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
I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day I have laid up my reward in the hands of him that will never fail me but surely preserve and keep it for me Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen HEre you see and it is clear that Jesus Christ is both true man and true God Now then from hence we are to take notice of the personal union of the two Natures of Christ into one person and the observation arising hence is this That Christ Jesus is God-man or Man-God Doctrine Christ Jesus is both God and man in one person the Godhead of Christ is truly and personally united to his Manhood so that in Christ God and Man make but one Person and that we do not misconceive this truth touching the combination and conjunction of the two Natures of Christ we must know that the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are not united with any composition or commixture as in mixing water and wine no nor it by conversion and turning the one into the other the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead the Godhead in Christ is distinct in essence from the Manhood and the Manhood in Christ distinct in substance from the Godhead and the properties of both natures remain incommunicable the properties of the one is not given to the other as to be omnipresent and omnipotent is not communicated to the Manhood of Christ to be every where at one time nor the properties of the Manhood to the Godhead as to be circumscribed locally present in one place which is the nature of a true body but the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in the Manhood personally and bodily Col. 2.9 by personal union is the Manhood united to the Godhead and doth solely and onely consist and subsist in one person in Christ Joh. 1.14 the VVord was made flesh it became flesh and in 1 Tim. 3.16 the Apostle saith without question or controversie great is the Mystery of godlinesse and therein is God manifested in the flesh God and flesh a wonderful mystery indeed thus it is in the eternal Son of God who took flesh upon him so that the Manhood of Christ is not a Person but a Nature and received with the Godhead of Christ which we all confesse he is God and Man in one Person Come we to the Application First this serveth to inform our Judgments Vse in a particular point needful to be known and that is this That the fulnesse of merit is found only in Christ and in him alone and no other the merit of life and of salvation is properly in Christ he is the proper subject of all merit of life and salvation onely the works of Christ are meritorious his holy sufferings and his holy actions these are meritorious and none else the work of no man or woman upon the face of the earth though the members of Christ are not meritorious none but Christs and why because he is God and Man only and alone in one person The Papists the enemies of Gods truth think they have sufficient ground for the merit of true believers from the union between Christ and true Believers because true believers are one with Christ by faith and make one mystical body as they do indeed and are knit by faith and the Spirit and because they are thus combined to Christ by a mystical union therefore the Papists think they have sufficient ground to prove the merit of the good works of true believers that because of this union they are meritorious But their ground faileth them it followeth not that because true believers are one with Christ that therefore their good works do merit for true believers are knit to Christ mystically not personally for Christ and a believer are two distinct persons though they be joyned to Christ by faith and the Spirit it is not personally now personal union is the ground of merit in Christ himself and the person that must merit and deserve life and salvation must be more then a mere man the Manhood of Christ apart and by it self considered meriteth nothing but as it is received into unity of person with the Son of God so that the personal union of Christ is a ground of merit for if Adam had stood in his innocency he could not have merited a better estate to himself because he was but mere man so then these enemies of the truth they must prove which they can never do that true believers are one with Christ by personal union before they can conclude the merit of good works and that because of that mystical union they are meritorious but to make application to our selves Vse This truth That Christ Jesus is God and Man Man-God being duly considered and thought upon may yeeld unto us excellent and sweet comfort to as many as believe in Christ for by vertue of the two Natures of the Godhead and Manhood in Christ by believing in Christ Jesus we come to be partakers of all the merits of Christ Jesus whatsoever he hath done or suffered because we being one with him by faith by vertue of the union we come to be partakers of him and to have Fellowship and Communion with God wherein standeth the true communion and there is no coming unto God with comfort though we cry loud and fill heaven and earth with our cries but by a Mediatour if we come unto him out of a Mediatour they come unto God angry with them ready to pour out his vengeance upon them Now the Divine and humane nature of Christ being knit together into one person they make a perfect Mediatour by whom we have accesse to the throne of grace with comfort he is God and Man in one person and so we may approach with comfort yea by this means we believing in Christ we come to be partakers of the sufficiency and grace of the merit of Christ and they appertain unto us yea we being one by faith with the Manhood of Christ we come to be made one with the Godhead and so to have access unto God who is the fountain of all goodnesse this is a matter of excellent comfort Again it is further to be observed that the Apostle doth not rest in describing of Christ to be God over all but addeth further blessed for ever he breaketh out into an addition of praise and giving glory to the name of Christ and magnifying of him that he is for ever in all ages and in all times to be blessed praised magnified and glorified and he subjoyneth to this the word Amen thereby signifying the inward assent of his heart Amen for the word Amen is not here vox optantis a word of wishing but vox approbantis et vox affirmantis a word of approving and a word of affirming certainly he is so Amen The Observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ ought to be spoken of and thought upon with reverence
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
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
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
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
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
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
in the seventh Verse that Isaac was the true and chosen seed of Abraham in whom Abrahams seed should be called and to whom God intended to make his Covenant of grace mercy righteousnesse life and salvation why because he was the child of the Promise begotten not by strength of nature but by the efficacy and power of the promise Then in the eighth verse our Apostle putteth this down in the general That they onely are the true children of Abraham because they are the children of the Promise In this ninth Verse he confirmeth it by a testimony of Scripture that Isaac was a child of the promise taken out of Gen. 18.10 I will certainly come unto thee in the time appointed and Sarah shall have a son this the Apostle affirmeth to be the Word of promise So then in this ninth verse we have for the general matter of it these two things to be considered First The speech of God to Abraham in Gen. 18.10 and in the substance here recorded by the Apostle wherein God hath set down the time when Sarah shall have a son Secondly the Apostles note upon this speech of God what kind of speech this was to Abraham namely a promissory sentence This is a word of promise in the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son Come we now to the opening of the words This is a word of promise That is this testimony of Scripture which now I alledge which is the speech of God to Abraham it is a promissory sentence a word of promise promising a special mercy a special blessing and a special good thing to Abraham In the same time will I come Or as it is in Genesis I will come according to the time of life his meaning is when this time of the year shall come and revive and come again even in plain terms this time twelve moneths as in Gen. 17. where God saith he will establish his Covenant and Sarah thy wife shall have a son at this time the next year the meaning is this time twelve moneths Sarah thy wife shall have a son That is she shall conceive and bear a son of her own body and bowels and none other womans child shall be for her so the meaning in general is this This sentence that I alledge which is the speech of God to Abraham Gen. 18.10 it is a promissory sentence promising a special blessing unto Abraham wherein God saith when this time of the year shall revive even this time twelve moneths shall thy wise Sarah have a child begotten and born of her own body Come we to the observations And in that the Apostle here alledging a sentence and place of Scripture doth not barely deliver the words of Scripture but he putteth it out with this note this is a word of promise In that he telleth us plainly that the speech which God used to Abraham and here cited by himself is a promissory sentence which any man that looketh upon the text and is able to judge of it aright shall see it to be so when God saith at such a time will I come and Sarah thy wife shall have a son And yet the Apostle pointeth it out this is a word of promise Hence we learn That it is justifiable Doctrine and a warrantable course in preaching the Word of God for the Preacher to say unto his hearers this is a point of doctrine yea when he comes to make use and application unto the people to say this is a word of comfort this is a word of terrour this of Instruction this of Exhortation and the like we find it an usual thing with the holy Prophets of God in the time of the Old Testament when they did threaten Judgments they did set this before the burthen of the Lord as the burthen of the Lord against Edom the burthen of the Lord against Hierusalem and the like as we may see in the Prophet Esay Jeremiah Ezekiel and other Prophets But indeed it is thought by some that are utter enemies to the plain teaching of the Word that this is needlesse And they do find fault with this manner of teaching and deride it and say it is a base and contemptible manner of preaching why say they this is all one as if a man should draw the picture of a man and paint it out in colours and then to write in Capital letters by him this is his head this his armes this his nose and the like were not this ridiculous say they Thus you see these sons of Belial these men they deride that which is warranted by the holy Prophets and holy Apostles and that which doth most good in all experience 2 Tim. 3.16 The Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to correct to improve now may not the Scriptures be applyed to this end and purpose and being so applyed may not the people be told that this is matter of Doctrine and that this is a word of comfort or a word of Instruction or a word of Confutation confuting the Papists or other enemies doubtlesse they may Because indeed by this means the people shall be the better able to go along with the Preacher and more distinctly to take notice of the things delivered what serveth for information of Judgement in matters of faith what for reformation of their hearts and lives in doing of good and avoiding of evil and the building of them up in the wayes of holinesse therefore let others mock and scoffe what they will yet Ministers of God that make conscience of their duty have no cause to be ashamed of it it is the most powerful and profitablest kind of preaching and doth build up the people in faith and encourage them in every good duty Again the Apostle having said This is a word of promise he then subjoyneth the promise of a temporal blessing that Sarah should have a son Hence we see that the Promises of God in Scripture are of two sorts Doctr. either principal promises or of a lower degree principal Promises touching Christ mercy grace life and salvation and of a lower degree as to have food and apparel and outward good things and children Now the promises of God that are of a lower degree they do depend upon those principal promises and we cannot apprehend the Promises of God with true comfort for our good unlesse we first lay hold on the promises of God in Christ Abraham did first believe the promises of mercy of righteousnesse and salvation for his justification and then he believed the promise that he should have a son in his old age as appeareth Rom. 4.9 19 20. And that holy Father Noah first he was by faith made the heir of righteousnesse and then did he believe the Promises of God for his preservation in the Ark Heb. 11.7 Therefore deceive not thy self in any particular Vse we cannot trust God with any true comfort for any temporal good thing unlesse we be able to rest
upon his promise and mercy in Christ for salvation unlesse we rest upon the main promise of Christ we cannot rest upon him for outward good things with any comfort for the promises of God whether of this life or the life to come they are yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 in Christ they are ratified and confirmed Come we now to the Promise it-self In the same time will I come and Sarah shall have a son or at this time twelve moneths shall thy wife Sarah have a child Here we see that God doth promise to Abraham a temporal thing and limiteth and setteth down a certain time when he would accomplish his promise and the time set down he broke not the day with him as appeareth in Gen. 21.2 where the text saith that Sarah conceived and bare a son in her old age according to the very time of God that he had appointed did Sarah conceive and bear Abraham a son hence the Doctrine is this Doctrine That the Promises of God that are made to his concerning good things of this life or the life to come are fulfilled and made good in Gods own time in the time that God hath appointed hath God fulfilled and will fulfill his promise I shewed you a point formerly like unto this That Gods Promises are firm and stable But now the point is That God doth perform his promise in his appointed time he keepeth his time strictly in the very nick and point of time will he accomplish it Gen. 15.13 14. God told Abraham that his seed should be a stranger in a land not theirs and should be in bondage and thraldome for a long time but when that time shall come to an end I will judge that nation and they shall come out with great riches how was this fulfilled read Exodus 12.41 when that the very time was expired in the same day in the very self-same day all the power of Pharaoh and Egypt could not hold them but they were delivered and Pharaoh and his host destroyed So the Lord threatened that Israel should be in Babylon 70 yeares as we read Jer. 25.11 12. they should be in thaldome there so long But when the time was come and the very day Daniel understanding it by books he goeth unto God by prayer Dan. 9.23 and in the very beginning of his humiliation and supplication unto God did the decree come forth in the peoples deliverance in the very day that the time was expired and in Habbac 2.3 saith the Prophet The Vision is for an appointed time the time shall come and not lye though it tarry long and not to heap up many places indeed all the Promises of God are of an appointed time and when that time is come God doth fulfil and make them good to his children what is the ground of this Reason Because the Lord is most wise and he knoweth the fittest time for the fulfilling and accomplishing of his Promises and what in his decree he hath set down not all the power in earth or hell can hinder him from performing it in the very season Vse This serveth as a ground of Instruction to all that are Gods children for the Promises are made unto them and it serveth to teach us that we are to believe the promises of God not only in the general in the matter and substance of them but we are to believe them with the particular circumstance of the time that there is a set and an appointed time of God for the accomplishing of all his Promises and we are to wait untill that time come when we are under any distresse of body or mind we must not onely believe that God hath promised ease and comfort and refreshing and deliverance but that he hath promised an appointed time for their deliverance Not onely to say I am a child of God and God hath promised me deliverance why doth he not deliver me but let me lye under the affliction surely God hath forgotten his promise No no the Lord hath set his time yea consider also that not onely dayes and minutes of comfort are not onely known to the Lord but are most strictly and precisely known and kept of the Lord and as we cannot come in particular to any comfort for our bodies or soules till the time come so when the time is come we may assure our selves God will not passe one minute of an hour he will not break with thee but will give it thee in his time therefore wait untill that time come Hester 4.16 when Hester denyed to go unto the King saith Mordecai breathing and deliverance shall come but thou and thy fathers house shall perish Mordecai was sure deliverance should come in his appointed time Oh learn we then in time of trouble and distresse to carry the Lords leisure till the good hour be come Gods good hour is not yet come when he will send deliverance to his people certainly deliverance will come and take heed that thou dost not limit the Lord nor tye him to thy time and find fault that God hath forgotten thee and respecteth thee not take heed of this seek unto the Lord earnestly by prayer and if the Lord seem to deny thy prayer and will not hear thy prayer though thy throat be hoarse and dry yet do thou believe that God will fulfil his promise Esay 28.16 he that believeth maketh not haste he that believeth not onely the Promise in general but the particular time that when the Lord seeth it fit he will perform it Oh this is an excellent comfort to consider that the Lord will make his Promise good in his time when we are under Afflictions to consider oh Gods time is not yet when his time is come he will send ease refreshing and deliverance and will not passe a minute of his time VERSE 10 11 12 13. And not onely this but when Rebekah also had conceived by one even by our father Isaac 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 As it is written Jacob have I loved But Esau have I hated FRom the ninth verse in that God saith to Abraham Sarah shall have a son Sarah who was now 90 years old past child-bearing A woman of fourscore and and ten is past bearing of children I might here stand to shew That nothing is hard and impossible to God he is the God of Nature he is not tyed to nature or the order of nature he can give children and power to one to bring forth children that have no natural power at all God can bring things to passe when there is no probability in nature But to passe by this as not intended by the Apostle here in this place Come we now then to the tenth Verse and so to the verses following to the 14 verse for they all make
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
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
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
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
Act. 13.3 6. Advantage of Afflictions Hos 5.15 Mr. Hookers Faithful Covenanter on Deut. 25 24 25. Hudsons Essence and unity of the Church-Catholick Vindication of it in answer to Mr. Hooker M. Cotton and others History of the Anabaptists of Germany Mr. Jenkins Self-seeking discovered on Philip. 20 21. Reformations Remora on Hag. 1.1 2. Sleeping-sicknesse on Isa 29.10 Busie Bishop both in answer to John Goodwin The blinde Guide both in answer to John Goodwin M. Ley's Fury of Warre on Jer. 4.21 22. Monitor of Mortality first part on Jam. 4.14 Second part on Gen. 44.3 Answer to M. Saltmarsh's Query about the Presbyterial Government Light for Smoak a Reply to M. Saltmarsh An After-reckoning with M. Saltmarsh M. Mockets Churches Troubles Several Sermons on Gen. 22.14 Covenanters Looking-glasse on Deuter. 29.9 Gospel-Duty and Dignity on Matth. 13.46 and his Catechisme M. Mewes spoiling of Jacob and Israel on Isa 42.24 25. Moulins Buckler of Faith against Popery 4 o. M. Newcomens craft and cruelty of the Churches adversaries Neh. 4.11 Jerusalems Watchmen Isa 62.6 7. Use of disasters Josh 7.10 11. Against Toleration Phil. 1.27 All-seeing eye of God on Heb. 4.13 Popes deadly wound tending to resolve all men in the chief and principal Points now in controversie between the Papists and us by J. Burges of Sutton-coldfield in Warwick shire Dr. Potter of the Number 666. Parkers Altar Dispute Bewailing of the Peace of Germany and Prague M. Profits Englands Impenitency on Isaiah 9.14 M. Reyners Babylons Earthquake on Haggai 2.6 7. Randal on the 8th of the Romans with other Sermons Rutherford of Church-Goverment and excomunication M. Salwaies halting stigmatized 1 Kings 18.21 Dr. Stantons Rupes Israelis Deut 32 31. Phinehas Zeal Psal 106.30 Dr. Smith Psal 107.6 Stalham against the Anabaptists against General Redemption his Catechism Dr. Sclater on Malachy on the 4th to the Romans Mr. Thorowgood Moderation justified Phil. 4.5 M. Vdall's Good of Peace and Ill of Warre Psal 29.11 Udal on the Lamentations of Jeremiah Vindication of the Presbyterial Government and Ministery by the London Ministers Mr. Wards God judging among the gods Psalm 82.1 Good will of him that dwelt in the bush Mr. Woodcocks Christs warning Rev. 16.15 Lex Talionis 1 Sam. 2.30 Joseph paralleled Gen. 49.23 24. Mr. Whittaker Christ the Settlement on Haggai 2.7 D. Wilkinsons Babylons ruine on Zech. 1.18 19 20 21. Gainful Cost 1 Chron. 21.24 Miranda stupenda Num. 23.23 Whatelys New Birth Woodward on the Covenant 8º Large M. Abbot against Brownists wherein is justified against them that the Church of England 1. Is a true Church 2. Hath a true Ministery 3. Hath a true worship Bruens holy Life and happy Death Cholmlys Vindication of Bishop Hall against Burton Herodians History Gr. Lat. with Paraeus Notes Mastersons Arithmetick Wingates Arithmetick Logarithmes Mr. Hierons Manuel of Meditations on most of the Heads of Divinity 8º and 12 o. M. Robert Abbots 5. Sermons Angiers Help to better Hearts for better Times removing hinderances in the instant worshipping of God Belks Scripture Enquiry or Helps for memory in Duties of Piety Bakers Arithmetick Bifields Principles Bayns Christian Letters Directions for a Godly life Browns Catechisme Catelyns Catechisme Cottons None but Christ Dents Pastime for Parents Gregorius Magnus de cura Pastorali Dr. James Index Generalis viz. Sanctorum patrum Lawson for the Sabbath Jemmats settled Heart in unsetled Times Moulins Christian Combat Moors Relation of Enoch ap Evan. Rogers Catechisme Saltmarshes Practise of Christian Pollicy Major Gen. Skippons Treatise of the Promises of Vowes of Obedience to God Observations Advises and Resolutions Sweet Posie for Gods Saints Spira's Life and death Teppings Eternity and the fathers Counsel to his son Elegies on the Lord Veere by sundry Scholars Votiers Catechisme Ward de Magnete Welwood of the Sea-Laws Willis Meditations serving for a dayly practice of the life of Faith Yarrows Comforts for a troubled Conscience School Books Pueriles Confabulatiunculae translated by Brinsley Dux Grammaticus Farnabies Phrases on Martials Epigrams on Senecacs Tragedies on Juvenal and Persius on Ovids Metamorphosis Select Epigrams Gr. Lat. Index Poeticus Latine Syntaxis Greek Table Geers Rhetorick Scickards Hebrew Grammer Stockwoods Disputations Vicars Manuductio ad artem Rhetoricam Four necessary Cases of Conscience of daily use resolved by Mr. Thomas Shepheard of New England viz. First how a man may be rid of an Earthly Carnal heart sold to the contentment of the Creature Secondly of a proud heart which is unwilling to seek after to wait upon or to stoop unto the commands of God Thirdy of a self-seeking heart that eyes it self especially in the best of Duties Fourthly of a slighty heart under Gods hand in mercies and judgements The state of the Saints departed Gods Cordial to comfort the Saints remaining alive in a Sermon Preached at the Funeral of Mrs. Smithee Harlakenden late wife of William Harlakenden Esq by R. Josselin The Angel of the Church of Ephesus no Bishop of Ephesus distinguished in order from and superior in power to a Presbyter as it was lately delivered in a Collation before the Reverend Assembly of Divines by Constant Jessop Minister of the word Twenty nine Lectures of the Church very necessary for the Consolation and support of Gods Church especially in these times wherein is handled First in general concerning First the Name Secondly the Titles Thirdly the Nature Fourthly the Division of the Church Secondly of the visible Church First the Definition Secondly the Causes Thirdly the Members Fourthly the Marks and Notes Fiftly the Government Sixthly the Priviledges Seventhly the adversaries Eightly the Authority And Lastly the Application of it to all Churches in the world so far as they are known to us by John Randal B. D. late Pastor of Andrews Hubbart in little East cheap London Paralipomena Orthographiae Etymologiae Prosodiae una cum Scholiis ad Canones de genere substantivorum de Anomalis praeterito supinis verborum Syntaxi Carminum ratione figuris ex optimis authoribus Grammaticorum Coryphaeis Collecta asserta in 4. Libros distributa studiis industrià Joannis Danesii Gods holy mind touching matters Moral which himself uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments also Christs Holy Minde touching Prayer delivered in that most holy prayer which himself taught unto his Disciples discovered by the light of his own holy Writ and delivered by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr. Edward Elton B. D. and Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Barmonsey near London Also An explanation of the whole seventh eight and ninth Chapters of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans The Christian conflict a Treatise shewing the Difficulties and Duties of this Conflict with the Armor and special graces to be exercised by Christian Souldiers particularly applyed to Magistrates Ministers Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants by Joseph Bentham A Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom An Attestation to the
as Conscience doth enlighten them that will bring to Life and Salvation no Familist or Anabaptist can have any assurance that they shall have Salvation But if we would have assured Evidence that cannot deceive us we must seek for the proofe of it in our hearts and soules in our effectual Calling see here what evidence of grace we have then we need not in this case to climbe up unto Heaven to search the Court-Rols of Heaven but we may take a shorter cut looke into thy owne Charter drawne out with the bloud of Christ in thy heart and therein looke to Gods effectual Calling to the Evidence of grace in thine own soul and that wil Evidence thee of thy Election and that thou art in the number of those that are Gods Chosen and herein I desire that everie one wil deale truely with his owne heart and soul Haste thou answered the voyce of God God calleth upon thee in his Word to come out of thy Ignorance and thy unbeliefe and other known sinnes tel me and deale faithfully Art thou wrought upon by the Word of God Doest thou come out of thy ignorance and thy blindenesse of minde by a through change from evil to good is the course of thy sinnes broken off thy pride thy drunkennesse thy usurie Hast thou thus answered the Call of God and hath the Word had a kindely workeing upon thy soule Romans 6.17 Doest thou finde sweetnesse in the Consolations of the Word of God and doest thou yield obedience to it in all things in one thing as well as in another Not onely in some things but in all things that God requireth yea in those things that doe most of all crosse thy owne humour Doest thou finde that the lusts of thy owne heart are curbed and ordered and doest thot finde that thou art now brought to love God to love his Children to love his Messengers to love the instrument of thy Calling If thou hast these things in thee thou art effectually called and being effectually called thou art a man or a woman that shall certainly be saved my soule for thine thou shalt come to Heaven all the Devils in Hell cannot deprive thee of it Oh then let every one trie above all things their effectual Calling which will assure them of salvation and be an infallible Evidence for their Election Even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles Vse 2 IS it so that effectual Vocation doth prove unto men infallibly their Election and salvation in Heaven doubtless then effectual calling must needs be a ground of sweet and excellent and heavenly comfort unto the soules of all those that are indeed effectually Called Hast thou then good Evidence of thy effectual Calling Art thou sure that God hath wrought upon thee by the power of his Spirit That he hath brought thee by the preaching of the Word out of thy natural estate of ignorance and unbelief to true knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ Oh then comfort thy self thou hast cause to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Peter 1.8 For this sealeth up unto thee this comfort that thou art one whom God loved from everlasting from all Eternitie before this world was that thou art one redeemed by Jesus Christ that thou art justified in the sight of God and acquitted and freed from the guilt and punishment of all thy sins and that they shal never be laid to thy charge for effectual calling and justification joyn hands together it giveth thee assurance thou art acquitted from all thy sinnes both past present and to come and shalt as certainly goe to Heaven as if thou wert already in Heaven and all the power of hell shal never be able to prevail against thee therefore thou art in a most happie condition Object But here happily some may say here is a sweet ground of excellent comfort we must needs confess if so be a man be effectually called and truely believe in Christ but alas say the Papists a man cannot know whether he hath the Spirit of God working in him or no he may have a false spirit neither can a man tell whether he doth truely believe in Christ or no. Now therefore to remove this stumbling stock of the Papists Answ we must consider that the Spirit of God is compared to fire Matthew 3.11 He shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire and it is compared to the blowing of the wind Joh 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth c. So are all that be born of the Spirit thereby giving us to understand that as sensibly as a living man may perceive the burning of the fire and feel the blowing of the winde so sensibly may a Child of God perceiue in himself the working of the holy Spirit of God And indeed it is the very office of the Spirit of God to teach Gods Children to know the things of God so saith the Apostle expresly 1 Cor. 2.12 We saith the Apostle have not received the spirit of the world but we have received the Spirit of God whereby we know the good things that are given us of God He teacheth us to know our Hope our Faith and a good life it is the office of the Spirit and he will certainly perform his Office And beloved did not the Apostle know on whom he had believed 1. Tim. 2.12 I know on whom I have believed and cannot a Childe of God know assuredly that he truely believeth in Christ by the works and fruits of his faith purifying his heart working in him a love to God and his Children Gal. 5.6 because they bear his Image may not he certainly conclude true faith worketh by love Object Oh but say the Papists for all this a man cannot know whether he truly love God or no Do you say they prove your faith by your love Answ This is more foolish then the other for if one man love another he knoweth it and in what measure he loveth him and cannot a Child of God that layeth aside all earthly pleasures and denieth himself and standeth for Christ and his Gospel to the shedding of his bloud and yet not know whether he loveth God or no surely then Christ did ask of Peter a very idle and frivolous question which were blasphemie to think in John 21.15 Peter lovest thou me Peter might have said Lord thou knowest no man can tel whether he love thee or no but Peter saith Lord thou knowest that I love thee so that a man may truely know whether he loveth God or no and so be assured of his effectual calling I but say the Papists grant this Object that a Childe of God may know the good things given him of God and may know Gods love for the present and know himself in the state of grace yet here is a point you littlc think of sc he cannot be sure of his salvation unless he hold out unto the end And herein they contradict the plain