Men not because they had Faith but because they said they had Faith and made Profession of it That is the Language of the Holy Ghost in Scripture James 2.14 Tho a Man say he hath Faith according to that Phrase if thy Brother sin and say it repents him i.e. professeth his Repentance so Men say they have Faith and yet it is but a dead Faith for the Life of Faith is immortal and passeth not away Object But I doubt whether I have Faith Answ By this thou mayst know it if the Gospel hath come to thee in Power not in Word only 1 Thess 1.4 i.e. when thou camest to hear the glad Tidings of Salvation by Christ which is the Gospel-Doctrine when thou camest to hear of the Love of God that is so free and large and the Spring of all Good from God and of Holiness in thee these things thou didst not give a bare hearing to but they came pressing on thee as the things that must be believed that were necessary to thee and commanded thy Spirit When thou camest to be in Affliction thou couldst truly say if thou mightst have thy Wish it would not be to be freed from Trouble but to honour Christ in Trouble thou carest not what Trouble thou hast so thou mayst but get more hold on him Tho thy lazy Spirit begins to be weary in toiling in the use of Means or Suffering for Christ thou countest thy self vile and unworthy because of it This Work will prove thy Election to be true Object But I have but little Faith if any Answ 1. It is not the degree but true Faith that argues Election 2. Love also is a Sign of Election as well as Faith Faith is our chusing of God so it is a sign of God's chusing us thus our Love to God is a sign that God loves us As the Sun in the Firmament by its Reflection upon a Cloud makes another Sun the Seal leaves it self upon the Wax when impressed A Father begets a Child in his own Likeness so Love in us is the very Image of Election Love is but a Reflection of God's Love upon us We love him because he first loved us I Joh. 4.19 How may we know that we love God 1. God by electing us wills us Good so we by Love will Good and Honour unto God We say O that his Name may be glorified and his Will done on Earth as it is in Heaven he longs for this prays for this acts for this desires nothing more than God's Glory to be set up on Earth that all might honour him 2. God by Election takes Pleasure in us we by Love take Pleasure in God above all things he saith as in Psal 73. Whom have I in Heaven but thee whom on Earth besides thee He prefers him to all things God is his Portion and Treasure all things are Dung in comparison 3. God loves us in Election because he loves us he cannot but love us so we cannot but love God The Love of God lays a Law upon himself Love puts a Law upon us The Love of God is said to constrain 2 Cor. 5. 4. God's electing is free there is no Motive so our Love to God is free Love Benefits indeed to us are Motives but Love is pitched chiefly upon himself on his Holiness Goodness Truth which are his Nature Benefits are Motives and they be the first in Order but not in Strength and Worth We come to love him at length more than his Gifts A word of Caution in the Close That tho by these two you may know you are elected yet one may be elected in whom these are not yet wrought Election is known by Grace inherent but Grace is not wrought in every one that is elected until God's time is come Election is an Act of God concerning the Creature not upon the Creature as Sanctification is and therefore makes a real and present Change A Man may have a purpose to build a House a long while before he lays one Stone towards it so God purposes to give Grace long before he gives it God purposed to create us that are now long before the World was So God purposed to create his Image in some Men whom he le ts go on a great while in their Sins Let not then the want of Grace make you conclude against your Election Election it 's true is to Qualifications and cannot be known but by the working of them in us but we may be elected and have no present Qualifications The Signs of Election are given that you may comfort them that do believe already but you must not conclude that you shall never believe that do not now believe the Scripture gives not Signs for any such end as that It 's true it 's said in Joh. 12.39 40. They could not believe for God had hardened their Hearts and blinded their Eyes c. That is dreadful but mark that you may not be discouraged These Persons to whom God doth declare they are not elected they were not Persons that only lived in Sin for so do all the the Elect till they be converted Nor 2. such only who had the Means and yet not wrought upon by the Means for God calls at the eleventh Hour in the Parable Mat. 20. i.e. when they have stood out obstinately to the very last of their Days going out of the World 3. Nor such as despise the Means the Word and Gospel Acts 13.41 Behold ye Despisers he calls to them there is Hope In Rom. 10. they sought him not never minded him never prayed to him yet he was found of them 4. Nor those that hate Christ and Holiness for all of us do so by Nature Rom. 1.30 Haters of God yet some of those were elected and converted It is impossible we being sinful by Nature but that we should strive and make all the Resistance we can till it be overcome by the Power of God Resist so as to overcome converting Grace we cannot for we strive with one that is stronger than we but to resist so as to oppose the Offers of Grace that we cannot but do by Nature Who that is evil can take Pleasure in any thing that is good All these may stand with Election that I have named I conceive in this 12th of John he speaks of them that had sinned unto Death and therefore given up of God they had sinned in Malice against God and his Word and God in Justice revenged their Malice in giving them up Therefore do not conclude against your selves that you are not elected but use the Means altho the Means cannot bring you to Election the Means show to you your Election they are things by which you read your Names written in the Book tho they are not the Ink and Pen by which they are written in the Book of God Faith may come to the worst of you that are now in your Sins and then you may know your Names are certainly written in the Book of Life from Eternity FINIS
be elected there needs no Election of particular Persons afterwards 4. It will not sute the Government of God to have his Will depend upon Man's frail fickle Will and that in the highest Things that concern his Glory to wait upon Man's Will to lacky it after Man's Will and be determined by it 5. It 's against the Nature of a Decree the Decree of Election is a severing some from others as it 's said in Scripture many are called few chosen Mat. 20.16 the Election obtains it the rest are hardened Rom. 11. See here they are distinct from others but now it belongs to all to be under a Condition viz. if you believe 6. This will follow upon it then those that are elected may be damned and those that are for the present Reprobate and do not fulfil the Condition may afterward fulfil the Condition and be elected and saved which is ridiculous and clean contrary to the whole Current of Scripture 7. If God chuses Conditions and not Persons until such time as they fulfil those Conditions then Christ is made a King without a Kingdom a Shepherd without a Flock a Husband without a Spouse a Head without Members a Saviour without a Body a Prophet tho he reveals not God's Will to any a Priest tho none be reconciled for it is possible none of these Conditions may be fulfilled 8. Yea this supposeth a Power in Man as to his own Conversion that it lies in him whether he will turn or no be converted or not be converted tho God hath done what is fitting for him and tho he hath done what he can do according to the Rule which he hath appointed to work by 9. It supposeth a Falling from Grace 10. It supposeth plainly Justification by Works for if a Man is elected if he continues in Faith and Obedience then is he also justified by Works The Consequence is easy Object 1. John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth should not perish c. Now they form the Objection thus there is a Love of God common to all the World that upon Condition they do believe they may be saved therefore no difference of Persons only as they believe or not believe This they say it proves that God gives Christ for this End that every one might be elected if he would believe 1. The first Answer might be as to the word World here it is the Elect of God and this word is so used in other places God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5. John 17. that the World may believe that thou hast sent me 2. Doth not the Text speak of our fallen Estate for it speaks of perishing but surely God did not then begin to elect when Man was fallen no the Fall of Man was decreed as a Means unto the Accomplishment of the Election what was done against the second Adam Christ was done by the determined Counsel of God Acts 4.28 so as to the first Adam all was decreed God who is infinitely wise and governs to accomplish his own End would not let Sin be in the World but that he knew how to make Grace abound thereby Grace began to appear at the Fall broke out was manifested thereby but Grace was given us in Christ before the World began 2 Tim. 1.9 therefore before God did consider or think of any thing or had any thing in his eye of what was done in the World by us 3. This Scripture tells you that what God did he did out of Love God so loved the World Now this Love of God must either be natural Affection in him or else it must be a Decree Natural it was not for then it must extend to all to the Devil and his Angels as well as to Men those that conceive that there is naturally in God an Affection unto those that are in Misery must needs conceive that Affection to be as well to the Devil and his Angels which were in greater Misery than Men as well as unto Men themselves no it cannot be that for those Affections that are in Men are to be ruled by Reason and their Will so are God's Affections likewise So that the Love spoke of here is God's Electing Love Love in his Decree Love with Choice 4. So loved It is the greatest highest Love God could show to us nothing able to parallel it nothing that can go beyond it so it is said Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his Love to us in that Christ was sent to die for us i. e. he could not have set out his Love more to us In this was manifested the Love of God to us because that God sent his only begotten Son that we might live through him 1 John 4.9 This Love is made equal to that Love that he gave Eternal Life by therefore it must be electing Love the highest Love now to elect upon Conditions is not the highest Love it 's greater Love to elect without a Condition than to elect after the Condition is fulfilled Object 2. If particular Persons be elected then they shall certainly be saved their Salvation is necessary and if it be necessary what need any Endeavours what need Men use the Means who shall be saved and it cannot be otherwise but Election makes it necessary that those Persons be saved and so takes away Endeavours we may live as we list Answ There is a double Necessity 1st Of Nature as a Stone that goeth downward and a Necessity of Compulsion when things are made to act against their own Nature as Stones to move upwards to ascend this Necessity takes away all Endeavours 2d There is a Necessity of Infallibity or Unchangeableness and this stands with Freedom As for Example the Apostle Paul said he must go to Jerusalem and yet he went freely Christ ought to suffer it 's said the things he was appointed to and yet he did suffer very freely he laid down his Life very willingly When things are ordained to some End they are so ordained that that End shall certainly be accomplished So when God saith we shall obtain eternal Life through Holiness we shall be holy that we may attain thereunto Look into Scripture and ye shall find that notwithstanding the Salvation of the Saints hath been certain this hath been so far from taking them off Endeavours that it hath been as a great Weight upon the Wheel to make them very obedient their Obedience and Holiness hath not been slackned at all but increased by this viz. that God hath taken so much care of them in his Election that they should not come short of Glory but certainly obtain it Paul said Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect and who shall condemn and who shall separate Rom. 8.33 34. And yet who more diligent than he abounding in Goodness and stirring up others thereunto his Spirit too big to be enticed with the Pleasures that are in Sin to sin against
the Grace that so much abounded towards him Vse I. If this be true that there are Persons particular Persons elected unto such Conditions then do not say because thou canst not find the Condition as yet that thou art not in the Election Election doth not depend upon the having of Faith It is an Act of God and it is manifested and declared when he makes thee believe this is not the Method of God Go and do thus much and when you have done thus much I will elect you and bring you to Glory but this I have passed the Sentence that you are mine and shall be mine and I will fill you with my Spirit and enable you to Obedience and bring you to Glory But suppose we find it not so we have no Faith Holiness Obedience yet say not ye are not in the Election for it depends not upon these things They are not the Causes of it and you may be in the Election for all that tho you cannot know it but by Faith You know Paul ran an ill Course in Sin he persecuted the Saints thought he ought to do so with Zeal yet saith God he is a chosen Vessel unto me Acts 9.15 yea he was in the Election then so it 's said in Acts 18.10 I have much People in this City God calls them his People before Conversion and in John 10.16 Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring They are called Sheep before they are brought in And of the Jews it 's said that they were very refractory would not receive the Gospel because the Gentiles did thinking it a Breach of Promise Rom. 11.28 As concerning the Gospel they are Enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the Father's sake Enemies and yet beloved Now say not because thou hast nothing written in thy Heart that therefore thy Name is not written in the Book of Life thou hast no ground to exempt thy self tho thou canst not know it till Faith come thou canst not be worse than those Jews to be angry with God because he is merciful to others Who knows but God may yet give Faith to thee if thou wert to bring Faith with thee thou wert in an ill Case on a splitting Rock thou wouldst never get off But seeing thou art to have Faith as an Effect of Election it is the Gift of God he gives it to the Persons he sets his Love upon be silent then conclude nothing against they self Vse II. Doth not Election depend upon Conditions to be fulfilled then measure not God's Love to thee according to the Grace thou findest in thy self judg not of his Purpose according to the Purpose thou hast of serving him Without Faith we cannot know that we are chosen of God but by a little we may come to know it 1 Thess 1.4 5. The Apostle he knew the Thessalonians Election because the Word came unto them in Power i. e. it did prevail with them and overcome their Hearts Yet they were but newly converted and in divers Errors Signs and Tokens are to be taken from the least Degrees of Grace Altho then our Faith be low and scanty we are not received according to the Measure of our Gifts but according to his Purpose his Purpose to do thee Good is compleat tho yet thou hast by little Good in thee He worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will Ephes 1.11 He worketh to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Phil. 2. He doth not work a Will because we have had a Will before gives the first good Will to them that had none before to any Spiritual Good he gives a Will to do great things to work out their own Salvation If Election were upon Conditions of Grace then you might measure God's Chusing of you loving of you to eternal Life to be according to your Grace there is this practical Error in us or this Error in us practically that we hang God's Electing Love upon Conditions here is the Root and Bottom and first Seed of many Doubts and Troubles in the Saints that their Eyes are not only upon Qualifications as desirable or the things they should labour after but they are upon Qualifications as the Movers of God's first Love of Election they think because of their Sin God will repent and hath no purpose of any Good to them this wrongs the Grace of God When he took us at first his Love was not for any thing he saw in us or for any thing he knew would be in us he was resolved to make us lovely but he will so do it as you shall acknowledg his free Love and Grace Our Loveliness is not the cause of his Love tho it makes you a sutable Object to his Love And when his Love at first was pitched upon thee what a Case wast thou in then Ezek. 16. Thou wast in thy Blood cast out loathsom no Eye pitied thee When God did call thee to consider of eternal Life thou wast minding nothing but Ways of eternal Death thou wast found of him when thou soughtest not after him Did God pitch his Love upon thee at first he doth not alter in his Love his Love is fixed on thy Person still thou alterest but he changeth not thou art the same Object for him to do Good to tho thou art not the same it may be in regard of Disposition of Spirit Consider but this you that are in Christ you are loved not because you are fruitful as Leah thought and said now will my Husband love me Gen. 29.32 We are not loved because we are beautiful but loved that we may be holy and this should make us cleanse our selves and walk answerably to the Love of God Judg thy self condemn thy self for every Sin but do not think God cannot be good because thou art not good for his Love is not upon Conditions Vse III. If God hath given thee any Knowledge of thy Election rejoice with exceeding Joy So the Lord bad his Disciples above all things Rejoice that their Names were written in Heaven Luke 11.20 The Elect are a peculiar People that he hath severed from all other his Heart is to you in a singular Manner as the Heart of a chaste Husband to his Spouse forsaking Father and Mother and all else in Comparison in regard of that Relation When the King picks out from the rest one for his Favourite or one for a Pardon out of many Offenders how should it rejoice his Heart that he had not only his Pardon but the King 's special Love Know this for thy Comfort thou shalt certainly be saved the Love of God will be to thee as when we love the Person of any our Love holds and continues because upon thy Person If a Man marries for an Estate when Poverty comes his Love his gone if for Beauty when Sickness comes to blast it then no Love but if Love be to the Person
Eternity and will bring us to eternal Life infallibly The Angels they are particularly elected and how full of Zeal are they in their Obedience for God they are said to be Flames of Fire sent out to minister Flames for Zeal and Delight in their Service The Apostles and Prophets they had the Love of God revealed to them and that their Names were written in Heaven and how full of Holiness and Zeal suffering any thing for Christ Jesus and rejoiced in their Sufferings Ephes 1.4 he speaks of Love before the Foundation of the World to their Persons in Christ and what would this do that we might be holy and without Blame before him in Love John 15. I have chosen you out of the World saith Christ What then ver 16 and ordained that you should bring forth Fruit and that your Fruit should remain be constant in it therefore is this Argument Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the Elect of God Bowels of Mercy Kindness Humbleness Object But who will labour to be holy and to walk in Holiness and good Works if God chuseth without the Consideration of these hath no respect to these and so elects that nothing can make it void Answ Tho Election be free and without Consideration of Faith or good Works as going before Election yet none are elected but to that Salvation which is obtained through Faith and good Works we are ordained to walk in them to Glory Faith and Works are the Means of obtaining Salvation tho they be not the Cause of Election there is a great difference betwixt Salvation and Election two Scriptures for this 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience 2 Thess 2.13 Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 6. The Doctrine of God's electing particular Persons is a Ground to try themselves upon whether they be elected or not and so find upon themselves the Marks of Election This is that the Apostle doth intend in Rom. 8. in giving Calling Justification as the Effects of God's Predestination that even as a Tree is known by its Fruits and the Cause by the Effects so they may come to know themselves to be predestinated The Apostle speaks expresly of the Predestination of particular Persons for he saith these and these and none but these Whereas on the other side if God only elect Conditions then a Man cannot know himself to be elected in this World there is no sign of Election upon him nothing is to be found in him but what he may perish with it is his Perseverance when he is past all Temptation that God doth crown with Election To conclude this with that Apostle in Gal. 1.8 when some among them had preached Justification by Works this is that which should be noted to you it is another Gospel for any to look for Justification or Election by Works Exod. 33.19 God saith I will shew Mercy on whom I will shew Mercy he speaks it of pardoning The Apostle doth expresly use these words concerning Election Rom. 9.15 whence I gather it is another Gospel and so a Curse pronounced against them that bring it to look for Election from Works and so by Works as for a Man to look for Justification and not by Grace The Apostle saith it is another Gospel Why doth he say so because whatever way of Salvation we make that will not reveal God's Love nor comfort the Heart nor be a Provocation to Holiness nor fill the Heart with Love again to God it is another Gospel in that it will not have the Effect of the Gospel of that Gospel that sheweth Salvation to be only by Grace Vse of Trial. Try now whether you be one of these Persons for God chuseth Persons To stir you up to the Trial 1. You may safely do it no danger either of Despair or Presumption Satan hinders this as much as may be 1st He tells us if we do it there will be no end of our Doubts but we shall come forth of this Enquiry more scared and amazed 2dly Sometimes tells the Soul God's Love is equal to all 3dly Sometimes gives a false Ballance to weigh the Soul by some crooked Rule or other 4thly Sometimes he puzzles the Soul with many Objections it is dangerous he casts in this to go about it 't will make one cast off Holiness make one presumptuous if he can attain it and despair if he attains it not that it is a Secret belongs to God and that none can come to know it c. yet we say it is very safe to enquire into that which God revealeth that we may believe it Yet 1. It is modestly humbly and warily to be looked into our Heads will be dazled if we alone look into this Depth as he that looks down a steep Place tumbleth with the Giddiness that is wrought in him thereby Many have fallen because they have not looked aright into this Doctrine if we follow the Light of the Scripture there is no danger It is a Secret as is said as to the Cause of it why one is chosen and not another but as to the Persons it is not a Secret for it is revealed Rom. 8. Those that are called and justified as to Persons that are adult these very Persons and none else besides them are predestinated and shall be glorified those whose Afflictions make them more conformable to Christ ver 29. those that trust in him for Justification ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect The Levites might look into the Ark and none else so those that are called may reflect upon Election from whence this proceeds 2. Take this Caution In the Enquiry you are so to seek it as to advance the Grace of God in the seeking of it without hindring the Work of Sanctification sâ— that Holiness may not be hindered Some do so look after this that they never mind the other yet so to look after Sanctification that the Love of God may not be lessened The Works of God's Grace in thee are not so to be insisted on as to think that for them thou hast God's Grace of Election neither is God's Election so to be thought on as that it will save thee without Grace in thee Grace inherent is the Messenger of Election a Stream from the Fountain an Effect of it where there is Heat there is Fire But why God should work this in thee rather than another it is his free-Free-Love and the Reason why he loves thee and not another was not thy Grace that was in thee Vse II. Much Profit comes by knowing our Election 1. Hereby we shall answer that great Question that is in the Mind of a Believer viz. Whether Christ be in him 2 Cor. 13.5 Know you not he speaks of something known to all Believers know you not i. e. you do know that Christ is in
wills Men to be saved and gives them sufficient Means would not they be saved infallibly if God put forth all his Power or else his Power is but weak he is not Omnipotent 12. How can God be happy that desires and hath not his Desire satisfied and accomplished he desireth the Salvation of all say these and yet hath it not Happiness is having every good Desire satisfied Thus the other Doctrine wrongs God takes off from the Glory and Praise of the Godhead Motive 2. Take heed of the other Doctrine cleave to this if you receive the other it will corrupt you in all the great Points of Religion it influenceth you in all When the Blood is poisoned all the whole Body will soon be poisoned so here If upon Faith and Obedience Man is elected 1. Then Man is converted by Works and the Obedience of his own Will and no Man otherwise converted 2. A Man then is justified by Works Justification follows Election no Man is saved but by Works and so all that Glory and Beauty and bright-shining Vertue of Grace which God hath manifested in the Gospel vanisheth and comes to nothing for if it be of Works it is no more Grace Rom. 11.6 3. It is then to bring in another Gospel to bring in this other Opinion of Election upon Conditions now there is a Curse upon any that shall bring in another Gospel Gal. 1. Hear then are you willing in the matter of Salvation to trust to your selves and lean upon your selves Hath Christ died and laid down a Price that you might live at your own Hand and be upon the same Terms for Eternal Life and Heaven as Adam was before he fell in a Covenant of Works Then it was Do and live and so now Do this viz. Believe and persevere and live God hath given you Power to do this so he did to Adam he gave him more Power than you for you are full of Infirmities and Weakness and Failings daily but he was perfect and strong Now is this the Gospel of Grace to require as much of a poor weak fallen Man as of Adam before he fell who was perfect and not subject to Infirmities All the Duties thou dost all the Acts of Faith all thy persevering in good being done for this end that God may elect thee they are but Acts of high Pride and Arrogancy every one of them hath this Language in them I do this that I may be elected rather than another and to put a difference betwixt my self and those that shall go to Hell I do this and this and elect God at first and after I have walked on all my days to the end in good Works he will elect me for this is the Condition he hath made of my Election If I persevere to the end he will then infallibly and peremptorily set his Love upon me and chuse me Now thus God doth made a Bargain with Man barters and sells his Love as Laban his Daughter If thou wilt have my Daughter then serve seven Yeers or else thou shalt not have her So doth God sell Heaven and Glory for a Life's Perseverance in Faith and Holiness Motive 3. To make you take heed of this false Doctrine it destroys all the Fruits of Election if not elected till Death then no benefit of Election in this Life let us see the Fruits of Election and how they are brought to nothing if Election of particular Persons be made void 1. Love to God 〈◊〉 a Fruit God's electing Persons sets out the Greatness of God's Love and fills the Heart with Love to God again Thus the Soul that hath any Intimation that God hath chosen him saith God hath passed by Millions and some of my Neighbours Kindred Friends and they are walking on in Ignorance Evil Unbelief God hath called me in which I read my Election he hath chosen me before the World from Eternity not respecting any thing that would or could be in me for I was a Sinner in my Blood when he visited me and by this Love of his he will enable me to do whatever is required of me to Salvation Who can think of this free eternal Love of God and not love God again God doth therefore in Scripture speak of this peculiar special free Love as an Argument to stir us up to Thankfulness Deut. 7.6 7. God hath chosen thee to be a special People and it was not for any Qualifications in them but because he loved them Chap. 10.15 Only the Lord had a delight in their Fathers to love them What for any thing in them no Was it for fulfilling Conditions No it is over and over in Deut 9. Not for thy Righteousness sake no a base wicked People they were And what could he see in their Fathers why Abram was an Idolater Josh 24.3 and called Now this free Love is brought as an Argument to press them to love God and walk in Holiness Deut. 7. Thou shalt therefore keep the Commandments and Statutes c. Circumcise therefore the Foreskin of your Hearts c. Deut. 10.16 Deut. 14.2 you shall see the same Argument there the Lord hath chosen thee therefore thou shalt not do so and so Object None of these Scriptures speak of God's eternal Love or of singular Persons chosen out of that Love Answ The Text speaks of Love shewed to particular Persons and how that such free Love is a Motive to love God and obey him Now this Love that God had to the Jews is a Type of that Love that God bare to the Elect. Compare Isa 1.9 with Rom. 9.29 Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a very small Remnant c. this is spoke concerning the Temporal Preservation of the Jews the Apostle takes it and applies it to the Elect Isa 8.18 Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for Signs c. this is spoken of God's delivering the Jews from their Enemies the Apostle Heb. 2. brings this and speaks it of Christ having all the Elect considered in him God's electing Persons provokes to love God to think that God freely chose thee from Eternity thy Person appointed for thee all the Means hearing c. that thou mightst be saved blessed them to thee and gave thee Faith then in the use of them this is to stir up Love to God From the other way let us hear how it promotes Love to God God hath given Means to all and left them Talents and commands to improve and manage these well Now what if any of these be saved what may Christ say to them Have not I shewed you great Love should not you love me Yea may it be answered It was great Love to come 〈◊〉 the Flesh to redeem me from my Sin in Adam to give me Means to believe and Power to believe but there is no more Love laid out for me than for them that are in the Flames of Hell Can these love Christ so well as the other in the other
Doctrine 2. This Doctrine of Election rightly stated keeps one humble very humble all his days Election doth not take away Free-will we have Free-will but then being called it is to what is good but it takes away glorying in it Not of him that willeth Rom. 9.16 Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given to him c. He gives to will Not a Thought that is good but from him Joh. 15. Without me ye can do nothing As to our natural Being in him we do move So in the Spiritual Being he knits himself to us he is in us as a Principle then we act We cannot pray to him for his Grace but by Grace What hast thou that thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4.7 Will not this make us humble Object But they will say that their Doctrine of God's electing upon Faith will keep a Man humble because Faith is opposed to Works Answ These Men need not bring this for they hold that Faith as a Work of it self not because of the Object it receiveth justifies a Man Faith is not opposed to Works in Election in Justification it is but it is of no use in Election Christ's Righteousness is not accepted to make us elected Election goeth before our Faith or laying hold on Jesus Christ Object Yea but Faith is the Gift of God we should be humble then Answ Is it such a Gift as he that hath it offered cannot but receive it and because of the way and manner of God's working in him is he effectually brought to believe yet his Free-will preserved then we have the Cause as we would God elects Persons and works all the Conditions for them which he requireth of them to Eternal Life But if there be any thing of us required at our Hand that must cast the Scale then we have to glory 3. Assurance and Certainty of Salvation springs from Election When the Scripture would comfort Believers with the Assurance of their Salvation that they should not perish but go to Heaven certainly it fetches the Comfort from the Fountain The Decree of God taking their Persons the Constancy of the Decree of God makes that Assurance which could never be by God's giving Conditions for Election because the fulfilling of them depends upon our own changeable and mutable Will What Assurance can a Man have that is chosen under a Condition For when he hath attained to the best degree of Grace in the use of Means yet then may he say this is no more than what may be done by him that shall perish For it is not the doing this tho great but the continuing to do this upon which Election is grounded and I may fall as others and lose this before Death no Assurance this way But in the other as we have stated Election there is to take off the Fears of the Saints when they saw the Jews fall he brings this and comforts them that they should not fall Rom. 11. God hath not cast away his People whom he fore-knew Ver. 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he sought after but the Election obtained it and the rest are hardened He tells you none fell that were elected Psal 33.11 12. The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand and his Thoughts to all Generations then it follows Blessed is the People whom he hath chosen for his Inheritance Isa 54. With everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee He comforts them with the Decree no assurance the other way For it must be either from God or a Man's self from God it cannot be he elects none but after all is fulfilled not of himself for his Will is changeable every moment 4. The Doctrine of Election is a mighty Comfort in times of Sorrow and Grief There are two things that are apt to trouble us especially 1. The Apostacy of Professors 2. The Trials and Temptations that we meet with in the World viz. Poverty Sickness Disappointment Death of Relations c. Now in both these cases Election comforts 1. Election of Persons As for Apostacy when they say If such Cedars fall what will become of such a Shrub as I Dan. 12. he speaking of the last Times how bad they should be yet adds and at that time thy People shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book Mat. 24.22 he speaks of such perilous Times that no Flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake those days should be shortned In Rom. 9. 11. the Apostle removes this Stumbling-block out of the way when the Jews fell and tells the Saints none fell but those that were ordained thereunto not one whom God fore-knew when Hymeneus and Philetus fell he comforts them with this 2 Tim. 2.18 The Foundation of God stands sure he knoweth who are his 2. As for Afflictions of what sort soever there is Comfort in them from the Doctrine of Election the Apostle in Rom. 8.28 comforts the Saints with this viz. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his Purpose Calling here is Conversion and that Power that worketh it not any particular Obedience of ours following Faith Whom he predestinates them he calls his Purpose here is not the Object of Obedience which God hath purposed that Men should do for the Apostle brings it to shew that the Call is not in our selves but in his Purpose they that are called are not called by any Obedience or Free-will of theirs but according to his Purpose But on their Doctrine what Comfort can a Man have when he seeth another fall that he shall stand by his own Might and when he meets with Afflictions that he shall be the better by them when many stronger than he have turned aside and grown worse some of as much Light and Parts as he that were just at Land have sunk that were at the very Borders have miscarried He must say tho I be now in a good State yet what I may be is uncertain Temptations have prevailed upon others and they have fallen I am not sure till I have done all and that is not till I go out of the World But the other can be comforted that receive our Doctrine God hath chosen my Person for better for worse and tho I be weak he will enable me to do what he requires and work in me all the Conditions Faith and Perseverance therein will keep me by his Power to his Kingdom he was moved by nothing to love me and do me good nothing therefore that shall separate from his Love shall be done by me he hath ordained me to be conformed to his Image therefore all my Afflictions shall tend to this to plant his Image in me which he loves Afflictions shall be as an Axe to cut off that which is superfluous in me and that Unanswerableness to his Image 5. Nothing so much quickneth a Soul to Obedience as the Knowledg that God hath loved our Persons from