does He does it Freely without respect to Mens desert Nay their Vndesert rather is an expedient Consideration in this Act of Grace By Works I understand All that Self-Righteousness Goodness Conformity to the Law Or what ever else is performable by Men. These viz Grace and Works he proves as inconsistent as Contraries can be and that the least Mixture would vary the kind If but a sâ—ruple of Works be taken in Grace is no more Grace For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Faith are well agreed These both have the same scope and end But Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Works have always Clash'd The setting up of the One is the deposing of the other Either the Ark must Out or Dagon down One Temple cannot hold them both Rom. 3. 28. To the same effect is the drift of that discourse in Gal. 5. It appears from Acts 15. 1. That some there were who taught a Necessity of Circumcision as without which they could not be saved Pretty willing they were to admit of Christ so they might joyn Circumcision with Him and keeping the Law of Moses But this dangerous daubing with things unmixable our holy Apostle could not brook both as reflecting on the honour of his Master and undermining their onely Foundation And therefore to keep them from or bring them off that perillous Quick-sand he tells them expresly These two cannot stand together in that matter For if they be Circumcised they are Debtors to the whole Law and Christ is become of none effect to them because they are fallen from Grace It is as if he had said If you take in any part though never so little of Legal Observances as Necessary to your being Justified ye forfeit the whole benefit of Gospel-Grace The Grace of Christ is sufficient for you He is a Saviour Compleat in Himself and if you look though but a squint at any thing else it is a Renouncing of Him He will be Saviour altogether or not at all And therefore he tells them again and that with a kind of vehemency Gall. 5. 2. That if they be Circumcised Christ shall profit them Nothing And as a Man may not put in his Claim for Justification on accompt of his Works so neither of his Faith as if That were Mâ—terially or Influentially Causal of Justification For Faith it self as it is the Believers Act comes under the Notion of a Work Let us therefore Consider What part it is that Faith holds in this Matter least whiles we cast out Works as not standing with Grace we make a Work of Faith It is Faith's Office to make the Soul live wholly on Another and to Renounce Self ability as much as Self desert To apprehend that Righteousness by which Grace Justifies Not onely to be Justified thereby upon your Believing but to work in you even that Faith by which you apprehend it Isa 45. 24. answerable to that of the Prophet In the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength He that will be Saved must come as an ungodly Person to be justified freely by the Grace of God He must reckon himself an Vngodly Man to the very instant of his Justification True it is The Just shall live by Faith but 't is also true That it is not their own Faith or act of believing that they live by though not without it Which also seems the Apostle's meaning where he sayes The life which I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God Where note That as Faith is the life of a Believer so Christ is the life of his Faith I live saith he yet not I but Christ liveth in Me Christ was his life and he lived on Christ by virtue of Christ's living in him Notwithstanding all which it is evidently true and must constantly be affirm'd That Grace and Works will still be together in the way of Salvation the one doth not extinguish or exclude the other Only not as Collegues or Joint-Causers thereof But rather as a Workman and his Tooles which himself first makes and then workes with them By Grace ye are saved through Faith Eph. 2. 8. and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Even this believing or Acting faculty is a Creature of Grace's raising up and therefore in the Throne 't is meet that Grace should be above it Works therefore how good soever are not the Cause of Salvation and if so then not the cause of Election for This indeed is the Cause of them both And Works if right and truly Good will alwayes be ready to own their Original and to keep in their own place Where also they will be most considerable and do the best service III. Arg. 3. That the good pleasure of God's Will gives Rise and Foundation to Election is further argued from Men's Incapacity to afford any ground or Motive to God for such a Gift Adam stood not so long as to beget a Son in his first Image It is sâ—en by his first-born Cain what all his natural Sâ—ed would naturally be And though there be some that do Magnifie Man and presume to speak of him at another rate yet evident it is by Scripture-light and experience of those Renewed That Man fallen is poâ—r blind Naked and at enmity with all that is truly good and that he is never more Remote and farr off from God than whiles in high thoughts of himselfe Glorying in his own Understanding Strength Worthyness Freedom of Will Improvement of Common Grace and the like For These make him proud and presumptuous and to have slight thoughts of that special and peculiar Grace by which he must if ever be Renewed and Saved But the Lord Himself who best knows him reports the matter quite otherwise and we know that His witness is true viz. That all the imaginations of their heart are onely evil continually Gen. 6 5. That their inward part is very wickedness Ps 53. 1. That every Man is brutish in his knowledge Jer 10 14 ver 8 21. Altogether brutish and foolish yea even their Pastours that is the very best and most intelligent amongst them Ch 4. 22. Eccles. 91 3. They are wise to do evil but to do good have no understanding And their hearts are full of madness And it was not thus only with the Gentile Nations who were left to walk in their own way but even with the Jews Isa 5. 4. who had all the means of becoming better that could be devised Excepting that of special Electing Grace which took-in but a Remnant They were called Jews Rested in the Law Made their boast of God Knew His Will Approved the things that were excellent Were confident that they were a Guide of the blind and a light to them that were in darkness Instructors of the foolish Teachers of Babes And yet all this while and in the midst of all these high attainments did not
A PRACTICAL DISCOVRSE OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY With other Material points deriving thence Ephes 1. 11. Who worketh all things after the Council of His own Will LONDON Printed by Ben. Griffin for E. C. 1673. An Accompt of the Treatise and Publication THE General Heads of this Discourse with other sound Principles generally owned by the Churches of Britain the Authour was somewhat Instructed-in from his Childhood and had heard but little of their contraries till a few years since that he fell in acquaintance with some who held the General Point That he means which would make the Grace of God in Christ to be General and alike to All suspending the whole success thereof on the Humane Will without any peculiar Assistance afforded to Any but what is given in Common unto Men. Which yet he thinks more rightly term'd General as having the Generality of Men in Nature for Abettors of it Not that he thinks All who hold for it to be in a Natural state For as of Most the Judgement is better than their practise so of Some he hopes the practise may be sounder than their Judgment But so to hold and practise accordingly he cannot but judge extremely perilous to the Souls of Men. Divers occasional conferences he had with those of That way In all which he found it their drift to Insinuate that Principle Not caring much to discourse of any thing else but still diverting into that channell And this with that Confidence of their own and contempt of the contrary Judgment such uncomly Reflections from some of them upon their Opponents and slight regard of the Scriptures brought against them as in no wise beseem'd a Contending for the Faith He also found their opinion mostly grounded upon words and phrases of a variable interpretation Not weighing the Scope of the Text nor how the sense they gave of it might accord with those of a contrary Import It was still their way to bring Those that were plain and express to be tryed by those of a doubtful sound Whereas indeed the contrary Course had been more Regular and likely to find-out the Truth Not that any Scripture is doubtful in it self or would seem so to us were the scope and context rightly understood But the same word being used in divers places to a different purpose for want of well-observing or rightly taking the Scope is easily turn'd from its proper Intendment It is true he found among them a general agreement against our Doctrine of Election and yet as much differing among themselves as they do from us Some holding Election upon Faith foreseen Others That Men are taken into delightful Love when they do actually beleive and not before Others of them That there is no Man Elected till he hath Persevered in Believing to the last Moment of his life And Others agen That there is no Election at all of particular persons as such but of the intire species of Men from Eternity This put him upon searching the Scriptures more Setly touching the Doctrine of Election Wherein the farther he went the more he was confirm'd in what he had first receiv'd And as he went-on found those other Points of Peculiar Redemption Effectual Calling and Final Perseverance so interwoven with That of Election and dependent thereon as very Naturally induced a Discussion of Those also And as Preparatory thereto it seemed expedient to preface thâ— whole with the Doctrine of God's Sovereignity the reasons whereof with its usefullness you will find in the Treatise it self It also lay before him to observe What useful Instructions deriv'd from these Doctrines above Those of the contrary tenor Of this Work was oft-times a Stop and Laying-aside as Resolv'd to proceed no farther Not so much from the want as Redundancy of Matter which he conceiv'd to be in the Scriptures for it but found himself too-narrow to make-it-out Partly also from the difficulty of bringing his scattered Miscellaneous Notes to a Consistency But by one Impressing Occurrence or Other it still Reviv'd and went-on afresh till at length his Gleanings grew into a shock Which then he bound-up and designed it a Legacy to his Children To whom onely he thought to commend it But so it was in the Providence of God That some parts thereof came to the view and hearing of several Antient and Sober Christians who exprest a very hearty Resentment and Approbation of it Affectionately wishing it might be printed for more general use as That which might help to confirm the Tenure of Those already possess'd of the Truth but still remain subject to sifting One amongst them who had cast a favourable Aspect on the contrary Point professed himself well-satisfied with what he had found in this touching the Impotency of natural Free-will tho' assisted with General Grace Vrging also the publishing of it For that he thought the plainness thereof might render it more Convincing to some that were looking another way than learned Disputes Another Consideration which also had its weight was laid in the Ballance viz. The usefulness it might be of To antidote young Professors or Probationers in Religion who being scarse out of the shell of their Natural Vnderstanding are pronely Receptive of Notions that spring from a Covenant of Works which by means of so familiar a discourse of Nature's weakness with the Necessity and Invincible efficacie of Divine Grace they might happily be Armed-against Repeated instances prevailed at length for a willingness to make it publick in case it should also obtain Approbation from approved Divines whose Test and Judgment he would first submit it unto Retaining neverthelesse a deep sense of his manifold insufficiency for such a work and praying that his personal weakness and obscurity may not prejudice the Truth I shall only add by the way a word of Religious education That tho' it do not confer Grace yet it may prove and hath so to many a good Preservative from evils in practice and errours in Judgment which others who had not that Merciful advantage have more aptly fell-into Besides When God comes to work effectually Those Notions of sin of Christ and of Grace of which before they had but the Form have proved of singular use to facilitate the work The Lord vouchsafe His presence with it Amen A PRACTICAL DISCOURSE OF Gods Sovereignty THis Great and Fundamental Attribute I have chose to begin with as a meet Introduction to the following discourse It being indeed the foundation of all and that which gives Life and Virtue to every Divine Truth Without the knowledge whereof in some measure and practical yielding thereto we shall want a principal means of quieting our understandings touching the Points that follow I gather the sum of what I intend into this Proposition viz. That Sovereign Power belongs to God By Sovereign Power I understand that absolute Dominion which the Great God blessed for ever hath over his Creatures to dispose and determine them as seemeth him good That there is such a Power and
teach Themselves Rom. 2 from 17 ver to 21. And in Rom. 3. where they are Ranked together he proves them to be All under Sin None Righteous None that understandeth None that seeketh after God None that doth good No not One Yea This depravement of Nature was so deep and indelibly fixed That the Lord Himselfe tells them The Blackmoor might as soon change his skin as they learn to do well All which with abundantly more be speaks a condition extreamly remote from yielding a Cause of this blessed Election IV. If God's love to Men had its Rise and Beginning from their love to Him it would not have that singular eminency in it Joh. 3. 16. that is justly ascribed to it So God lâ—ved the World So as not to be exprest So as not to be paralel'd So as not to be understood until we come to that State wherein we shall know as we are known By this it is 1 Cor. 13. 12. that God's love to Men is so highly celebrated in 1 Joh. 4. 10 Herein is love Not that we loved God but that God loved us And Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up on us 1 Joh. 3. 1. Which surely then is not after the manner of Men Matth. 6. 46. For even Publicans do so Luke 6 32 35. and Sinners love those that love them But to love Enemies and whiles Enemies as to love a Woman a Wife that is an Adulteress this is according to God's love to His Chosen But Notwithstanding these Scriptures with others seem purposely written to obviate such conceptions as would feign our loving of God to be the ground and Motive of His love to us Yet great endeavours there are to Father Election upon foreseen faith and works which That They call the Covenant of Grace has they Say qualified and capacitated all Men for and which certain more pliant ingenuous and industrious persons as they speak would attain unto by the helps they have in common with other Men But this pedigree of Election is excepted against as being not rightly deduced For 1. Men having in Adam devested themselves of all that was holy and good the Lord could not foresee in them any thing of Worth or Desirableness but what Himself should work in them Anew and that of pure Grace and favour For sin and deformity could not be motives of love And that the Elect of themselves were in no wise better than other Men is evident by the Scriptures late-quoted where the Holy Ghost asserting the universal depravement of humane nature exâ—empts not one But if such excellent and distinguishing qualifications as Faith and Holiness had been foreseen and so imputable to them the Spirit of Truth would not have Rank'd them Even with the Children of wrath as He doth Eph. 2. 3. But 2. If they were otherwise what could they add unto God Job 37. 24. Ch. 35 7. Ch. 41. 11. Or whereby could they oblige Him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart If thou be Righteous what givest thou Him And who hath prevented Me says the Lord that I should repay him i. e. Who is he that is a fore hand with God Deut. 10. 17. in doing ought that might induce His favour He regardeth not Persons nor taketh Rewards He is not propitious to any for what they can do for Him or bring to Him Take Paul for an Instance He walked up to the light he had Was blameless lived in all good Conscience knew no evil by himself a rare degree of legal Righteousness But that it was not this moved God to make him a Chosen Vessel he thankfully acknowledgeth with self-abasement upon every occasion Tit. 3. 5. Tin 1. 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 3. Faith follows Election God respects the person before his offering you 'l say perhaps Abel was respected as a Believer and his offering for his Faith True But that Faith of his was not the primary cause of God's respecting him If Abels Person had not been respected first he had never been a Believer For Faith is the work and gift of God and according to the course of all judicious Agents he that will work must first pitch on the Subject He will work upon and he that gives on the person he will give unto Heb. 11. 6. Besides Rom. 14. 23. Abel could do nothing before he Believed that might move God to give him Faith therefore it could not be Abel's foreseen Faith that was the Cause of his Election The Scripture speaks often of iron-sinew'd-Necks and Brazen Brows and of Men's being in their blood when the Lord said They should live As also that God loved Jacob before he had done any good thing and that the Saints love God because He loved them first But no-where of Foreseen Faith and Holiness as the Cause and Ground of God's love to Men. 4. Faith and Holiness are Middle things They are neither the Foundation nor Top-stone of Election They are to Sovereign Grace as Stalks and Branches are to a Root by which the Root conveyes its virtues into its principal fruit Ephes 2. 8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith 2. Thes 2. 13 Chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth They are no more the Cause of Election than the Means of an End are the first Cause of Purpose Nay no more than Tatnai's propension to build the Temple and to provide Sacrifices for the God of Heaven was the Cause of Darius his Decree that those things should be done Ezra 5. and 6. Chapters 5. If men be Predestinate to Faith and Holiness as they are according to Rom. 8. 38 â—9 and 1. Pet. 1. 2. Then they were not seen to be such before their Predestination Or if they were then their Election as to that particular would seem impertinent There can no Rational account be given why Men foreseen to be such should be so solemnly predestinate thereto So likewise If Salvation be the inseparable product of Faith and Holiness according to John 5. 24 He that believeth hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation 1. Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the End of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls Then to ordain to Salvation those foreseen to be so qualified would seem a thing both needless and insignificant It would look like the sending of Men where they would have gon of Themselves Such sapless irregular and injudicious Notions are very unworthy that Celebrious and for ever Adorable Act of Predestination And if duely weighed would set us further off from the doctrine of Self-advancement which stands in so point-blank opposition to the Doctrine of God's Grace V. Arg. 5. It could not stand with the wisdom and Goodness of God to found the Salvation of His People on a failable bottom Which it must be said to be if dependent on any thing besides His own Immutable Will For whatever it was that Election had being from
he puts the Lord in mind of His promise to their Fathers Of His Mercy in pardoning them â—forâ—time what reflection it would have on His honour among the Egyptians If He should now destroy them c. Not a word of Complaint That first to promise and then to threaten is a senseless thing It had been senseless in Moses thus to do and in no wise consistent with His duty But more directly It were no senseless part in a Father to purchase an Office for his Son and so to settle it on him that it sâ—all not be in his own power to Reverse it And yet keeping to himself the knowledge of that Settlement propose the injoyment thereof conditionally viz. upon terms of obedience to his fathers Commands The tendency of all which is but to prove himself the Son of such a father and to Meeteâ— him for his place And the more to oblige his Son to a studious preparing himself for it to lay before him the evil and danger of a Negligent course by which if persisted in he might render himself uncapable But surely supposing this Father to have the same power over his Son as God hath over the heart and Spirit of His people He will so order him by Instruction discipline and good principles that he shall not run into a Forfeiture Besides Threatnings of Damnation are not properly appliable to Believers who know themselves so to be For he that believeth Joh. 5. 24. is passed from death to life and shall not come into Condemnation However at times for want of a thorow knowing their State unthankfulness for it or some other miscarriage they bring themselves under doubtings of it But for such as have Compleat assurance under God's hand and seal as the Objection speaks They are sealed up to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 15. with a Seal that never shall be loosed In case any person were so adjudged to Eternal life from Eternity that there is no possibility of miscarrying then there was no necessity of Christs dying for him The Assertors of Absolute Election do hold with the Scriptures That Election is in and through Christ The same Decree that ordained to Salvation ordained also the death of Christ in order thereto That God might be Just in Justifying He hath appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. 9 10. It might be inferr'd with as much shew of Reason That if such an End be appointed to be wrought by such a Means then that Means is unnecessary to that end That if God hath Chosen Men to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth then holiness and faith are Needless things These are absurd reasonings which the Truth never Owns We judge such an Election to be an open Enemy to Godliness For who will strain and toil himself for that which he knows he shall obtain by an easie pace The Doctrine of Conditional Election can be no friend to Godliness whatever it may pretend since all that a Man doth on that account ultimately ends in self Godliness is to Aim at God as our Chief End in all that we do Now One that holds the Elect sure of Salvation and believes himself to be one of them and yet goes on to fear God and obey Him Glorifies God more than he that performs the same duties for kind and perhaps greater in bulk in expectation of life thereby The Pharisees fasted oftner than Christ's Disciples but were not such real friends to Godliness as they Long prayers fastings and Alms-deeds are all Nothing without Love and who do you think will Love God more he that believes himself sure of God's Love unchangeably or One that holds That after all his toiling and straining he may possibly have Run in vain and lose all at last And who would think that a Master in Israel should Reason so absurdly who counts it a toil to eat his Meat when Nature requires it especially when 't is most agreeable both to his palate and constitution All the wayes of God are pleasantness to them that walk in them And these would not leave them again although their future happiness were not concerned in it If they be grievous to any it is from their unacquaintedness with His Love 1. John 5. 3. It must needs make men very remiss and loâ—se in the Service of God Christ knew that the Angels had charge over Him and that He should not dash His foot against a stone yet ne'r the less careful of His own preservation Paul was sure of the Crown of Righteousness and yet as diligent in beating down his body andâ— strain'd as hard in Running his Race as any of those who lay the stress of Salvation upon their works Such a Notion of Election layes the honour and necessity of that great Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel in the dust For if the Elect so called shall as certainly be saved by a weak simple or Corrupt Ministry and this it may be enjoyed but a day or two in all a Mans life or loosely attended upon wherein is the Ministry of the Gospel to be esteemed That peremptory Decree That Summer and Winter Day and Night shall not cease takes not away the Necessity of the Sun 's being in the World Gen 8. 22. Nor of its daily Risings Settings and various Revolutions For by these as the Necessary Means thereof must the Decree be made good So The Absoluteness of that other part of the promise That Seed time and Harvest shall not cease doth no whit discharge the Husbandman either of his ufefulness or duty but evinceth the One and inforceth the Other Giving also Encouragement to him in his Work The force of this Answer will not be evaded by alledging That God affords them Means proper and sufficient for seed time and harvest that is they have fitting Seasons with Seed-corn horses plows and other Utensils of husbandry and that 's all the Promise intends and if they improve them not the fault 's their own True it is so and they shall smart for their Neglect But what will become of the Promise and Sureness of the Covenant Therefore this is not All that God doth for Men in this point He that Decreed How long the Earth shall endure and what number of Men He will raise up upon it Did also Decree His own upholding thereof during that time and by what Means those Men should be propagated and kept alive and did accordingly put into Mankind the Principles of Self-preservation by which they are Naturally prompted to the use of them as they are to Eat Drink and Sleep He hath set the World in their heart Eccles 3. 11. As the Elect shall certainly be saved and also prepared for that Salvation so hath the Lord appointed them such a Ministry and for so long a time and their attendance thereon in such manner as best agreeth to His Own intent and which He will bless and
if left to the wisdom of Men. But I shall not doubt to affirm That this Doctrine of Election's Absoluteness is much afore-hand with that which teacheth it to be Conditional both in point of Encouragement and otherwise And that as well Afore believing as Afterwards 1. Before a Man comes to believe supposing him to be Notionally instructed therein Before For being under conviction of the Greatness and Multitude of his Sins and finding the power of indwelling corruption so Insuperable Having also a sight of the Holiness of God It needs must prove a difficult Matter to believe that there is Mercy and Pardon for such a One as he Or that ever those domineering lusts should be made to submit But then considering 1. That Electing Love pitches on the Chief of Sinners 2. That it flowes not from nor is sounded upon any condition to be performed by Men And 3. That Election has in it All that conduceth to life and Godliness These things I say considered it cannot but have a farr greater influence on the Soul to cleave unto God and follow hard after Him than if his Election were suspended upon his Doing that which he finds in himself no power to pâ—rform For he sees by woful and yet through Grace happy Experience That as the Law is made weak through the weakness of the flesh so also setting aside the Absoluteness of Electing love all the meanes of Grace which are given in Common among Men would be wholly ineffectual to Salvation Which difficulties Electing love in the Absoluteness of it will Supersede and set him above them all 2. After a man comes to Believe this Doctrine of Absolute Election is of singular use and benefit to him both as tending to keep him on his feet and to raise him when he is down 1 It is a great Preservative in time of Temptation The Remembrance of that love which looked upon him when he was in his blood and said he should live and hath now also made good its Word to him must needs operate strongly with a gratious heart against what ever might be unworthy of such love Let the bait be never so aptly suited he will turn from it in a holy disdain as good Joseph did How can I do this Wickedness Gen 39. 9. and sin against God who hath dealt so bountifully with me 2 Nothing more tends to Recovery after a fall than the Consideration of the Freeness of God's Love at first and His Mighty Power in Quickening when altogether dead And that both these viz. This Love and this Power are engaged by an Absolute Covenant to bring every one that takes hold thereof unto Glory and therefore will receive him not only After upon his Return to his Duty but in the Midst of his backslidings He will come and heal him The Lord's way of dealing with Ephraim ver 17 18. ver 21 22. set down in the 57. of Isaiah is an instance pertinent to the case in hand And in the 44. Chap. He doth as it were Clench and fasten this Nail in a sure place Remember O Jacob I have formed thee Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me I have bloted out thy sins Therefore return unto Me And Jer. 3. 14. Return O backsliding Children for I am married unto you to wit by His Covenant of Election To this purpose also is the edge of Samuel's Argument applied in 1 Sam. 12. 20 22 Fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord As if he had said your wickedness indeed is great ye have highly provoked the Lord by your casting Him off yet be not discouraged as if the Lord would therefore cast off you For the Lord will not forsake His people But why Because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people And in ver 24. he further backs it with the remembrance of the great things God had done for them aforetime Than which there is nothing of stronger tendency to a Soul's recovery III. From the Personality of Election and IV. From the Eternity of its Original I gather in general That since the Scriptures have so highly Renouned these two Circumstantial parts of Election Inference by so frequent a mentioning of them and that on occasions of the solemnest import We ought not to pass them by as things of indifferent notice But as being diversly Instructive Worthy to be kept and soberly contended for The Holy Ghost doth not use to inculcate matters of Ordinary observance or little import But as Noting to us some great importancy in them as taxing also our sloth and aptness to neglect them and to stir up our minds to make the more diligent search What and what manner of things they are and how to be improv'd In particular From the Personality of Election I Infer I. Inference That it ought to be minded as matter of the highest honour to the Parties concern'd The Lord illustrates Moses at no ordinary rate when He tells him I know thee by name and doubtless intended that Moses himself should so account of it and be highly sâ—tisfied therewith though deny'd in some other things he would fain have had Thuâ— also Paul signalizeth those eminent Saints who were his fellow-Labourers in the Gospel Phil. 4. 3. That their names were in the Book of Life And our Saviour propounds it to His Disciples as matter of highest Exultation That their names were written in Heaven That our poor insignificant names should be written in God's book and lâ—id up among His Treasures in Heaven when the Generality of Names even Names of Note are written in the Dust let it not seem a light matter to us Isa 56. 5. For this is that Everlasting Name which never shall be cut-off II. Inference The knowledge of this thing namely that God has thus taken Notice of our Names is a great Priviledge It enlarges the heart to higher expectations it gives boldness or freedom of speech towards God as if Nothing were too great for such a One to ask See how Moses grows upon it No sooner Exod. 33. 17. sayes God I know theeby name But Moses as rapt into the Second and fain would be in the Third Heaven presently replies I beseech thee shew me thy Glory III. Inference As it is matter of Honour and Priviledge So it will prove one of your best Titles to your Heavenly inheritance It will signifie something one day however by some too lightly esteemed Now when it shall be the great distinguishing character between you and the World Whoever he be that derives not his Genealogie from this Register Nehe. 7. 64. will be put from the Heavenly Priest-hood The New Jerusalem admits None Rev. 20 15. but whose Names are written in the Book of life yea every One that is not found written there Ch. 21 27. shall be cast into a lake of fire Therefore Give all diligence to make yâ—ur Election sure IV.
will Believe begins at the wrong end of his Work and is very unlikely to come that way to the knowledge of it The first Act of Faith is not That Christ dyed for All or for you in particular The One is not true the other not certain to you Nor can be till after you have believed He that woulâ— live Must submit to Mercy with Per adventure He will save me alive 3. There are Reasons enough and of great weight to induce Men to believe without laying Generall Redemption for the Ground of their Faith As 1 That faithful saying 1 Tim. 1. 15. and worthy of all acceptation That Jesus Christ came to save Sinners and such are you 2 That He gave His Life a Ransome for Many Math. 20. 28. and you may be of that Number as well as Another 3 That those He died for shall be Justified upon their believing Rom. 5. 8 9. Phil. 1. 29. and shall have Faith also upon their seeking for it as a part of His Purchase and given on His behalf 4 That to Believe on His Son is the will and Commandment of the Everlasting God Whom we ought to obey although our Salvation were not dependent on it Rom. 16. 26. 1 John 3. 23. 5 Those many faithful Promises assuring Salvation to them that believe Mark 16. 16. Joh. 3. 16 36. Chap. 6. 47. Matth. 11. 29. And 6 Lastly The Remediless danger of unbelief He that believes not shall be Damned as Mark 16. 16. Joh. 8. 24. c. And if such Considerations as these will not prevail with you to believe the Notion of General Redemption together with the general successlessness of it to be sure will never do it Redemption is often set forth in terms that import a Vniversality As That Christ takes away the Sin of the World That He is the propitiation for the Sins of the whole World c. The word World hath many and various acceptions in Scripture It is not alwayes meant of Men but something else And when Men are intended it seldom intends the Vniversality of them yea 't is often understood of a very few in comparison of the whole It would therefore be very great Rashness to appropriate or limit so general a term to any particular Sense and much more if extended to Men Universally as is shewn in part by the following Instances 1 The word World is taken for the place of Mens habitation upon earth Nahum l. 5 The earth is burnt up at His presence yea the World and all that dwell therein 2 For the Inhabitants of the World good and bad together Psal 9. 8 He shall judge the World in Righteousness 3 For the Things of the world and dispositions answerable to them Eccles 3. 11 He hath set the World in their heart 4 For the time of the Worlds continuance from one Remarkable period to another The time before the flood is called the old world and the time of Christ's Kingdom the world to come 5 The particular time of a Mans life upon Earth Mat. 12. 32. Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him in this World Nor in the World to come 6 For the extent or Compass of the Roman Empire Luke 2. 1 There went a Decree from Caesar Augustus That all the World should be taxed 7 For the time and state of things after the dissolution of the present frame Luke 20. 35 They that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection c. 8 For the Religion and Manners of the World Acts 17. 6 These that have turned the World upside-down are come hither 9 For the troubles which Christ's Disciples meet with in the World Joh. 16. 33 Be of good Comfort I have overcome the World 10 For the splendour honour wealth pleasure or whatever else in the World is taking with the hearts of Men Gal. 6. 14 I am Crucified to the World and the World to Me. 11 To set forth the greatness of something that cannot well be exprest Job 21. 25. The World it self could not contain the books that should be written 12 For the Gentiles in distinction from the Jews Rom. 11. 12 If the fall of them that is the Jews be the riches of the World c. 13 For the Multitudinous increase of some particular Party Job 12. 19 The World is gone after Him More of this kind might be cited But these may suffice to shew How much it behoves to consider well the scope and Context of Scripture and Not to be led by the Vocal sound of words There are yet two other Senses of the word World which come nearest the Matter in hand One is that which takes-in the whole party of Wicked Men alone and by themselves As where it is said The Saints shall judge the World 1 Cor. 6. 2. It must be intended of the World of ungodly For the Saints shall not Judge one another That All the World wondred after the Beast Rev. 13. 3 4. Ch. 14. 4. And worshipped the Dragon This also must be meant of the Herd of Idolaters exemptive of Those who followed the Lamb. And again The whole World lyeth in wickedness 1 Job 5. 19. Here ye have the very words and in the same Manner connex'd as in the place objected which therefore may well be supposed to be of as large a Comprehension And yet it cannot be meant of the Vniversality of Mankind But of such of them as are under the power and conduct of Satan which the Saints are not and so cannot be any part of the World or whole World there intended The other sense of the Word seems Couched in the places objected where Christ is said To take away the sin of the World And to be a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World For it seems Agreeable to Reason to understand the word in a Restrict and limited sense here as in the places above-quoted For if by World is sometimes meant The World of Vngodly as seperate from the Saints By like Reason at other times it may be meant of the World of Saints as seperate from the Wicked especially when there is Nothing in the Context and scope of the place to Contradict it And what then should hinder but that the word World in the places objected may be soâ—ly intended of the World of Elect exclusive of Others As the World that lies in wickedness is of those Others exclusive of the Elect To be sure There can be no peril in so understanding it For we know that Christ is the Propitiation for their sins But To affirm it of the whole of Mankind as it hath no solid foundation so many uncomly and unruly Consequents do attend it some of which are shewn afore To end this Debate I would ask the Objector What World it was that Christ would not pray for For by knowing that it may be gather'd What World it was that He died for It could not
that it receives into its own Substance and kind You may Plant and Prune and dig and Dâ—ng an evil Tree bestow what cost and pains you will upon it it does all but enable the more pregnant Production of evil fruit Just so doth the Natural Man Jude ver 4. even turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness As to the Pure all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. Psal 119. 67. 2 Chr. 28. 22. so to the Impure all things are defiled David by his afflictions learned to keep God's Law but Ahaz trespassed yet mâ—re Good Josiah his heart melts at the reading of the Law ch 34. 27 31. Jer. 36. 23. Rom. 7. 8 10. he humbles himself and fals to Reforming but wicked Jehoiakim he cuts the Roll in pieâ—es and burns it Thus Sin i. e. Corrupt Nature workes death by that which is Good II. The New Creature is not wrought by the Concurrence of Divine and Natural Power together For 1. The Holy Ghost needs no assistance in His work I. Who and Where is he that stood up for his help when He moved on the Waters Job 38 4. and brought forth this World into form When He weighed the Mountains in Scales and the hills in a ballance Isa 40 12 15. He that made all things of Nothing cannot be supposed to need the aid of any As Man had nothing to do in the Conception of Christ's humane Nature but the Power of the Most High was alone in that work so also it is in forming Christ within us Why should He call in the aid of another unless deficient of Himself And He must greatly be streightened that takes-in the help of an Enemy 2. If the Holy Ghost had need of Help II. the flesh affords Him not the least For 1 The Natural Man is without strength Rom. 5 6. The best-Natur'd Man in the World until Regenerate is but Flesh And all flesh is grass 1 Pet. 1. 24. Job 26. 2. and the glory of it as the flower of grass which fades in a Moment It is an Arm that hath no strength And it is not onely so in it self but it renders weak and impotent what ever Relyes upon it or may be used by it for any spiritual End A Straw in the hand of a Giant will make no deeper impression than if in the hand of a Stripling The Law it self Rom. 8. 3. which was ordained to life is made weak through the flesh 2 The Flesh is an opposite principle at perfect enmity against the Holy Seed as you see afore It answers as Pharaoh Exod. 5 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey Him It 's whole business is to crush the workings of the Spirit and the Conflict ceaseth not but in the total Overthrow of the one party The Flesh and the Spirit alwaies have been are and will be Two Yea even where the Enmity hath lost its dominion it will maintain a Conflict to the last And if the one fights against the other after the New Creature is formed it will doubtless oppose the first formation of it 3 If we should suppose the flesh able in any respect to give assistance in this work the Holy Ghost would none of it 2 Cor. 5. 16. Deut. 22. 10 Deut. 22 9. What Concord hath God with Belial such Mixtures are Abomination to Him He would not permit His people to yoke an Ox and an Ass together in pâ—oughing Nor to sow their Land with divers seeds And if in building an Altar their Tool were lift up upon it the Lord reckons it defiled Exod. 20. 25. 4 Suppose a possibility of Conjunction What would be the issue of it When the Sons of God went in to the daughters of men Gyants were born to them Gen. 6. 4. If Creatures of several kindes should couple together what can be produc'd but a Monster in Nature such Monsters in Spirituals are hypocrites and temporary believers In whom there is something begotten on the will of Man by the Common strivings and inlightenings of the Spirit which attains to a kind of formality but proves in the end a lump of dead flesh It never comes to be a New Creature as you sâ—e in Herod and Agrippa An Owl's egg though hatcht by a Dove or Eagle will prove but a Night-bird The Seed of the bond-woman will be Carnal though Abraham himself be the father of it A little further to illustrate this Truth let us briefly review What things in the world that are Common to Men can be supposed to influence their hearts so as to bring them to God They may all be Reduced to five A prosperous Condition Afflictions The Word of God The strivings of the Spirit and Miracles 1. Prosperity This we find hath not done it How many have been the worse and how few if any the better for it Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked In the time of the Judges Deut 32. 15. when ever they had respite from trouble they presently fell to idâ—aâ—ry when Vzziah was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction 2 Chr. 26. 16. The Papacy at this day and for Centuries past who in such splendid prosperity and who so wicked They are not in trouble like other Men their eyes stand out with fatness c. But are they bettered by it Ps 73. No Pride compasseth them about like a chain and they set their Mouths against the Heavens Let favour be shewed to the wicked Isa 26. 10 yet will he not learn Righteousness 2. Afflictions and Judgments will not do it It appears by Amos Ch. 4. ver 6-11 That that people were loaded with variety of judgments yet they turned not to Him that smote them Isa 1. 5. â— ch 57. 17. The more they were stricken the more they revolted The Lord was wroth with Ephraim and smote him He hid His face from Him and was wroth which if any thing should have Moved him But what cares Ephraim He went on frowardly in the way of his Heart The Jewes continue to this day in their unbelief though wrath be come upon them to the uttermost The Antichristian world when vials of wrath were powred forth upon them they blasphemed God Reâ— 16. 9 11 Hos 7. 9. Pro. 27. 22. and Repented not Bray a fool in a Mortar yet will not his foolishness depart from him 3. The Word of God and his Ordinances Neither is it in these to turn the heart back again Of this the people of Israel are a pregnant example Rom. 3 2. Deut. 4 7. To them were Committed the Oracles of God No Nation had God so nigh them as they and yet the most stubborn stiff-necked people that ever the earth bore 2 Chr. 36. 15 16 Jer. 25. 3 4. The Lord sends them His prophets rising early and sending And see how they 'r used First they sleight His Messengers and send them away empty Then they fall to beating and imprisoning of them
But the difference lyes in this That the New Covenant consists of better Promises And this Betterness stands in the Free Absolute Independent engagement of God Himself to Invest His Covenanted Ones with all things conducing to the Blessedness held forth And that as well what is to be done on their part as on His Own upon their doing of it That is plainly To Give to them and Work in them Whatever in this Covenant He requires of them The law shews matter of Duty but gives not where-with to perform it The Covenant of Grace does both by writing the law in the heart And without this it would still have been but a Covenant of works be the Duties enjoined whatever you will It therefore runs not upon Conditional or Failable terms I will If ye will but Absolute and Sovereign I will and ye shall This Covenant does not only give life upon terms of Believing but Faith also and Holiness as the necessary means of attaining that life And this not upon your ingenuous complyance as some term it or better improvement of what you have in common with other Men such allegations the Lord disallows and often Cautions against but of Grace It 's a Covenant made-up of Promises and Promise by Scripture intendment is alwayes Free both freely made and freely perform'd without the desert or procurement of Men. Take Isaac for instance Abraham's body was now dead Gen. 18. 11. ver 14. and Sarah besides her natural barrenness it ceased to be with her after the manner of Women and yet Sarah shall have a Son But How The Promise had in it though Abraham and Sarah had not whatever might tend to Isaac's conception and birth Gal. 4. 23 28. and for this cause He was called The Son of the Promise as also Believers are Rom. 9. 8. Gal. 3. 29. They are also termed Heirs of Promise Heb. 6. 17. And on this account Christ is called The Promised Seed and the Holy Ghost The Spirit of Promise viz To shew the Independent freeness of those Divine Gifts The Promise of sending them Their actual Coming and Effectual operations are all free and free in all respects This Dew from the Lord waiteth not for Men. Mic. 5. 7. For further illustration the Jews are a pertinent Instance as ye read in Jer. 32. from v. 30. to the 36. They had done nothing but evil from their youth up and were a continual provocation And when scattered among the Nations they were no-whit bettered but caused even the Heathen to blaspheme And yet notwithstanding all this the Lord will Gather them and give them an heart to fear Him for ever v. 37. to v. 44. And this even whiles they were not moved neither could they blush chap. 8. 12. See also with what inexpressible freeness of Grace the Lord deals with them in Isa 43. v. 25. I even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins But what 's the Introduction to this so great a Promise See it and wonder at it Thou hast not called upon Me O Jacob Miâ— v. 22. ver 23. ver 24. but thou hast been weary of Me O Israel Thou hast not brought Me the small Cattel of thy burnt Offerings Thou hast bought Me no sweet Cane with thy money but hast made Me to serve with thy sins and wearied Me with thine iniquities I even I whom thou hast dealt so ingratefully with Isa 64. 3. and disingenuously even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake And this was a Great thing they looked not for As indeed considering themselves and what their demeanour had been they had no Reason to look for it Hence 't is cleer That Grace respects not the worthiness of Men in what It does for them Nay it must respect their Vnworthiness rather as that by which Grace is more illustrated and the glory thereof more advanced according to Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound And Paul proclaims it as verified on himself 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutour and Injurious But I obtained Mercy and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant v. 14 and hereupon he falls to Adoring that Grace Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen v. 17. The Richeâ— of Mercy is made-out by Saving the Chief of sinners and in quickening us when dead Ephes 2. 1 4. And it is very observable That the Apostles when ever they mention the Grace of God in Saving Quickening c. do not give the least intimation of Mens Worthiness Preparedness Compliance or any such thing but Dead in Sins and Quickening come one in the neck of the other as light does upon darkness which in no sort induces the light or prepares the dark Earth or Ayr for it as is abundantly evident in all their Epistles And how oft and in good earnest does the Lord declare against all the pretensions of Men as to their activeness in this Matter in Isaiah Jeremy Ezekiel Hosea c. And as a barr to those pretensions The Holy People He calls A People sought-out and that He is found of them that sought Him not with many others This I shall end with a very observable Instance within my own Memory and I bring it not in for proof but Illustration I knew a Man who when he came under convictions endeavoured with all his might to stifle them His Convictions grew stronger and he hardned himself against them He saw their tendency but so opposite to it that he resolv'd in express terms He would not be a Puritan what-ever came of it To the Church he must go His Master would have it so But this was his wont To loll oâ—r the seat with his fingers in both his ears Here General or Conditional Grace was surely non-plus'd But a Chosen Vessel must not so be lost Now steps-in Electing Grace and by a casual slip of his Elbows drew-out the stoppers and sent-in a Word from the Pulpit which like fire from Heaven melted his heart and cast it in a New Mould Surely in this the Lord did not wait for the Man's complyance or improvements His work was not Originated thence nor dependent thereon II. II. If all that pertains to Salvation were not given freely Salvation it self should not be of Grace For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace Rom. 4. 4. but of Debt But Salvation is of Grace Ephes 2. 5. By Grace ye are saved And agen v. 8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith Where also lest the adding of Faith should occasion in their esteem a lessening of this Grace or seem to detract from the Freeness of it he cautiously subjoyns That this Faith is the work of that Grace Not of your selves It is the Gift of God For if Grace be perfectly free in Choosing it must be answerably
free in Giving and Applying the Means to bring-about the End it hath chosen us to For if the Effect of the Means should depend upon somthing to be done by Men which Grace is not the Doer of then works would put-in for a share in the glory of Mens salvation and so the Grace of God would be dethron'd and be as if it were not Grace is no more Grace as is argued in Rom. 11. 6. III. III. Spiritual blessings must be given freely and of pure Grace because the Natural Man cannot perform any such Act as might be Motive for such a gift Things materially good they may doe as Cain in offering the first fruits but not acceptable because not done in the due manner that is in Faith the want of which makes Incense it self an abomination Isa 1. 13 14. If without Faith it be impossible to please God then it must be impossible to doe ought asore you believe that may move God to give you Faith Salvation is promised to Faith Remission of sins to Repentance The blessed vision to Purity of heart But we find not these Graces promised to any Act or Qualification inferiour to 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 3. 5. or precedeing the Graces themselves Our holy Calling and the washing of Regeneration we are not entit'led-to by works of our own IV. IV. If any of the Requisites to Salvation should be given upon conditions Reason would it should be That which in worth and virtue containeth all the Rest and without which the Rest had never been or been of none effect And that is Our Lord Jesus Christ of whom it is said That all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily Coll. 2 9. Joh. 1. 16. Rom. 5 8. and that Out of His Fullness all Grace is received The giving of whom was the most superlative commendation of God's love to Men and is therefore termed That Gift of God Ioh. 4. 10. And as touching the Free and Vnconditionate giving of Christ we have an authentic Record in Gen. 3. 15. It shall bruise thy head Which words doe contain an Absolute free Promise to send the Son of God in the Nature of Man to be a Redeemer And we evidently know That His actual coming and performance thereof was not suspended upon any good thing to be done by Men How could it when after the Fall they did not nor could doe any thing but what might turn His heart against them For evidence hereof We need not go out of the Context Doe but observe the First Adam's Carriage and the Manner of it just afore the Promise was made First They believe the Serpent rather than God Then they break the Commandment of life when they had neither need nor occasion so to do This done and finding themselves lost they do not so much as seek after God for help but rather to hide themselves from Him so farr from confessing themselves faulty that they charge God foolishly and shift the blame of their miscarriage upon Him The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree And the Serpent which also is a Creature of thy Making he beguiled me c. Here 's nothing in their deportment that looks like the Motive of such a Promise But tho they Run from God He will not so part with them yea He follows them finds them out and for a door of hope freely pronounceth this gracious Promise of sending One to destroy this old serpent the Devil and consequently the Serpentine Nature that had now instill'd and Mingled it self with theirs It is the first promulgation of the Gospel and speaks with as much absoluteness as words can express It Shall bruise thy head This I shall stand the more upon because it is the First that was made in Time and That out of which all following Promises are educed The intent of this Promise was Adam's Recovery and Comfort who doubtless at this time was in a very disconsolate Condition as lying under a fresh sense of the happiness he had lost and the wofull estate he was now plunged into And therefore 't was necessary if Adam shall have Comfort by it that the terms thereof be altogether free and Absolute For suppose them to be Conditional as namely If Adam shall now repent and Convert himself If he shall better improve a second stock or rather the cankered Remnant of that he had at first My Son Then shall come into this lower World to still that Enemy and Avenger His life shall go for thy life I will be friends with thee and restore thee to thy first Estate All this and more of this kind had yielded but little comfort or hope to a guilty and defiled Conscience who found himself not onely naked and wholly bereft of his Primitive Righteousness but at enmity with his Creatour and a bondslave to Satan For such Reasonings as these would have broke-in like a floud to bear-down and stifle all hopes of future success viz. If when I was in so blessed a state and endued with power to keep it upon so slight a temptation I yeilded and fell How should I Rise now I am down and my strength is gon If when I had freedom of Will and stood upright so easily I warp'd into crooked paths How can I hope to Return and do better now my Will is perverted and bent to a contrary course If whilst I had eyes in my head and saw things with cleerness I yet lost my way and wandred How should I think to recover it being now both sadly bewildred and my eyes put-out How should I bring a clean thing out of an unclean who kept not my heart clean when it was so How should I gain more with fewer talents who ran my self out of all when I had abundantly more Grapes will not grow upon Thorns nor Figgs on Thistles Nay were my Primitive'state restored agen on the former terms I could not expect to keep it having this wofull experience of so causless and dreadfull an Apostacy c. It was therefore importantly necessary that this first Promise made upon so great and solemn an occasion and bearing in it all the hopes and comforts of God's People to Eternity should be thorowly free and absolute and not depend in the least upon any good thing to be done by Men as a condition of it And if Christ be given freely there 's good ground of arguing thence the free-giving of lesser things as doth the Apostle in Rom. 8 He that spared not His Son how shall He not with Him freely give us all things Math. 6. 25. Is not the life more than meat Is not Christ more than Faith and all Grace Has God given us the flesh of His Son which is Meat indeed and will He not restore our withered hand to receive it It cannot be especially considering That this may be done with a Word and without This the Other would be lost and as water
not lose it as some would give the sense had been a Comfortless and empty Notion and an injudicious way of speaking This is yet further confirmed by John 5. 24 He that believeth is passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation The Reason of all which is that their Faith is founded on a Rock Math. 7 15. which Wind and Waves may beat and break themselves against But never the Rock it self nor That which is built upon it He that trusteth in the Lord is as Mount Zion which cannot be moved No Not so much as One of the stakes of that Tabernacle shall be removed Psalm 125. 1. Isa 33. 20. Chap. 45. 17 1 Pet. 2. 6. and that for ever They shall not be ashamed nor confounded World without End It would very much allay that superlative cause of Rejoycing That our Names are written in Heaven If possibly they might be blotted out agen since we find in our selves such a proneness to Revolt which every one acquainted with his own heart must acknolwedge But we are sure Christ would not propound to us a failable ground of rejoycing For that would have been an inviting us to lean on a breakable staff which kind of dependence He is evermore calling us from Believers indeed are sometimes foyl'd but never overcome Though they fall and that seaven times in a day as was said As often do they rise agen And it 's no disparagement to their leader yea it is the Glory of a General to give his enemy advantages and take them agen at his pleasure to his enemies greater confusion and overthrow Satan got nothing by his Winnowing Peter Peter lost some of his Chaff which well might be spared and the Tempter lost many an after-advantage For the World of Believers have been the warier ever since To this second sort of evidence I shall onely add That of the Holy Apostle in Rom. 8. He was perswaded that is He was throughly swayed in his faith to believe it for himself and deliver it down to the Ages to come as a Truth infallible That neither Height nor Depth Nor any other Creature shall be able to separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 38 39. He reckons up all that can be named and lest any thing might have slipt him he brings in Height and Depth as being those two extreams that take in All and more than Men can think and then resolves That even These shal not be able to do it And surely if the super-celestial height of God's Holiness Nor the infra-infernal Depth of sin shall separate from that day of Glory which the sons of God were Predestinated to and for which they were both made and Redeemed called into and groan for then are Believers Roundly secur'd against final Apostacy III. A third sort of evidence for Confirmation are certain Arguments or Reasons why the Saints must needs Persevere in Faith and Holiness By this word Needs must I do not understand any other kind of necessity than well consists with perfect freedom such a Necessity as was upon Paul to preach the Gospel which was a work he rejoyced in such as was upon Jesus Christ to bring-home his sheep and to lay down his life for them Luke 12. 50. How was He streightned till it was accomplished That it was written in his heart was no hindrance to the freedom of his will The expression is well warranted also where it is said That the Scripture speaking of Judas his fact must needs be fulfilled Acts 1. 16. The first Argument Arg. I. John 1. 13. in proof of Perseverance is founded on the Saints Extract or Original They are born of God And this hath the force of a double Argument 1. As God is their Father and Eternal Root Our Saviour holds forth this Relation as the ground of our Faith in prayer Math. 6. 9. And He begins with it Himself when He prayes for His own Glory and that His Disciples might be partakers of it John 17. 1. To the same end He frequently useth that style of Father in the Gospel of John as in particular That He ascends to His Father and our Father John 20. 17. It is to strengthen our Faith in God thro' Himself on the account of His Fatherhood to us The Father loveth the Son John 3. 35. And He loves His Believers as He loveth Christ Himself Iohn 17. 23. On which ground the Apostle concludes That He cannot but give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. Believers are in truth the product of His love both in respect of Election and Regeneration and being so He cannot but have a paternal affection for them to administer to them what-ever tends to their sustentation and growth and to keep-off what ever would intercept or weaken His gracious influences towards them Having once loved them John 13. 1. He loves them for ever They may therefore be confident That what He hath begun in the Spirit He will not let end in the flesh That having begun a good work in them Phil. 1. 6. He will also perform it For As they have their spiritual Being from Him as the Father of it so 't is Natural to Him to derive his virtues into them without intermission as for a Vine to send up its sap into its own branches or the Sun to cherish the plants of its own production All the natural affections that are in Creatures towards their own are but drops of His Immense fullness A Mother may possibly forget the Child of her Womb but the Lord cannot forget His Off-spring That none may hurt them nor they themselves He will keep them night and day Isaiah 27. 3. chap. 46. 3 4. and water them every moment They are born by Him from the Belly and carried from the Womb and even to their old age He will carry them and deliver them 2. The new Creature as it comes from God so it exists in Him and lives upon Him and it is Natural to it to seek its nourishment where it had its Original Nothing can satisfie it but that great Deep from whence it sprang As a New-born child that has not the use of Reason will hunt for the breast by natural instinct and not be qulet without it As soon as ever Paul was converted Behold he prayes Acts 9. 11. Having once received the Spirit of Christ they cannot but incline after Him as Elisha did Elijah upon the casting of his Mantle on him It is natural to them 1 K. 19. 19 20. as for sparks to fly upwards They are said To be baptized with fire Not onely because of the purifying Nature of fire but in respect of its Aspiring quality it will be Mounting and not rest till it come to its own element Obstructions many it meets withall but still it presseth onwards and by degrees bears-down all afore it and carries that with it in which it
virtually in them According with this is that of our Saviour John 3. 36. Ps 37. 31. He that believeth hath everlasting life It argues the certainty of their Perseverance The law of his God is in his heart None of his steps shall slide Isa 65. 8. And therefore he saith Destroy it Not there is a blessing in it III. Another proof rises from the Nature Arg. III. extent and design of Providence or from the Intent and Purpose of God in that great variety of things which believers are exercised with in the world There are three things considerable to make out this Argument 1. That there is a Divine Providence which Governs the World As in dividing to the Nations their inheritance and bounding their habitations at first so by continuing them in possession or Outing them at his pleasure and this oftentimes by very unlikely means and over-ruling things accordingly Seir being given to Esau and Ar to the Children of Lot and their term not being yet expired the Lord inclines them to let Israel pass thorow and to give them meat for their money whereas the Amorites who were destinied to destruction He hardens their spirits and makes them obstinate that they deny them passage and come out against them in battel Deut. 2. 29 30. So when he would translate the Chaldean Monarchy to the Persians He enfeebles the one Jer. 51. 11. Isa 45. 1 5. but stirrs up the Others spirits and Girds them with strength How oft doth the Scripture repeat That the Lord reigneth Ps 93. 1. 97. 1. 75. 7. That He puts down One and sets up another That He doth according to His Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the earth Dan. 4 35. How evident is it in his humbling of Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and others This Providence reacheth to all manner of Persons times and things and Circumscribes them It leaves not the least thing to a Contingency Even Ravens Sparrows and Lillies yea and the hairs of your head are all numbred and under the Conduct of the Providence of God Matth. 6. 26. 2. That the design and course of God's Providence Eezk. 24. 25. is to accomplish His Purpose As Providence governs the World so Purpose is the Director of Providence He is a Provident Man that orders his affairs prudently i. e. so that nothing is wanting nor any thing spent in waste Both these are in the Providence of God eminently for 1. It is All-sufficient supplies all needs Gives all things pertaining to Means and End 2. It does Nothing in vain Nothing superfluous or impertinent to His Purpose Things most casual to Men are levelled at a set and Certain End What the Lord speaks with His Mouth He fullfills with His Hand 1 Kings 8. 24. and His Act shall not vary a tittle from His Decree which is clearly the meaning of that in the Acts Known unto God are all His Works from the beginning of the world Whence was it that Esau tarried so long at his hunting that he was overfainted That Jacob was making pottage just when Esau comes home which set his appetite on edge after it But that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand The Elder must serve the younger which now came-to-pass by the sale of his birthright And thus the Providence of God makes even the prophaness of Men subserve to His End The Lord had determined to cast Judah and Jerusalem out of His sight for their obstinacy And to this end that is To make way for it it came-to-pass 2 King 24. 20. that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon It was to fullfill the word of the Lord declared in the 2 Chron. 36. 21. tho that was farr from the Rebellers intent So He gave Cyrus all the Kingdoms of the Earth that he might build His Temple at Jerusalem and it was to fullfill His Purpose before recorded by Jeremy the Prophet as ver 22. 23. In like manner Herod Pilate and the Jews they all conspire the death of Christ and each party on a several account not thinking in the least to fulfil the determinate Counsell of God yet That was it which Providence intended in permitting the Thing to be done as is plain by Acts 2. 23. As also the Soldiers in parting His garments and piercing His side It was their barbarous rudeness which put them upon it But Providence designed to make-good a Prophecy These things therefore the Soldiers did John 19. 24. All that God doth in the World is the Transcript or Impression of His Decrees 3. That the Providence of God never fails of Its End Our God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever He will Ps 115. 3. He will Work and who shall let it And what will He work The things that are coming and shall come Isa 44. 7. He hath both devised and done it Jer. 51. 12. His Purpose is To preserve His People Isa 54. 17. and therefore No Weapon that is formed against them shall prosper Whosoever gathers together against them shall fall for their sake Isa 54. 15. And As He hath purposed so shall it stand Chap. 14. 24. The Scriptures abound with instances to prove it As on the Contrary When the Lord will execute Judgment it shall be performed albeit the Means be never so weak and improbable Tho' the Army of the Chaldeans were all wounded men yet shall they burn Jerusalem with fire Judges 3. 31. ch 15. 15. Jer. 37. 10. SHAMGAR shall kill six hundred Men with an Ox-goad and SAMPSON a Thousand with the Jaw-bone of an Ass These things considered and laid together though chiefly referring to Temporal things doe strongly inforce the Argument for things of spiritual Concernment Inasmuch as things of Eternal Moment are worthy of more peculiar regard and security Now All a Believer's exercises which may seem to endanger him are either from the guilt of sins committed From the power of indwelling corruption From Satan's temptations or Persecution from the World None of which come on them accidentally but as things fore-appointed of God and for a good intent It is for the Elects sake that all things else have their being 2 Cor. 4. 15. And are all caused to work together for their good Rom. 8. 28. As namely to humble them for sin To wean them from the World To indear JESVS CHRIST to them To shew them the usefulness of Ordinances To exercise and try their Graces To purge out their dross To enable them to succour others To demonstrate the Wisdom Power and Faithfulness of God towards them To meeten them for Heaven And to make them groan and long to be clothed upon with their house from thence As might plentifully be made out by the Scriptures and the visible effects thereof upon those who have been exercised thereby To instance a few particulars David after that great miscarriage in the matter of Vriah with his broken bones upon it
ever Shaken you may be and tossed with tempest but never Over-turn'd because ye have an Eternal Root Electing love is of that Sovereignty That it Rules and Over-rules all in Heaven and Earth Christ Jesus our Saviour and Lord The Holy Ghost our Sanctifier Councellor and Comforter in all that they have done do or will do do still pursue that scope All Ordinances Providences Temptations Afflictions and whatever can be Named be it good or be it bad in it self Life death things present and things to come are all made Subservient to the Decree of Election And do all Work-together To compass and bring-about its Most glorious designment If the Course and Conduct of Common Providences were truly lined-out It would yield an illustrious Prospect How much more the Conduct Order and End of those special Providences which are proper to and conversant about Election When all the peeces therof shall be brought-together and set-in-order how beautifull will it be Angels and Men shall shout for the Glory of it Then 't will be evident God has done nothing in vain or impertinent to your blessedness That what ever hath befallen you here however contrâ—ry to your present sense and opinion of it was dâ—spensed in very faithfuâ—ness to you That if any of those manifold and seemingly Cross Occurrences you have been exercised-with had been omitted it would have been a Blank in your story a blot in your Scutcheon of honour When you shall see What Contrivances have been against you what Art Subtilty Malice and Power they were agitated-with How unable you were to Fore see prevent avoid or repell them And how all the Attributes of God and His Providences each one in its time and place which was always most seasonable came-in to your Rescue Retorting on your adversaries and safeguarding you yea how that which was death in it self was made to work life in you How amiable and admirable will the story of it be That when your faith was weak the Lord did not withdraw from you That when it was at its height and strength He then did for you above all you could believe or think and through an unspeakable Preass of Difficulties and Contradictions He carried-on his work in you even bearing you on Eagle's Wings until He had brought you to Himself How will you Magnifie His work and Admire it then Begin it Now. Secondly Infer II. Let us study more the Knowledg and Contents of this Great truth of Believers Invincible Perseverance the Rise Progress and Tendency of it and what advantages it yields us which indeed are many and very considerable 1. As it is a part of the Doctrine of Election which teacheth That Nothing in us but Grace and love in God was the only Original Cause of our Salvation The knowledge whereof will work in the Soul an holy Ingenuity and love towards God whom nothing offends but Sin Simon answered right Luke 7. 43. when he said He that had most forgiven him would love most Whence it follows That he who believes the Free Remission of all his sins from first to last must needs love God more than One who believes only the pardon of those that are past and that so as that they may all be charged upon him agen Or if not That yet he may possibly perish for those to-come perhaps in the last Moment of his life For he is not sure Nay 't is very doubtfull if dependent on his own natural will That Faith or Repentance shall be his last Act. Now This Grace of Love being the strongest and most operative Principle he that is led by it must act accordingly that is 2 Cor. 4. 16. Vigorously and without weariness as Paul did And Joseph having received large Tokens of God's love to him and expecting more yet argues against and with an holy disdain and sleight of hand puts-by the Temptation How can I doe this and sin against God who hath dealt and will deal so bountifully with me 2. As it teacheth the soul to Depend upon God for its keeping as having His Almighty Power absolutely engaged for it Whereas if the efficacy and event of all that God doth for Me should depend upon something to be done by Me who am a frail Creature and prone to Revolt I should still be in fear because still in danger of Falling and losing all at last And this Fear being an enfeebling passion must needs render my Resistance and all my endeavours both irregular and weak Whereas a Magnanimous and fearless spirit who sees himself Clothed with a Divine Power shall have his Wits as we say more about him to discern Dangers and Advantages and consequently how to eschew the one and improve the other 3. As it gives assurance Our labour shall not be in vain This made those believing Hebrews to endure that great fight of afflictions and to take joyfully the spoiling of their Goods Heb. 10. 33 34. because they knew they had in Heaven a better and more-enduring substance All manner of Accomplishments put-into-one and made your own would not so invincibly Steel your foreheads and strengthen your hearts as To be Sure of Success and to come off Conquerour The Apostle therefore brings it in as the highest encouragement in our Christian Warfare in Rom. 6. 14. and chap. 8. 37. And our blessed Lord Himself who of all others had the hardest Chapter to Run-through It made His Face as a Flint Isa 50. 7. because He knew He should not be Confounded Thirdly Infer III. Make it one and that a Mayn part of your business to foyl and disprove the Objections that are brought against this Doctrine And your Nearest way to it is Growing in Grace 2 Pet. 3. 18. with chap. 1. from the 5th verse to the 10th 1. Lay-aside and Cast-away every weight especially the sin that doth most easily beset you your bosom sin whatsoever it be Isa 2. 20. 1 Thes 5. 5 6 Cast them to the Moles and to the Batts They are not fit-Mates for Day-light Creatures It is a Noble prize you Run-for Therefore Clogg not your self with any thing that may hinder or retard your pace 2. Keep your selves in the Love of God that is keep-up and maintain a spiritual sense of His love to you and a lively answer of holy affections towards Him Whatever may tend to obscure or lessen your sense of it have nothing to doe with that unjust thing keep your self from Idols let nothing have an interest in your love but God and all things els but in subordination and with respect to Him onely 3. Watch against the Beginnings and first Motions of sin Nip it in the bud Abstain from all appearance of evil and walk not on the brink of your liberty It is easier to keep-out an Invader than to Expell him being Entred To keep-down a Rebel and prevent his Rising than to Conquer him when he is up Great and black Clouds have small beginnings the bigness
you all the service it can even the whole of what it was ordained-for But shall I say That Faith will then be dissolv'd and go-to-nothing I would rather express it as the Apostle doth the state of the saints that shall be found alive at Christ's coming 1 Thes 4. 17. They shall not die but they shall be changed Faith shall Then be turned into Sight and we shall have the Real presence Full possession and Perfect immixed fruition of that Blessedness we have believed and hoped-for 7. Gather hence Phil. 1. 23. both the Reason and Rationality of the Saints desires to be dissolv'd They knew that when this Earthly Tabernacle went-down 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. they had a better and more capacious building in Heaven They also found That spirits whiles dwelling in Flesh are too-much streightned and infirm either to bear the Glory they were made-for or to express an answerable thankfulness for it And for this they groned Not to be unclothed as weary of their present state but to be Clothed-upon with their House from Heaven 1 Joh. 3. 2. They were NOW the sons of God but what they should be and fain would be-at did not appear to them Nor could till the vail were Rent which hung as yet twixt them and the Holy of Holies Rom. 8. 23. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 14. Rom. 8. 21. The first-fruits of the Spirit which were both an Earnest and Foretast of future Glory inspired them with servent desires of liberty that glorious liberty which belong'd to them as being the Sons of God They had by faith laid-hold on Eternal life This they had still in their eye and earnestly pursued And so intent they were upon it that they even forgot what was behind tho very Memorable in its time The Much they had attain'd they counted for Nothing to what was coming Nor reckon'd for any Cost to gain that inestimable Pearl viz. The prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Phil. 3. 14. This they knew was a thing too-big for Mortal senses tho as highly Refin'd and sublimated as capable of whiles Mortal and therfore long'd for that day when Immortality should be their clothing The love of God shed-abroad in their hearts had given such a Divine Tincture Rom. 5 5. Cant. 5. 4. and so Transform'd and Wid'ned their souls as nothing could satisfie but that Immense Deep from whence it came Coll. 3. 4. They knew That when Christ their life should appear they should see Him as He is Not under shadows as of old Nor in a state of humiliation as when upon earth nor as since under Memorials and Representtations but in His state of glory The sight of which would make them like himself till Then they could not say It is enough They knew that the very Quintessence of Heavenly beatitude consists in the vision of God and that Heaven it self with all that Innumerable company of Angels and spirits of just Men made perfect tho' a very glorious and desirable society would not satisfie Heaven-born Souls if their Lord Himself were not there in His Glory Hence those holy exclamations and out-cries Psal 73. 25. Psal 42. 2. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee and When shall I come and appear before God! Good Jacob would go and see his Beloved afore he died and These would die to go and see Theirs This is the second time that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence from the heirs of Salvation Math. 11. 12. They know it is theirs and that they were wrought for that self same thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. and being theirs they might lawfully take it by force 8. Infer VIII 2 Pet. 3. 12. And for a close of all ye have seen what Paul and others did Go you and do likewise Hasten to the day of God and wait for it as they that watch for the Morning 1. Affectionately as a thing greatly desirable especially after a dark and toilsom night 2. Patiently and with Quietness Not precipitating but as knowing it will come and that in the duest season 3. Attentively as not willing to loose the smallest sound of your Master's feet 4. With Diligence also and Preparedness that neither Oyl nor Lighting may be to-seek when the Cry is made Be always Ready and Then Grone Grone I say for that day of Glory when life and Immortality shall be brought to light in Perfection When your self with all the Elect of God meeting in that Great and General Assembly Heb. 12. 23. the Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven may be intirely vniversally and everlastingly taken-up in admiring Electing love which so gloriously and happily shall have wrought all our works for us and brought us to the ultimate End it designed us for which was To be ever with the Lord To see Him as He is and to experiment the sum of that great Petition in the 17. Joh. 17. 21. Iohn That they may be One in us And in your way thither Carry this assurance still afore you That the same hands which laid the Foundation will also lay the Top-stone and that with shoutings And you shall lift-up to Eternity Zach. 4. 7 9. Deut. 33. 29. that loud and joyfull acclamation Grace Grace unto it Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved by the Lord the shield of thine help and the sword of thine Excellency 2 Sam. 22. 1 7. All thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places And which is more than Angels and Men can utter besides GOD shall be all in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. To proclaim which was the End of this work Amen FINIS