostle calleth our bodies Earthly houses tents and tabernacles made of earth and clay The Scripture is plain and plentiful in expressing this to be a Truth that man yea the strongest man is but an earthen vessel and a compound of clay and we may see this to be a truth in common experience the soul being removed from the body by death the body falleth flat upon the ground it rots putrifies and is soon dissolved to the Elements and materials of which it was made and lieth like a stinking carrion if not buried and turns to the earth of which it was Eccle. 12.7 Dust returneth to the earth as it was For the Application the consideration of this truth that our bodies are Vse 1 but clay serveth as a notable means to work in us humilitie and to frame in every one of us an humble conceit of our selves why should dust and clay be proud and lifted up in conceit of its own worthinesse in decking and garnishing the body What art thou A lump of earth a clod of clay and if this were truely considered it would abate the pride of these proud Peacocks that spend almost a whole day in tricking and trimming themselves nay in setting of a band they would then say what do I in tricking and trimming up a pot of clay an earthen vessel But grant this to be true that thou excellest others in beautie and in comely proportion yet remember thy making thy mettal whereof thou art made of the same earth with others and for all thy beautie and comely proportion a little cold a little sicknesse a fit of an ague or feaver will shake thee and make the shrink and goe shaking and quaking and as David saith Psalme 39.11 When God rebuketh and chasticeth man for his sinne his beautie consumeth and turneth to nothing the red cheeks beauty and comely propotion at one blast of sicknesse commeth to nothing And consider we are but potsheards and a potsheard is but a potsheard overlaid with silver clay is but clay gilded with gold and if thou hast these endowments of thy body above others it commeth not from thy bodie which is but clay but it is put upon thy body by the good hand of thy God and therefore be not proud of it but learn we to be humble and to walke humbly before the Lord of Heaven and Earth we are but earthen vessels before the Lord he may even quash us and beat us in pieces yea as the Psalmist saith in Psalme 2.9 The Lord hath a rod of Iron and we know the stroake of an Iron rod upon an earthen pot shattereth it all to pieces The Lord hath an Iron rod to smite the men of the world that goe on in their sinnes of riot and excesse especially now at this time of the yeare If they did but consider that the Lord hath an Iron rod and can breake them in pieces in the very middest of their mirth we see it sometimes in many merrie meetings the body is thrown on the ground and the breath taken from it for can the earthen pot indure the stroke of the Iron rod no it dasheth it all to pieces not so much as a sheard left to take fire out of the earth and can many a poore silly earthen vessel endure the stroke of the Iron rod of God therefore learne we to walke humbly before the sight of the great and glorious God remember thy making whereof thou art made Vse 2 This being so that man is an earthen vessel and a pot of Clay upon this ground all Gods Children are to know to their comfort that the Lord doth tender them as earthen vessels as weak frail and brittle vessels according to their weaknesse and tendernesse and according to their infirmities As we know the Potter he knoweth that his pot of earth cannot endure a hard knocke and stroake and therefore he handleth them very nicely and gently and according to the tendernesse of it so dealeth the gracious God of Heaven and Earth with his own Children he knowes whereof they are made he knowes they are but dust Psalme 103.13 14. He is a pittifull Father and hath compassion of his Children because he knoweth whereof they are made and that they are but dust and ashes as the Prophet Esay saith Esay 27.16 of the Lord I will not be alwayes angry with my People for then the Spirit would fail before me I will not alwayes strive and contend with them lest they should be destroyed so that this may be a comfort to Gods Children that the Lord esteemeth of them as they are dust and ashes and so pittieth them Hath not the
evidence of the truth of God Answ for Christ saith John 3.36 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath everlasting life He hath one foot within the gates of Heaven alreadie For indeede the life grace and holiness in this life shal be made perfect in Heaven and the life of the godly here in this world and of the Saints in Heaven is all one in substance differing onely in degree theirs is perfect ours is imperfect and the Apostle saith in Romans 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus so that the faith and grace of Gods Children is permanent and lasteth for ever and this Doctrine of theirs is a meere Antithesis or contrarietie to God and his Word 1 Peter 1.5 Gods Children are kept by the power of grace unto salvation doubtlesse Gods Children shal continue unto the end Gods grace shal never depart from them for he hath made many gracious promises to that end as namely these that God will put his fear in their hearts that shall never depart from me Jeremie 32.40 And that he having begun the work of grace wil perfect it in Philippians 1.6 And that Christ Jesus is not onely the Authour but the Consummator and finisher of our Faith Hebrewes 12.2 Let then the enemies of Gods Grace Papists or Anabaptists belch out their blasphemies they shal never be able to drive a Childe of God from this comfort that commeth by his effectual calling that he shall certainly be saved And I might further adde this as a third use Vse that seeing Gods effectual Calling is so sure and certain an evidence of our Election and salvation therefore men ought to make special account and reckoning of the preaching of the Word because it is the ordinarie means of Calling and of conveying grace and faith into the hearts and souls of men Romans 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and therefore miserable is the case of all Recusants Papists Anabaptists and Familists that refuse to hear the Word and also all prophane Atheists that despise the preaching of the Word and also Carnal Gospellers that are wearie of the preaching of the Word it is a burthen unto them but to passe by this Again further observe we in the next place that the Apostle he rangeth the calling of God into these two sorts not onely Jewes who came of Jacob which was no strange thing because they had many excellent priviledges but also even us that are Gentiles of another Nation and People heathen Pagans such as were without the Covenant without God aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel dogs such as were not worthie of the name of a reasonable creature hence then the Conclusion is this That Gods effectual Calling of men out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace respects not mens persons it respecteth not any station Doctrine condition or qualification the excellency of the Jew is no help nor the basenes of the Gentiles no hindrance to Gods effectual calling the Lord calleth some high some low some rich some poore some masters some servants yea it is worth our marking that the Lord called some few among the Gentiles before Christs incarnation as Jethro Moses his father in Law Job Ruth and others that might be named in 1 Cor. 7.21 Art thou called being a servant thereby implying that the servants may be called aswell as care not for it and in 1 Tim. 6.2 The Apostle speaketh of believing masters so that some of all sorts and conditions are called and the ground is this Reason Because Gods grace is most free effectual calling respecteth not the qualification of men for if it were tied to the qualification of men then in all likelihood those persons should be called of God sooner then others who are of best disposition of best wit and understanding and best towardnesse those that are most civil in their carriage and most unblameable in their lives but it is not so for the Apostle saith the contrarie in 1 Cor. 1.26 God hath refused the rich and wise of the world and revealed his secrets to babes not to noble and great and learned men yea we finde in the dayes of Christ that Publicans and harlots were made to know the good things of God when the Philosophers among the Gentiles and the Scribes and Pharisees and Doctors among the Jews were passed by and passed over so that God respecteth not persons nor stations nor qualifications Vse 1 This being a truth surely then that cannot be true which some do hold and affirm that Gods grace and the effectual calling of men it is given unto men whom God seeth fit to receive it and able to use it If this were so then there should be a natural correspondencie in men answerable to the supernatural Will of God then there should be a power in nature to use the grace of God which indeed is an old rotten Pelagian heresie long agone rooted out of the Church of God Vse 2 This may yield a ground of sweet and of excellent comfort to such persons that are of poore and mean condition in the world of mean gifts of mean parts in respect of understanding here is a matter of sweet comfort for them for they are commonly despised of the men of the world that are of proud dispositions and indeed such is the cursed corruption of our hearts that men doe commonly exempt themselves from the hearing of the Word because they are silly and simple poore people alas say they it is for learned men for great men for scholars to heare Sermons we are poore unlettered men and women and so hereby they wrong themselves but marke what the Holy Ghost saith of Wisedome in Proverbs 9.9 10. VVho so is simple let him come to me and those that are destitute of wisedome and understanding let him eate of my bread and drinke of my wine And the Lord Jesus rejoyced in his Spirit when he considered that his Heavenly Father had hid the things that concerned his Kingdome from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes So then for to conclude art thou one that art a mean person and of simple understanding be not discouraged for Gods effectual calling is not revealed to rich and great men onely but whosoever attendeth to the voyce and call of God and to the Ministerie and preaching of his Word among the Gentiles As Solomon speaketh Proverbs 8.33 That doth beat the thresholds and trample in Gods House and be diligent and frequent in hearing the will of God assuredly shall in Gods due time be wrought upon and effectually called and be made a Member of the mystical Body of Christ Jesus Therefore doe not thou absent thy selfe from Gods Word but come cheerfully to it and hear upon all occasions VERSE 25 26. As he saith in Hoseah I will call them my People which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved c. IN these two Verses our Apostle proveth the calling of the
Oh take heed thou use not thy wealth as they do but the more bountiful the Lord is in pouring his blessings upon thee the more humble thou art the more holy thou art the more thy heart is inlarged with righteousnesse and in walking before God and in all thankfulnesse yea thereby thou art made ready and fit for every good work thy heart is not lock't up to choak the seed of the Word in thy heart but they open thy heart and thy hand and make thee ready to every good work to reflect upon the poor members of Christ the more thou hast the more abundant thou art in good works then certainly thou mayest conclude that God hath blessed thee with thy wealth and they are testimonies of Gods love to thee and God hath manifested his love unto thee which he bare before the world was and thou mayest certainly conclude God loveth thee indeed As it is written I have loved Iacob and hated Esau LEt us now proceed unto farther matter offered unto us from this testimony of the Prophet I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here cited by the Apostle and here we see that God did not onely love Jacob for the time present but also loved him from everlasting hence I observe thus much briefly Doctrine That Gods chosen they were alwaies beloved of God there can be no time given wherein Gods chosen were not beloved of God God loved his chosen before they had a being in the world yea before the world was and we cannot possibly prescribe a time when God loved not his chosen or when he began to love his chosen no his love was from everlasting Reason For as all other things were ever present unto God things past things present things to come they were all present unto him from everlasting he did look upon them uno intuitu with one full sight so were his chosen as many as belonged to his election he loved them before the foundations of the world was so that no time can be given wherein God began to love his chosen Object I but some may say doth not the Scriptures point out that though Gods children be now beloved of God yet there was a time when they were enemies of God as in Rom. 5.10 yea doth not the Apostle say in the Ephes 2.3 that they were children of wrath how can it be then that no time can be pointed out when they were hated of God It is true indeed the Scripture doth note out this unto us Answ that they are by nature children of wrath as well as others and we are to believe it to be a truth That Gods chosen before their effectual calling and conversion are enemies to God and God is an enemy unto them before their effectual calling and conversion in respect of sin and because of sin which is opposite and contrary to good and to God himself which is good yet even then Gods chosen are beloved of God in regard of election and even then God loveth his elect before their effectual calling as his elect uncalled and with that degree of his love which he beareth to his elect uncalled yea God maketh it appear manifestly that he loveth them as his elect uncalled in that he giveth unto them in time true repentance for if he did not love them he would not give them repentance and therefore they were then beloved of God as his elect in time to be called and he doth work upon them in time saving grace true conversion true faith and sanctification which are things tending to life and salvation and doth he give these to reprobates as testimonies of his love to them he loveth not no certainly he doth not and therefore certainly we may resolve upon this That God loveth his elect from everlasting and no time can be given when he loved them not Upon this ground it followeth that the Anabaptists and other such Vse 1 erring spirits are deceived in that they hold this as their tenent that God doth purpose and decree the salvation of some before the world was but God doth onely then actually choose them when he seeth faith and repentance in them For if this were true surely then God loveth not any sinner to life and salvation till he seeth repentance in them which is clean contrary to the truth of God now delivered That no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen This being so that no time can be given wherein God loved not his chosen Vse 2 surely then upon this ground we may conclude to our comfort we being such that belong to Gods election that Gods love shall be continued unto us for ever as Gods love unto us unto life and salvation hath no beginning but is eternal so also it shall be without end as we cannot point out the time of beginning no more can we of the continuance but as God hath loved us from everlasting so doubtlesse he goeth on not only within his own blessed Majestie but in his love to us he goeth on continually without alteration or shadow of changing Joh. 13.1 whom he loveth he loveth unto the end so that this may be a ground of sweet and excellent comfort to as many as find themselves wrought upon by the Spirit of God and find Gods love shed abroad in their hearts that Gods love is everlasting for the beginning and continuance of it Now proceed we further I have loved Jacob and hated Esau here we see that as Gods love to Jacob was the cause of Jacobs advancement and preheminence so Gods hatred to Esau was the cause of Esau's servitude and subordination hence I might stand to shew that Gods hatred is the soveraign and chief cause of all evils of punishments that befall the wicked in this life and hereafter though sin be the next and subordinate cause yet the soveraign the main the chief the grand and Mother cause is Gods hatred but this I will not stand upon but rather note out the particular application of Gods hatred against Esau and observe we to that purpose it is here said God hated Esau that particular person Esau which being understood as before expounded affordeth unto us this conclusion That God hath from everlasting certainly decreed the rejection of some particular persons among men even of Esau and of such as Esau was Doct as God from everlasting decreed the election of some to life and salvation so hath he also decreed certainly the rejection and refusing of others for even as he loved the one so he hateth the other And this ground of truth hath evidence and proof of it in other places of Scripture in the 1 Thess 5.9 saith the Apostle he hath not appointed us to wrath but that we should obtain salvation by the means of Jesus Christ thereby implying that some are appointed of God to wrath and in his eternal counsel God hath appointed that some shall never come to life and salvation and in 1 Pet. 2.8 the Apostle
affirmeth that some there are that stumble at the Word of God which is indeed a common stumbling block Gods children walk evenly with an even foot in the waies of God according to the will of God but some there be that stumble being disobedient unto which before the world was they were appointed and ordained so in Jude 4. verse The Apostle speaketh of some that were of old before the world was ordained to condemnation denying the Lord Jesus the Lord of life and glory Indeed the Scripture is not so plentiful in this matter of reprobation as it is in the matter of election and why so surely because the purpose of the Holy Ghost in the Scripture is principally to make known unto Gods chosen Gods eternal good will and his eternal love to manifest and to signifie Gods good will and good pleasure to his chosen and the main and chief drift of the Holy Ghost in the written Word of God is to bring Gods chosen to certain hope of life and salvation 1 Pet. 1.3 that they may be begotten to a lively hope yet though this be sparingly set down in the matter of rejection and reprobation yet it is set down plainly and sufficiently that God hath certainly refused some and cast them off for ever And beloved this being a high mystery that we may not misconceive or misunderstand it we must know that there is a difference to be put and a distinction to be made between Gods decree of rejecting of some and the execution of his decree God hath decreed absolutely from everlasting and before the world was without respect to any thing in them or any thing he did foresee would be in them their rejection Now the execution of his Decree is with the respect of sin the decree is absolute but the execution is with respect had to sinne and for sin doth God execute his wrath in time upon those that were rejected before time for their infidelity and their sin foregoing which is the proper cause of damnation and no man is damned but for sin Object I but some will say if God hath thus decreed the rejection and casting off of some for ever surely such persons cannot possibly be saved they can never come to heaven and so consequently they must needs sin that they may be damned and therefore they sin of necessity Answ To this I answer Such as are rejected of God they do indeed sin necessarily but how by necessity of consequent not of antecedent by necessity of certainty and infallibility not by necessity of constraint or compulsion they being rejected of God God leaveth them to themselves and to the cursed corruption of their hearts and so they sin willingly and freely by the necessity of infallibility yet Gods decree doth not compell them to sin but it cometh from their own cursed corruption as the proper cause of it And so we are still to clear God that we do not make him the author of sin as the Anabaptists say we do now this being cleared come we to the use of it Vse 1 This being so that God hath from everlasting decreed the rejection of some and casting off for ever In the first place learn we to know this as a holy divine and eternal truth of God and we must be stirred up upon this ground to a holy reverence and holy admiration of the wonderful and unspeakable power of God over his creatures and take heed we cavil and reason not against it and labour not to bring this high mystery and point of divinity within our shallow brains and consider that we are but creatures and we may not presume to prescribe a law of Justice to the Creator we are creatures silly worms we must not take upon us to say Oh it is unjust cruel and hard for God so to do for he is Justice it self and whatsoever we imagine or think to the contrary yet Gods will maketh the thing willed to be good just and holy because it is willed of him who cannot will amisse though it be hard and harsh to our corrupt reason God hath willed the rejection of some and this thing willed by God is good for God cannot will amisse This being a truth Oh then it concerneth us to look unto it and to Vse 2 take heed that we see to our selves whether we stand in the mercy of God or no and have hope of Gods mercy vouchsafed to us Oh labour we to find our selves not in the number of those whom God hath rejected and cast off for ever for some such there are but labour to find that we be in the number of those whom God hath received to mercy And consider howsoever Gods mercy is infinite and endlesse yet Gods mercy admitteth of a limitation and a restraint in respect of man for it shall not be reached out and extended to all men in the world without exception no nor to many that make full account of it in their own imagination and flatter themselves that Gods mercy belongeth unto them And therefore in the fear of God take heed we do not in this case deceive our selves labour we to find our selves to outstrip and go beyond a reprobate and to find in our selves that that cannot possibly be found in a reprobate this is that we should chiefly aym at and intend to reach to and never rest untill you come to find such things in your selves that cannot possibly be in one whom God hath cast off But you will say Quest. What are those things that cannot possibly be found in a Reprobate a needful question Beloved they are many Answ yet I will onely commend unto you two special things that cannot possibly be found in a Reprobate What are those The first is a thorow and true change both of the heart and life Two things which are never found in any Reprobate from evil to good as you heard not long since Gods eternal election bringeth forth an alteration so the first thing must be this a sound thorough and true change wrought in the whole man not in the memory the understanding or the tongue onely but in the rest and throughout not as many that have onely left some sins as the beastly adulterer for want of ability to follow it but they are changed throughout and have the power of grace wrought in them by the means of grace the Word Prayer and the Sacraments they have true grace wrought in every part of their body and power of the soul by the use of the means for howsoever God is not tyed to means he can work without means yet God doth ordinarily work where he vouchsafeth means And they that live under the meanes and have not grace they are in a fearful case The second thing that cannot be found in a Reprobate Psal 38.3 Rom. 7.24 is a groaning under sin and that because it is sin not for fear or shame or by-respects and especially under such sins as no eye of man
Gentiles into the estate of grace and salvation and that by the Testimony of the Prophet Hoseah by his predictions and foretellings of their calling many years before and because the calling of the Gentiles was a thing harsh and hard to the Jewes they could not endure to hear of it what dogs base people called as you may see in Act. 11.28 The text saith that they of the Circumcision the Jewes wrangled with the Apostle and were angry because he went to the Gentiles to Dogs therefore the Apostle taketh the more pains and confirmeth it by a double Testimony of the Prophet though with some alteration of the words The Apostle setting that in the last place which is in the first place The first Testimony is out of Hosea 2.23 and the second Testimony out of Hosea 1.10 and he doth alter the words of the Prophet both for brevity sake and the better to fit his purpose and yet the Apostle keepeth the sence of the Prophet entire and whole without any alteration or change And the general matter of the Apostle citing these two Testimonies in this he proveth that that which he had said was nothing else but that which God himself had spoken by his Prophet Hosea should come to passe recorded in holy Writ as he saith also I have shewed you God calleth some among the Gentiles and what is that a new invention no such matter He also saith it in Hosea Now in these words in this 25. and 26. verses we may observe two general things First of all a bringing in of the Lord speaking a speech being recorded by the holy Prophet and cited by the Apostle Secondly the words that the Lord uttered I will call them my people which were not my people c. And in these words thus uttered we may obseve a double description of the Gentiles for of them the Apostle and Prophet speaketh first a describing of them by their estate before their conversion they were then not beloved not pitied and secondly a description of their estate after their calling then they were the people of God the beloved his Children a great alteration from no people to be a people from not beloved to be beloved from no children to be children and this their estate is amplified by three things First by the free mercy of God toward them in their calling Secondly by the place where it is said they are not my people Thirdly their excellent dignity being called they shall be styled the children of the living God which epithet and title is given to distinguish him from the Heathen gods who were dead and dumb Idols Now come we to the Exposition As he saith also You may easily conceive the person here meant to be God As God saith also the word also is not a word that is idly and superfluously put down but a word of special force and great emphasis as if the Apostle had said That which I say of the Gentiles it is no fained thing but it is the same thing that the Prophet hath spoken and that the Lord himself delivered to his Prophet I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved These are the words of the Prophet here cited by the Apostle and here is a difficulty to be unfolded for he maketh here his application to the Gentiles But if you look in Hosea 1.10 the 2.23 you shall find them spoken directly to the Jewes for their comfort after their dispersing and scattering abroad they should be called again so the context doth plainly expresse to the Comfort of the Jewes how then can the Apostle apply these words to the calling of the Gentiles for the clearing of this doubt we must consider that the Apostle Paul had the infallible assistance and guidance of the Spirit of God he did what he did by the guiding of the Spirit so that he could not erre either in his allegation or application of Scripture And again though this be directed to the Jewes that were now scattered abroad for their sins and telleth them to their comfort that the time shall come when they shall be gathered together again and that the Lord would restore the Elect among the Jewes meaning spiritually by the preaching voyce and call of the Gospel in the Kingdome of the Messiah though this be directed to the Jewes yet under these termes are also the Gentiles signified and understood and indeed the Gentiles were properly not the people of God it was never properly spoken to the Jewes but to the Gentiles they were not the people of God properly so that these words are properly spoken to the Gentiles and accidentally to the Jewes by reason of their impiety and Idolatry And we shall find it a marvellous usual thing that when the Prophets do speak of the defection of the Jews and their dejection and falling from God then they make a transition a passage from that to the Kingdome of the Messiah And they promise that under the coming of the Messiah a greater number of the people should be aggregated and joyned to the Jewes and so concopulated and made one body Ephes 2.16 Now you are made one body through Jesus Christ God hath made one body both of the Jewes and Gentiles Come we now to the Explication and I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved I will onely descant upon these words and the meaning is thus Those that were strangers from the Covenant of grace those that were in their natural estate and condition and are none of my people that have not me for a God and Father to them even those that were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel these will I call effectually and through the preaching of the Word and Gospel bring them to the state of faith and grace in Jesus Christ and within the compasse of my special love and favour and mercy and I will make them to be within the number of my peculiar people and I will be a living and gracious Father unto them A paralel place unto this we have in 1 Pet. 2.10 where the Apostle speaketh thus which in times past had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy which is an expressing of what is meant by being called the people of God And in the place where it is said that they were not my people By place is meant the Countries the Nations the Kingdomes of the Gentiles which were without the pale of Jewry the Precincts and limits of Canaan now saith the Lord them will I call also my children even those that are without in those places will I cause men to know me to worship me and to fear me as in Mal. 1. and they shall be called and styled by that worthy title the Children of God the living God who is the Authour and giver of all life I will not stand to draw them into a narrower compasse for you may
easily conceive them Come we now to matter of Instruction and first of all from these words in the 25. verse As he saith also that is as God saith also from hence note we first Doctrine That God spake by his Prophets and Apostles The holy Prophets of God and the holy Apostles they were but Gods mouth to deliver his mind and message to his people they were not the inventers of it but onely the Writers Pen-men and Revealers of it The text is clear to this purpose 2 Pet. 1.20 21. The Apostle saith that no interpretation of Scripture is of any private invention of man but prophecie in old time it came not by the will of man but by the Holy Ghost they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in Gal. 1.11 Brethren the Gospel that I preach it was not after the manner of men neither received I it from men but by the immediate Revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven The Prophets and Apostles in the execution of their Ministry it was no invention of man but it was the holy mind and holy will of God which it pleaseth him to open unto him that they might dispense it to his people Vse And therefore the words of the Prophets and Apostles are so to be received as the mind and will of God and to apply this to another purpose the words of the holy Prophets and Apostles they are to be spoken of and to be reverently handled by those that take upon them to handle the words of God as the word of God not as mans word they are to be handled as the Apostle saith in 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the word of God if any man in the publick Ministry speak the Word of God let him see that he speak not onely the word of God but as the word of God which indeed are holy and pure and powerful and are so to be spoken and so to be uttered by those that do take upon them to dispense it to Gods people it is not sufficient for them to utter the bare words but to utter them with power and authority and as the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 2.4 they are to be delivered in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit of God yea they are so to be handled with such evidence of the Spirit and power that men may discern the power and Majestie of it 1 Cor. 4.25 and may say without question God is in that Preacher now the everliving God speaketh And do they thus that do handle the words of the holy Prophets and Apostle loosly carelesly and after a carnal manner in the inticing words of mans wisdome in frothy idle and ink-horn tearmes such as are humane eloquence or those that mingle the holy word of God and the holy Prophets with their own inventions and their own devices with the sayings of such a Poet such a Philosopher do these deliver it purely Jer. 23.28 He that hath my words let him speak my words faithfully what do those then that come into the Pulpit and do speak idly and foolishly and do take the name of God in vain do these speak it in the demonstration of the Spirit No a Preacher that speaketh unto the people must consider now am I to speak not onely Gods Word but Gods Word after a holy manner and if God were here would God speak thus vainly thus idly and frivolously and feed the people with chaffe instead of Wheat they must remember they are in the place of God yea whosoever they be that doe draw such Conclusions from the Word of God that are not there found though they be sound and Orthodoxal if they are not agreeable to the will of God in that place they are not Gods word but the words of man howsoever they may say men will not hear the word of God yet they are not the words of God though sound and good if they be not natural from the place and so by this means the Word of God doth work just nothing upon the hearers therefore it is no easie matter to handle the words of the Prophets and Apostles as they ought to be handled it requireth great study great prayer great meditation even watching and striving studying and praying to deliver that which is agreeable to the Word it is an easie matter to hear the Word formally but the hardest thing in the world to preach it soundly Now observe we further from this preface As he saith also that is that which I deliver touching the calling of the Gentiles it is no strange thing newly invented but it is the very same that God himself delivereth and forespeaketh long since and now it is fulfilled and accomplished the Gentiles are called and that is no new thing neither ought you to stumble at it because it is the voyce of God hence note we Doctrine That the coming to passe of things foretold by the Word of God though they be hard and harsh to flesh and blood we are to be so far from stumbling at them that they ought to strengthen our faith the more touching the truth of the word of God the event coming to passe of things though they be very grievous to carnal Reason yet they ought to strengthen our faith and make us more certainly to believe the Word of God Joh. 16.1 These things have I told you that you be not offended what are those things they are very harsh viz. the time shall come when they shall excommunicate you and cast you out and he that killeth you shall think he doth God good service These things have I told you that when you see these predictions come to passe you may be strengthened Remembring I told you Vse Many there be that are much troubled and much offended and exceedingly puzzeled because they see many errours and heresies in the world that they cannot tell what religion to cleave too they consider not that this was foretold by the holy Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies even among you in the Church of God Anabaptistical opinions and others that they that belong unto God may be tryed so also many there are that stand amazed to see some that have made a great profession of the Gospel eminent persons to fall away and imbrace the world but the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.1 that in the latter dayes there should be a departing from the faith and giving heed to the spirit of errours and doctrines of Devils that men shall be mockers and scoffers and hence it is that the Apostle bringeth in the Atheist in 2 Pet. 3.3 saying Where is the day of his coming and that men should be mockers disobedient such as make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.1 5. Now when we see these things we should subscribe unto the truth of God in our hearts and be confirmed in it Matth. 24.6 saith Christ When you hear of Warres and Combustions and Rumours