by Ahab and the people A prophet is one that is inspired by the Holy Ghost which those Men were not but by a lying spirit Now Simon Magus was no more a true Believer ver 22. than those true Prophets Nor his faith any more of the right kind than their predictions true prophecies We also find that the Scripture makes the Coming-to-pass of the thing foretold to be the evidence of a true prophet According to which Rule Persâ—verance to salvation is to demonstrate the truth of faith and where-ever this follows not there faith was but pretended They profess to know God Tit. 1. 16. 2 King 17. 32. ver 34. but in deeds do deny Him As of those Samaritans before mentioned It is said They feared the Lord and presently after that They feared not the Lord They feared him in shew but not in truth 4. The Foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are His 2 Tim. 2. 19. He brings it in to comfort believers touching the Sureness of their standing when others of as glorious out-sides make Shipwreck of the faith It stands sure because the Lord knoweth them that are His He knows whom He hath Chosen For whom He hath received the Attonement whom He hath Called and caused to take hold of His Covenant And these shall surely be kept Notwithstanding the wofull backslidings of others If one that believes not Now may have faith hereafter Then one that is Now a Believer may lose his faith and turn Apostate It followes not That because Christ can bind Satan and cast him out therefore Satan can do so by Christ He can come into the Devil's Nursery when He will Take a Crab-stock and transplant it and Graff it with a Noble Cyons But Satan cannot come into God's Vinyard which is a Garden enclosed and take thence What him pleaseth One who is now dead in sin may be quickened but being once alive can dye no more It is Christ's own Assertion He that liveth Joh. 11. 26. and believeth in Me shall never dye Which cannot be meant of any other but a spiritual death which is all one with losing his faith A Righteous Man may turn away from his Righteousness and that so that he shall dye for it Ezek. 18. 24. There is a twofold Righteousness 1. Moral Such as Paul had before his Conversion This a Man may continuein to the last and yet not be Saved 2. There is a Gospel Righteousness 1 Imputed This is the Righteousness of Christ by which we are Justified 2 Infused This is the Divine Nature communicated by the Spirit of Chriâ—t whereby we are Sanctified These two go inseparably and can never be lost But The Righteousness spoken of in the place objected seems to be of the former Sort viz. Moral or Outward Righteousness For Outward Conformity to the Law was the Condition of their possessing the land of Canaan with long life and prosperity in it This if they retain'd it gave them a legal Right to those Promises If they turn'd from it they ran into a forfeiture And lose it they might for they had no promise That they should abide in it But the New Covenant undertakes for That as is evident by comparing Jer. 31. 31-33 with chap. 32. 40. But if any will yet suppose The Righteous Man spoken of in that 18. of Ezek. to be meant of a true Believer there is I hope in the Answers foregoing to Solve it If any should alledg But suppose a Believer be taken away in his Sin as perhaps Josiah was and hath not time to Repent of it I Answer 1. It cannot be proved that this was the case with Josiah He probably had time sufficient between his Wounding and his Death For he was carried from Megiddo to Jerusalem before he dyed But 2. There was That in him that would have Repented and God reckons of a Man according to what he would Do It being in David's heart to build him an House it was accepted as if he had done it The Root of the matter is in every Regenerate person which if it had time would put-forth it self in fruits and therfore They shall not be dealt with as barren trees which have not that substance in them The Promise of Perseverance is not made to Faith that That shall not fail but in reference to the favour of God viz. That if Men go-on to Believe they shall abide in his love Thus to give the sense of the Promise is 1. To enervate it to make it speak but according to the Covenant of works It bereaves it wholly of that Bâ—tternes the Scripture ascribes to it in Heb. 8. 6. 2 It renders the Promise as speaking fallaciously as making shew of That it intends not It would be but as if he had said You shall keep the favour of God if you do not lose it 3. Faith is the Soul 's Coming to God Unbelief its departing from Him The Promise therefore that secures against departing from God secures your Continuance in Believing He that undertakes you shall be Crown'd doth virtually undertake for your holding-out to the end of your Race Others agen dispose Otherwise of those Promises recorded in the 36 of Ezek. and 32 of Jeremy touching Men's notdeparting from God Restraining them to the Jewish Nation and to the last Dayes To this may readily be answered 1. That the Time which then was when the Apostles wrote is called The last time 1 John 2. 18. Acts 2. 17. 2. Albeit that some particular times and persons are more peculiarly concerned in the Promises of the old Testament especially such as refer to temporal things yet is there no one Promise but in the spirituality of it belongs to Every one that belongs to Christ that is Jews in spirit No Scripture is of private Interpretation and therefore Not to be Confin'd to those particular times or persons when and to whom they were delivered They were written for the use of All 1 Cor. 10. 11. And 3. We find them accordingly apply'd in the New Testament The Promise made to Joshua touching the success of his Warfare in Canaan Josh 1. 5. with is by the Apostle applyed to Believers in general Heb. 13. 5. as an Argument against overmuch carefulness in a Married'state and for Contentedness with our present condition Isa 29. 13. with So likewise the Prophesie of Isaiah touching the hypocrites of his time is by Christ applyed to the Pharisees Math. 15. 7 8 And the Promises made to the Iews in Isa 54 13. and Ier. 31. 33 are applied to the Gentiles in John 6. 45. and Rom. 4. 15. 16. This Doctrine of Absolute Perseverance lays the Reigns of Security on the Neck of the flesh and of the old man in believers 1. This Objection is in effect the same with the first Only it speaks broader which shews That the farther Men go in opposing the Truth the worse language they give it That Many
Eccles. 3. 14. taking it still for a Rule That all the wayes of God are perfect Nothing can be put to them Nor any thing taken from them 'T was a good Reâ—olution in Job Job 9. 15. Job 13 15. That though he were Righteous yet would he not answer God but make supplication to his Judge And though he should slay him yet will he trust in Him And this he would do even whiles he thought he might maintain his own wayes before Him Be Patient therefore Jam. 5. 7. Ps 9. 8. Tbe coming of the Lord draweth nigh who will judge the World with Righteousness Let neither the wickeds prosperity nor the daily Chastenings of His own People Ps 73 17. be an offence to thee Go up into the Sanctuary of God There thou shalt know the end It shall not alwaies be carried thus There will be a Reckoning for the good things they had in their life time when those that have lived in pleasure will wish that their Souls had been in thy Souls stead under all its pressures And it shall be no grief of heart to thee to remember thy Morta ' and momentany sufferings Rom 8. 18. Heb. 12. 11. when thou â—eest such peaceable â—ruits of Righteousness brought forth thereby When thou shalt be wrapt up with an holy amazement and shalt say in thy heart Isa 49. 21. Ch. 60. I lost my Children and was desolate A Captive and Removing to and fro had no abiding place who hath begotten me these Whence came they What root sprang they from 2 Cor. 4. 17 My Light afflictions were not worthy to be compared with this Glory He 'l never repent that he sowed in tears who brings home his Sheafs with such Joy But as you go along to this your blessed home and sweet Place of Eternal Rest Eccles 8. 12 13 it may be worth the while to Ruminate such Scriptures as these Though a Sinner do evil an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged he goes unpunished yet surely it shall be Well with them that fear God But it shall not be Well with the wicked Ps 58. 11. Verily There is a Reward for the Righteous Verily He is a God who judgeth in the Earth And His judgement is according to Truth Rom. 2. 2. And blessed are they that wait for Him Isa 30. 18. Inference 6. Lastly All the Objections that are levied and brought against the Doctrine of Election as to the Absoluteness Personality and Eternity of it The Peculiarity of Redemption The Efficaeious Predominance of Grace in Calling And Believers invincible Perseverance in Faith and Holiness Would all be disbanded and sent to their own Place Were but this One Truth which none in words will deny truly believ'd and Receiv'd in Love viz. That God hath an absolute Right of Dominion over His Creatures to dispose and Determine of them as seemeth Him good and that In the Doing thereof He cannot but do Right And so I come to the Matter firstly intended OF ELECTION THe Doctrine of Election in the latitude of it containeth the whole Summ and Scope of the Gospel And our Mindes if honestly subdued to the Doctrine of God's Sovereignty cannot be employed about a more excellent Subject It is called The Foundation of God not onely because of the Supereminency of it but as a Foundation of His Own laying which God Himself and Alone is the Author of and the Basis whereof is Himself It is that Foundation which standeth sure and keeps them All sure who stand upon it ELECTION is the pitching of Everlasting love Or the Good Pleasure of God-Choosing and Decreeing to Eternal life It is the Great Charter of Heaven God's special and Free-Grace Deed of Gift to His Chosen Ones Made over in trust unto Jesus Christ for their use and benefit Now in Deeds of Gift to make them Authentick there must be inserted 1 The name of the Donor or Person that gives 2 The Name of the Donee or person to whom 3 The quality and extent of the Thing that is Given 4 The time when it was done 5 The Consideration that moved thereto 6 In case of Impotency it is usual and necessary to ordain some Friend as Feoffee in trust who is to stand seized or Possessed of the Gift for the Donee's use All which are evidently found in Scripture Election and may be Summ'd into this Proposition That there is a Peculiar People who were personally chosen of God in Christ according to His own good pleasure and ordain'd to Eternal Life before the World began Before I come to a down-right proof of the Proposition Proposition I shall First Explain the Terms And Secondly Produce a few Instances of a lower kind of Election sâ—il To Matters of a lower Concern than That of Eternal Life which yet might be intended for a Type and Shadow of it I. For Explanation This word Peculiar denotâ—s the Exemption or Privileging of a Person or Thing from the power of another in whose jurisdiction it was or seem'd to be It sometimes signifies Riches or Substance which is of a Man 's own proper getting by Labour and Industry It is also used to denominate such part of a Man's Estate as he keeps in his own hands which our Law calls his Demesne Lands In all which respects the Elect are aptly term'd a Peculiar People For 1 Though Satan be Prince of the world and rules on every side yet as touching the Elect it is but an usurp'd and temporary jurisdiction that he hath over them They do indeed belong to another Prince to whom their Chief Lord hath given them who therefore in the appointed time will reseue them from that usurpation 2 They are the Lord's Treasure oâ— Inheritance obtained by labour indeed with Sweat and Blood Than which nothing is more a Man 's own nor hardlier parted with Such was the portion bestowed by Jacob on his beloved Joseph Gen. 48. 22. even That which he gâ—t with his Sword and with his Bow And 3 They are the Lordâ—â— Demesnes He keeps them in His own hands Tenâ—â—rs them as the Apple of His eye He will not betrust them in the hands of others No not of their own selves To Ordain is used here in the sameâ—sense as to Predestinate Appoint Prepare Decree or Predetermine things to come Which is done in such sort and manner that the Event shall certainly succeed and that just as was Fore-intended and Designed In this sense Men cannot be said to Predestinate because they cannot with any certainty Determine of things not yet in being But all things were present with God from Eternity And His Decree the Cause of their Futurition or Stanâ—ing forth By Eternal life I understand Not onely the Saints Actual possession of Blessedness and Glory which consists in their perfect Conformity to God and Communion with Him but also Whatever is Requisite thereto by way of Right Preparation or Otherwise wherein are comprehended The Mediation
teach Themselves Rom. 2 from 17 ver to 21. And in Rom. 3. where they are Ranked together he proves them to be All under Sin None Righteous None that understandeth None that seeketh after God None that doth good No not One Yea This depravement of Nature was so deep and indelibly fixed That the Lord Himselfe tells them The Blackmoor might as soon change his skin as they learn to do well All which with abundantly more be speaks a condition extreamly remote from yielding a Cause of this blessed Election IV. If God's love to Men had its Rise and Beginning from their love to Him it would not have that singular eminency in it Joh. 3. 16. that is justly ascribed to it So God lâ—ved the World So as not to be exprest So as not to be paralel'd So as not to be understood until we come to that State wherein we shall know as we are known By this it is 1 Cor. 13. 12. that God's love to Men is so highly celebrated in 1 Joh. 4. 10 Herein is love Not that we loved God but that God loved us And Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up on us 1 Joh. 3. 1. Which surely then is not after the manner of Men Matth. 6. 46. For even Publicans do so Luke 6 32 35. and Sinners love those that love them But to love Enemies and whiles Enemies as to love a Woman a Wife that is an Adulteress this is according to God's love to His Chosen But Notwithstanding these Scriptures with others seem purposely written to obviate such conceptions as would feign our loving of God to be the ground and Motive of His love to us Yet great endeavours there are to Father Election upon foreseen faith and works which That They call the Covenant of Grace has they Say qualified and capacitated all Men for and which certain more pliant ingenuous and industrious persons as they speak would attain unto by the helps they have in common with other Men But this pedigree of Election is excepted against as being not rightly deduced For 1. Men having in Adam devested themselves of all that was holy and good the Lord could not foresee in them any thing of Worth or Desirableness but what Himself should work in them Anew and that of pure Grace and favour For sin and deformity could not be motives of love And that the Elect of themselves were in no wise better than other Men is evident by the Scriptures late-quoted where the Holy Ghost asserting the universal depravement of humane nature exâ—empts not one But if such excellent and distinguishing qualifications as Faith and Holiness had been foreseen and so imputable to them the Spirit of Truth would not have Rank'd them Even with the Children of wrath as He doth Eph. 2. 3. But 2. If they were otherwise what could they add unto God Job 37. 24. Ch. 35 7. Ch. 41. 11. Or whereby could they oblige Him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart If thou be Righteous what givest thou Him And who hath prevented Me says the Lord that I should repay him i. e. Who is he that is a fore hand with God Deut. 10. 17. in doing ought that might induce His favour He regardeth not Persons nor taketh Rewards He is not propitious to any for what they can do for Him or bring to Him Take Paul for an Instance He walked up to the light he had Was blameless lived in all good Conscience knew no evil by himself a rare degree of legal Righteousness But that it was not this moved God to make him a Chosen Vessel he thankfully acknowledgeth with self-abasement upon every occasion Tit. 3. 5. Tin 1. 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 3. Faith follows Election God respects the person before his offering you 'l say perhaps Abel was respected as a Believer and his offering for his Faith True But that Faith of his was not the primary cause of God's respecting him If Abels Person had not been respected first he had never been a Believer For Faith is the work and gift of God and according to the course of all judicious Agents he that will work must first pitch on the Subject He will work upon and he that gives on the person he will give unto Heb. 11. 6. Besides Rom. 14. 23. Abel could do nothing before he Believed that might move God to give him Faith therefore it could not be Abel's foreseen Faith that was the Cause of his Election The Scripture speaks often of iron-sinew'd-Necks and Brazen Brows and of Men's being in their blood when the Lord said They should live As also that God loved Jacob before he had done any good thing and that the Saints love God because He loved them first But no-where of Foreseen Faith and Holiness as the Cause and Ground of God's love to Men. 4. Faith and Holiness are Middle things They are neither the Foundation nor Top-stone of Election They are to Sovereign Grace as Stalks and Branches are to a Root by which the Root conveyes its virtues into its principal fruit Ephes 2. 8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith 2. Thes 2. 13 Chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth They are no more the Cause of Election than the Means of an End are the first Cause of Purpose Nay no more than Tatnai's propension to build the Temple and to provide Sacrifices for the God of Heaven was the Cause of Darius his Decree that those things should be done Ezra 5. and 6. Chapters 5. If men be Predestinate to Faith and Holiness as they are according to Rom. 8. 38 â—9 and 1. Pet. 1. 2. Then they were not seen to be such before their Predestination Or if they were then their Election as to that particular would seem impertinent There can no Rational account be given why Men foreseen to be such should be so solemnly predestinate thereto So likewise If Salvation be the inseparable product of Faith and Holiness according to John 5. 24 He that believeth hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation 1. Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the End of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls Then to ordain to Salvation those foreseen to be so qualified would seem a thing both needless and insignificant It would look like the sending of Men where they would have gon of Themselves Such sapless irregular and injudicious Notions are very unworthy that Celebrious and for ever Adorable Act of Predestination And if duely weighed would set us further off from the doctrine of Self-advancement which stands in so point-blank opposition to the Doctrine of God's Grace V. Arg. 5. It could not stand with the wisdom and Goodness of God to found the Salvation of His People on a failable bottom Which it must be said to be if dependent on any thing besides His own Immutable Will For whatever it was that Election had being from
not lose it as some would give the sense had been a Comfortless and empty Notion and an injudicious way of speaking This is yet further confirmed by John 5. 24 He that believeth is passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation The Reason of all which is that their Faith is founded on a Rock Math. 7 15. which Wind and Waves may beat and break themselves against But never the Rock it self nor That which is built upon it He that trusteth in the Lord is as Mount Zion which cannot be moved No Not so much as One of the stakes of that Tabernacle shall be removed Psalm 125. 1. Isa 33. 20. Chap. 45. 17 1 Pet. 2. 6. and that for ever They shall not be ashamed nor confounded World without End It would very much allay that superlative cause of Rejoycing That our Names are written in Heaven If possibly they might be blotted out agen since we find in our selves such a proneness to Revolt which every one acquainted with his own heart must acknolwedge But we are sure Christ would not propound to us a failable ground of rejoycing For that would have been an inviting us to lean on a breakable staff which kind of dependence He is evermore calling us from Believers indeed are sometimes foyl'd but never overcome Though they fall and that seaven times in a day as was said As often do they rise agen And it 's no disparagement to their leader yea it is the Glory of a General to give his enemy advantages and take them agen at his pleasure to his enemies greater confusion and overthrow Satan got nothing by his Winnowing Peter Peter lost some of his Chaff which well might be spared and the Tempter lost many an after-advantage For the World of Believers have been the warier ever since To this second sort of evidence I shall onely add That of the Holy Apostle in Rom. 8. He was perswaded that is He was throughly swayed in his faith to believe it for himself and deliver it down to the Ages to come as a Truth infallible That neither Height nor Depth Nor any other Creature shall be able to separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 38 39. He reckons up all that can be named and lest any thing might have slipt him he brings in Height and Depth as being those two extreams that take in All and more than Men can think and then resolves That even These shal not be able to do it And surely if the super-celestial height of God's Holiness Nor the infra-infernal Depth of sin shall separate from that day of Glory which the sons of God were Predestinated to and for which they were both made and Redeemed called into and groan for then are Believers Roundly secur'd against final Apostacy III. A third sort of evidence for Confirmation are certain Arguments or Reasons why the Saints must needs Persevere in Faith and Holiness By this word Needs must I do not understand any other kind of necessity than well consists with perfect freedom such a Necessity as was upon Paul to preach the Gospel which was a work he rejoyced in such as was upon Jesus Christ to bring-home his sheep and to lay down his life for them Luke 12. 50. How was He streightned till it was accomplished That it was written in his heart was no hindrance to the freedom of his will The expression is well warranted also where it is said That the Scripture speaking of Judas his fact must needs be fulfilled Acts 1. 16. The first Argument Arg. I. John 1. 13. in proof of Perseverance is founded on the Saints Extract or Original They are born of God And this hath the force of a double Argument 1. As God is their Father and Eternal Root Our Saviour holds forth this Relation as the ground of our Faith in prayer Math. 6. 9. And He begins with it Himself when He prayes for His own Glory and that His Disciples might be partakers of it John 17. 1. To the same end He frequently useth that style of Father in the Gospel of John as in particular That He ascends to His Father and our Father John 20. 17. It is to strengthen our Faith in God thro' Himself on the account of His Fatherhood to us The Father loveth the Son John 3. 35. And He loves His Believers as He loveth Christ Himself Iohn 17. 23. On which ground the Apostle concludes That He cannot but give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. Believers are in truth the product of His love both in respect of Election and Regeneration and being so He cannot but have a paternal affection for them to administer to them what-ever tends to their sustentation and growth and to keep-off what ever would intercept or weaken His gracious influences towards them Having once loved them John 13. 1. He loves them for ever They may therefore be confident That what He hath begun in the Spirit He will not let end in the flesh That having begun a good work in them Phil. 1. 6. He will also perform it For As they have their spiritual Being from Him as the Father of it so 't is Natural to Him to derive his virtues into them without intermission as for a Vine to send up its sap into its own branches or the Sun to cherish the plants of its own production All the natural affections that are in Creatures towards their own are but drops of His Immense fullness A Mother may possibly forget the Child of her Womb but the Lord cannot forget His Off-spring That none may hurt them nor they themselves He will keep them night and day Isaiah 27. 3. chap. 46. 3 4. and water them every moment They are born by Him from the Belly and carried from the Womb and even to their old age He will carry them and deliver them 2. The new Creature as it comes from God so it exists in Him and lives upon Him and it is Natural to it to seek its nourishment where it had its Original Nothing can satisfie it but that great Deep from whence it sprang As a New-born child that has not the use of Reason will hunt for the breast by natural instinct and not be qulet without it As soon as ever Paul was converted Behold he prayes Acts 9. 11. Having once received the Spirit of Christ they cannot but incline after Him as Elisha did Elijah upon the casting of his Mantle on him It is natural to them 1 K. 19. 19 20. as for sparks to fly upwards They are said To be baptized with fire Not onely because of the purifying Nature of fire but in respect of its Aspiring quality it will be Mounting and not rest till it come to its own element Obstructions many it meets withall but still it presseth onwards and by degrees bears-down all afore it and carries that with it in which it
dwells to the place of its birth As the Dove could not Rest till she came to the Ark whence she set-out This is lively set forth by our Saviour in John 7. 38. He that believeth in Me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Waters Rivers that bear down all opposition and Rivers of living Waters not Land-flouds which are but of short continuance or standing Pools subject to drying up But such Rivers as have an-Immortal Head We see how All things tend to their Center Prov. 4. 16. The wicked sleep not unless they do evil They can bear the want of things most necessary to their being rather than cease from sin John 8. 44. Acts 1. 25. They are of the Serpents brood and the lusts of their Father they will do Judas was a Devil and that carried him headlong to his own place And if being born of the Devil habituates men with so strong and restless a bent to Devilish lusts the Divine Nature must needs work as efficaciously towards God and Godlike Actions And if it were not so the Divine Nature had never born an humane stock to Heaven The first fruits of the Spirit possess them with an earnest expectation and longing for the harvest Rom. 8. 23. There are indeed Remainders of the Old Man which will still be opposing the New and many contests there are between them But Grace like him that is Advocate for the King will ever have the last word and will also go out victor ye may see it in Jeremy The word of the Lord was made a Reproach to him He therefore resolves to stifle it and will no more speak in His Name But how succeds this carnal resolution The word of the Lord was in his heart as fire shut up in his bones Jer. 20. 8 9. He was weary of forbearing He could not hold And Jonah When he thought himself cut-off Jonah 2. 2 3. and in the belly of hell yet saith he yet will I look again towards thy holy Temple As the Needle that is rightly touch'd Ps 84. 7. never Rests but in pointing towards the Pole and when obstructed in their Course Ps 42. 7. they cry the more earnestly Oh when shall I come and appear before God! II. Another Argument is taken from the Graces themselves which are the subject of Perseverance Arg. II. viz. Faith and Holiness Which let us consider first as They are a Gift Then in the Genuine use and property of them 1. As they are a Gift They are of those good and perfect Gifts which come down from above from the Father of lights with whom is no Variableness James 1. 17. nor shaddow of Turning This Attribute of God's Vnchangeableness is fitly and significantly added to shew That as good and perfect gifts only are from God and from Him onely so That He never Changeth in His Purpose concerning those to whom He once gives them They are of those Gifts that are without Repentance As also That these His Gifts do partake of His own unvariableness They cannot dye nor turn to be any other than what they are at first save only in point of Perfection There can happen no after-unworthiness in those He gives them to which He did not foresee when He gave them which seems to be implied in the following words v. 18. Of His Own Will begate He us and so no cause why He should with-draw them which should not aswell have hindred His giving them at first As the word of God is not Yea and Nay 2 Cor. 1. 19. so neither are His Gifts They are also God's Workmanship And we know saith Solomon That whatsoever God doth Eccles 3 14. it shall be for ever Nothing can be added to it Nor anything taken from it 2. Let Faith and Holiness be considered in the Genuine use and Property of them Nothing so endangers the Soul as self-fullness Faith therefore was ordained to empty out self and devolve the soul on Another viz. Christ which the more it does the safer it is And having once done it it never undoes it agen Faith also is an Active Grace and diligent Luke 19. 26. Math. 13. 10. and therefore thriving He that hath it shall have more of it Then sure he shall not lose that he hath It is alwayes Travelling and never tyred 1. Because it travels in the strength of Omnipotency and 2. Because it works by love Which is the most kindly and efficacious Principle of service and great Acts. Love is an Endless skrew It has truly attain'd the perpetual Motion It enables to endure all things and faileth not 1 Cor 13. 7 8. All that God doth for His people is from love John 3. 16. and all that they do for God growes from the same Root They love Him because He loved them first 1 John 4. 19. Love is That which renders a Work both pleasant to the Agent and acceptable to the Object of it Faith therefore working by love shall never be weary of its work nor fail of its end Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith That it might be sure And as for Holiness which is a disposition according to God and capacitates for the blessed Vision a little of it in Truth Math. 12. 20. is of infinite worth The very smoak of it shall not be quenched And it would be strange if a thing so precious should be lyable to putrifaction But it is not yea it changeth other things but is it self never changed It is of a spreading nature compared therefore to leaven which is put into the Soul and hid there till the whole lump be seasoned It is of an assimilating property there is an Heavenly Tincture in it which sanctifies all that it toucheth To the pure all things are pure It also meetens for Converse with God and it drawes and ingageth the Soul to Him There it is as in its proper Element and out of which it cannot live And by this Converse it is both increased and sublimated A Natural Body once in being can never be reduced to Nothing How then should Things of Divine substance They are Born of incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever And as the seed is such will be the fruit The Older it grows the firmer it is He that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger They are the Holy Seed And therefore tho they cast their leaves at times yet their substance is in them By which they are still renewed To all which might be added that Notion also in Romans 8. 30. which inferreth That to be sanctified is all one as to be glorified Holiness is the seed of Glory and holy persons are in Glory viz. as to its kind and the certainty of their obtainment although indeed it hath no glory at present in comparison of that which shall be as the seed of a Rose or Lilly compared with the flowers they will grow into and which are
he puts the Lord in mind of His promise to their Fathers Of His Mercy in pardoning them â—forâ—time what reflection it would have on His honour among the Egyptians If He should now destroy them c. Not a word of Complaint That first to promise and then to threaten is a senseless thing It had been senseless in Moses thus to do and in no wise consistent with His duty But more directly It were no senseless part in a Father to purchase an Office for his Son and so to settle it on him that it sâ—all not be in his own power to Reverse it And yet keeping to himself the knowledge of that Settlement propose the injoyment thereof conditionally viz. upon terms of obedience to his fathers Commands The tendency of all which is but to prove himself the Son of such a father and to Meeteâ— him for his place And the more to oblige his Son to a studious preparing himself for it to lay before him the evil and danger of a Negligent course by which if persisted in he might render himself uncapable But surely supposing this Father to have the same power over his Son as God hath over the heart and Spirit of His people He will so order him by Instruction discipline and good principles that he shall not run into a Forfeiture Besides Threatnings of Damnation are not properly appliable to Believers who know themselves so to be For he that believeth Joh. 5. 24. is passed from death to life and shall not come into Condemnation However at times for want of a thorow knowing their State unthankfulness for it or some other miscarriage they bring themselves under doubtings of it But for such as have Compleat assurance under God's hand and seal as the Objection speaks They are sealed up to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 15. with a Seal that never shall be loosed In case any person were so adjudged to Eternal life from Eternity that there is no possibility of miscarrying then there was no necessity of Christs dying for him The Assertors of Absolute Election do hold with the Scriptures That Election is in and through Christ The same Decree that ordained to Salvation ordained also the death of Christ in order thereto That God might be Just in Justifying He hath appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. 9 10. It might be inferr'd with as much shew of Reason That if such an End be appointed to be wrought by such a Means then that Means is unnecessary to that end That if God hath Chosen Men to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth then holiness and faith are Needless things These are absurd reasonings which the Truth never Owns We judge such an Election to be an open Enemy to Godliness For who will strain and toil himself for that which he knows he shall obtain by an easie pace The Doctrine of Conditional Election can be no friend to Godliness whatever it may pretend since all that a Man doth on that account ultimately ends in self Godliness is to Aim at God as our Chief End in all that we do Now One that holds the Elect sure of Salvation and believes himself to be one of them and yet goes on to fear God and obey Him Glorifies God more than he that performs the same duties for kind and perhaps greater in bulk in expectation of life thereby The Pharisees fasted oftner than Christ's Disciples but were not such real friends to Godliness as they Long prayers fastings and Alms-deeds are all Nothing without Love and who do you think will Love God more he that believes himself sure of God's Love unchangeably or One that holds That after all his toiling and straining he may possibly have Run in vain and lose all at last And who would think that a Master in Israel should Reason so absurdly who counts it a toil to eat his Meat when Nature requires it especially when 't is most agreeable both to his palate and constitution All the wayes of God are pleasantness to them that walk in them And these would not leave them again although their future happiness were not concerned in it If they be grievous to any it is from their unacquaintedness with His Love 1. John 5. 3. It must needs make men very remiss and loâ—se in the Service of God Christ knew that the Angels had charge over Him and that He should not dash His foot against a stone yet ne'r the less careful of His own preservation Paul was sure of the Crown of Righteousness and yet as diligent in beating down his body andâ— strain'd as hard in Running his Race as any of those who lay the stress of Salvation upon their works Such a Notion of Election layes the honour and necessity of that great Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel in the dust For if the Elect so called shall as certainly be saved by a weak simple or Corrupt Ministry and this it may be enjoyed but a day or two in all a Mans life or loosely attended upon wherein is the Ministry of the Gospel to be esteemed That peremptory Decree That Summer and Winter Day and Night shall not cease takes not away the Necessity of the Sun 's being in the World Gen 8. 22. Nor of its daily Risings Settings and various Revolutions For by these as the Necessary Means thereof must the Decree be made good So The Absoluteness of that other part of the promise That Seed time and Harvest shall not cease doth no whit discharge the Husbandman either of his ufefulness or duty but evinceth the One and inforceth the Other Giving also Encouragement to him in his Work The force of this Answer will not be evaded by alledging That God affords them Means proper and sufficient for seed time and harvest that is they have fitting Seasons with Seed-corn horses plows and other Utensils of husbandry and that 's all the Promise intends and if they improve them not the fault 's their own True it is so and they shall smart for their Neglect But what will become of the Promise and Sureness of the Covenant Therefore this is not All that God doth for Men in this point He that Decreed How long the Earth shall endure and what number of Men He will raise up upon it Did also Decree His own upholding thereof during that time and by what Means those Men should be propagated and kept alive and did accordingly put into Mankind the Principles of Self-preservation by which they are Naturally prompted to the use of them as they are to Eat Drink and Sleep He hath set the World in their heart Eccles 3. 11. As the Elect shall certainly be saved and also prepared for that Salvation so hath the Lord appointed them such a Ministry and for so long a time and their attendance thereon in such manner as best agreeth to His Own intent and which He will bless and
contend for the Grace of God would so order their words as becomes the gravity of such a Subject Eccles 5 1. And much more that they come not so near to a Down-right reproaching that Glorious Grace of which we cannot have apprehensions awfull enough The men who thus speak had need to try their spirits whether they be of God Since from the same premisses they draw Conclusions quite contrary to Those who we know spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost In Scripture account 't is no deâ—ogation to the Grace of God that He called Abraham alone leaving Millions besides to their perishing condition Nor can I believe that Moses understood it a Disparageing of God's love to Mankinde when he tells us That He chose that Nation alone for His own peculiars who yet were the Fewest of any People One of a City and two of a Family were less in proportion than One or Two of Ten Thousand yet no complaint upon it by those interessed in that Grace It 's the property of God's Children to admire that He loves any and especially themselves and not to find fault because He loves not All alike Who am I says David that thou hast brought me hitherto And Christ's Disciples Lord why wilt thou manifest thy self to us us Twelve and not to the World 'T is therefore the more strange to consider Why and how any that call themselves of the Brotherhood came so to espouse the quarrel of those without and that with such Eagerness as to strive and fall-out among themselves about the others Concerns But to Answer more directly 1. This Remnant is not so contemptibly to be spoken of Rev. 5. 11. They are Ten thousand times Ten thousand and thousands of Thousands And how small soever the number be if it were but One it were more by One than the whole Creation could deserve But I say How few soever the Number be no Man knowes but himself may be One of them unless by despising the Grace of God in Election he have proved it otherwise to himself 2. To pitch on a Few whiles in their blood and Enmity against God and Resolve even then to make them everlastingly happy and that against the Natural bent of their own will was a Grace much more high and Sovereign than to save them for their own better improvement of what they have in common with other Men For that would not be of Grace but of Debt Or if the Lord should bring Ten Thousand times that number into a Salvable condition as they speak but so as that very possibly Not one of them shall ever be saved it would not bring the Thousandth part of that Glory to His Grace as to Save a Few invincibly 3. If the Lord did foresee That but Few would believe and yet Resolv'd to save nâ—ne but such as should believe Then the Objection as to Fewness falls on the Objectors Doctrine as much as ours 4. As for Godly sorrow Faith and Repentance they are the Gift of God and proper to the Elect And so no Reason to suppose the interveniency of these in them that are left Or to fear an implacable Resolution to punish and tâ—rment Any in whom these Possibilities go forth into Act. Other allegations they have against the Doctrine of Election which will admit of as plain a Solution as those above But it being my purpose to collect what I should find in the Scriptures for it and not to controvert the Point I proceed no farther but go on to the Usefulness of the Doctrine Only by the way let me premise a Caution or two 1. Caution 1. Let no Man Tax God with Injustice or Partiality because He takes not All Or because Not Those of highest esteem among Men Do not the Princes of the World exercise Dominion over Men like themselves Or is there a Subject so mean but will think himself wrong'd if Question'd for disposing his own which yet is his own but as borrowed And shall vain Man presume to aâ—raign his Sovereign Lord Isa 45. 9. Woe to him that striveth with his Maker If you must be Medling let it be with pot-sheards of Earth like your selves 2. Caution 2. Let no Man disvalue this Doctrine of Election because it takes-in but a Remnant Why are they stiled The little flock but to heighten the Mercy and Priviledge of it in their Esteem Noah did not contemn the Grace of God to himself and his Sons because the World of Ungodly were excluded the Ark Nor the Remnant that escaped the Sword in Egypt Jer. 44. 28. did not reckon their own Deliverance e'r the less Mercy because the Rest of their Countrymen had not a Share in it Men do not use to slight their own Immunities for other's Not-being interessed in them But rather to value themselves the more upon it And now as a Means to Prevent or Remove the evil Surmises Caution'd against with those other sinister Deductions which carnal Reason may be apt to suggest Let us draw up a few of those Many and Worthy Improvements this Doctrine is capable of above and beyond that of the contrary tenour As also of those Laws of Duty which it layes upon us And here I would see first what fruit may be gather'd from the several branches of the Proposition and Then what from the Cross or whole of it promiscuously 1. Inference Since there is an Election of Men to Salvation Put you in for a part and interest in it Though their Number be but Small Cast-in your Lot and make One among them My meaning is That tho' never so few are the Objects of Election you will make it your business to prove your self of that Few If but Two in the whole World who knows but thou mayest be One of them It 's our Saviour's Argument They are but Few that go in at the strait gate Therefore strive The Ninevites had not that ground to believe God would accept them that you have for their Ruin was pronounced in peremptory words and no room expresly left for Repentance and yet they humbled themselves and turn'd from their evil wayes upon this only consideration Who can tell if God will turn away his fierce anger Jonah 3. 9 10. that we perish not It 's a happiness worth your Venturing for For 1 you can lose nothing by endeavouring 2 You can hardly have a more solid evidence of your being Elected than to have your heart taken with Electing love and casting your self upon it And 3 never did any perish who ventur'd on thâ—s Bottom II. Inference From the Doctrine of Election's Absoluteness is evidenced the exceeding Riches of the grace of God in that He hath not left this great Concern to humane contrivance but hath laid it more sure and safe than Men themselves would have done For 't is too evident by the Reasonings that are used to make Election Dependent and Conditional how it would have gon
if left to the wisdom of Men. But I shall not doubt to affirm That this Doctrine of Election's Absoluteness is much afore-hand with that which teacheth it to be Conditional both in point of Encouragement and otherwise And that as well Afore believing as Afterwards 1. Before a Man comes to believe supposing him to be Notionally instructed therein Before For being under conviction of the Greatness and Multitude of his Sins and finding the power of indwelling corruption so Insuperable Having also a sight of the Holiness of God It needs must prove a difficult Matter to believe that there is Mercy and Pardon for such a One as he Or that ever those domineering lusts should be made to submit But then considering 1. That Electing Love pitches on the Chief of Sinners 2. That it flowes not from nor is sounded upon any condition to be performed by Men And 3. That Election has in it All that conduceth to life and Godliness These things I say considered it cannot but have a farr greater influence on the Soul to cleave unto God and follow hard after Him than if his Election were suspended upon his Doing that which he finds in himself no power to pâ—rform For he sees by woful and yet through Grace happy Experience That as the Law is made weak through the weakness of the flesh so also setting aside the Absoluteness of Electing love all the meanes of Grace which are given in Common among Men would be wholly ineffectual to Salvation Which difficulties Electing love in the Absoluteness of it will Supersede and set him above them all 2. After a man comes to Believe this Doctrine of Absolute Election is of singular use and benefit to him both as tending to keep him on his feet and to raise him when he is down 1 It is a great Preservative in time of Temptation The Remembrance of that love which looked upon him when he was in his blood and said he should live and hath now also made good its Word to him must needs operate strongly with a gratious heart against what ever might be unworthy of such love Let the bait be never so aptly suited he will turn from it in a holy disdain as good Joseph did How can I do this Wickedness Gen 39. 9. and sin against God who hath dealt so bountifully with me 2 Nothing more tends to Recovery after a fall than the Consideration of the Freeness of God's Love at first and His Mighty Power in Quickening when altogether dead And that both these viz. This Love and this Power are engaged by an Absolute Covenant to bring every one that takes hold thereof unto Glory and therefore will receive him not only After upon his Return to his Duty but in the Midst of his backslidings He will come and heal him The Lord's way of dealing with Ephraim ver 17 18. ver 21 22. set down in the 57. of Isaiah is an instance pertinent to the case in hand And in the 44. Chap. He doth as it were Clench and fasten this Nail in a sure place Remember O Jacob I have formed thee Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me I have bloted out thy sins Therefore return unto Me And Jer. 3. 14. Return O backsliding Children for I am married unto you to wit by His Covenant of Election To this purpose also is the edge of Samuel's Argument applied in 1 Sam. 12. 20 22 Fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord As if he had said your wickedness indeed is great ye have highly provoked the Lord by your casting Him off yet be not discouraged as if the Lord would therefore cast off you For the Lord will not forsake His people But why Because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people And in ver 24. he further backs it with the remembrance of the great things God had done for them aforetime Than which there is nothing of stronger tendency to a Soul's recovery III. From the Personality of Election and IV. From the Eternity of its Original I gather in general That since the Scriptures have so highly Renouned these two Circumstantial parts of Election Inference by so frequent a mentioning of them and that on occasions of the solemnest import We ought not to pass them by as things of indifferent notice But as being diversly Instructive Worthy to be kept and soberly contended for The Holy Ghost doth not use to inculcate matters of Ordinary observance or little import But as Noting to us some great importancy in them as taxing also our sloth and aptness to neglect them and to stir up our minds to make the more diligent search What and what manner of things they are and how to be improv'd In particular From the Personality of Election I Infer I. Inference That it ought to be minded as matter of the highest honour to the Parties concern'd The Lord illustrates Moses at no ordinary rate when He tells him I know thee by name and doubtless intended that Moses himself should so account of it and be highly sâ—tisfied therewith though deny'd in some other things he would fain have had Thuâ— also Paul signalizeth those eminent Saints who were his fellow-Labourers in the Gospel Phil. 4. 3. That their names were in the Book of Life And our Saviour propounds it to His Disciples as matter of highest Exultation That their names were written in Heaven That our poor insignificant names should be written in God's book and lâ—id up among His Treasures in Heaven when the Generality of Names even Names of Note are written in the Dust let it not seem a light matter to us Isa 56. 5. For this is that Everlasting Name which never shall be cut-off II. Inference The knowledge of this thing namely that God has thus taken Notice of our Names is a great Priviledge It enlarges the heart to higher expectations it gives boldness or freedom of speech towards God as if Nothing were too great for such a One to ask See how Moses grows upon it No sooner Exod. 33. 17. sayes God I know theeby name But Moses as rapt into the Second and fain would be in the Third Heaven presently replies I beseech thee shew me thy Glory III. Inference As it is matter of Honour and Priviledge So it will prove one of your best Titles to your Heavenly inheritance It will signifie something one day however by some too lightly esteemed Now when it shall be the great distinguishing character between you and the World Whoever he be that derives not his Genealogie from this Register Nehe. 7. 64. will be put from the Heavenly Priest-hood The New Jerusalem admits None Rev. 20 15. but whose Names are written in the Book of life yea every One that is not found written there Ch. 21 27. shall be cast into a lake of fire Therefore Give all diligence to make yâ—ur Election sure IV.
fast his Integrity Job 13. 15. This is a Love more Noble and of an higher Extract than those are acquainted with who Conclude That upon their doing This and That which they suppose every Man hath power to do they shall be saved For such kinde of love is Mercenary He will not stirr Nor look towards the Vinyard until he have agreed for his penny which yet he is not Content with when he has it The Other goes in and falls to his Work and leaves to his Master to give him What is meet which also he leaves to his Master's Judgment Mat. 20. 2 7 and 10. and not his Own and truly he speeds ne'r the worse for his so doing But I would not be taken to intend a Contentation or Willingness to be destroyed This I hope is cleared afore under the first general Head 2 Do you Own God's Sovereign Commands without disputing Abraham did thus in the business of Isaac although he could not see how the Promise of God and the killing of his Son could stand together And so will Abraham's Children do They know that their Lord is a Great King hath absolute Dominion and giveth accompt of none of his Matters What He is pleas'd to Command their duty is to obey without asking a Reason Why Or how will these things Consist Such demands they know become not the lips of those who live upon Grace 3 Doth your love towards God hold the same Course that His love hath done towards you All that God hath done or will do for His Chosen it is the Product of Electing love Does all your Obedience Rise from Love And does this love of yours grow out of His Is His Electing love the Root of it Is all that you do towards God in a way of Gratitude and with Designe to Glorifie His Grace And when the Lord seems to go from you Do ye follow the harder after Him As He for a long time followed you waiting That He might be Gracious unto you This is truly a God-like Love The eminency whereof lies in this That He loved us when enemies to Him and loved us into a likeness to Himself Answerable whereto we shall love Him Job 13. 15. even whiles our fears may apprehend Him to be our enemy And through the power of His Love secretly working in our hearts go on to love Him until the Glory of the Lord be Risen upon us You could not thus love God 1 Joh. 2. 19. if He had not loved you first 4 Do you Rejoyce in the thoughts of Electing love What it is and Whence it came What it hath designed you for and will bring you unto at last Is it your delight to Converse with the Book of Life And do you Rejoyce more That your Names are written in Heaven than if Devils were Subject to you When your flesh and your heart fail you do you look to Electing Love as your Strength and Portion and Count it a Goodly heritage Do you aim at That which Electing Love hath defigned you for and because so Designed If by any Means you may attain to it And are you better Satisfied to be at the Good Pleasure of God than at your own And bless his Wisdom and Grace for undertaking the disposure of your Eternal Interest Such fruit could not be but from that Seed of God Let me add a few Tokens more of True love according to the Carriage of it among Men. 1. He that loves Another will delight in his presence and seek Occasions of Conversing with him 2. Being absent he thinks much upon him and gives welcome entertainment to whatever may be a Remembrance of him 3. He will seek the Well-pleasedness of him who is the object of his love 1 By presenting things lovely to him 2 By avoiding whatever may disgust him 3 By a wary preventing or speedy removing what might give the Other occasion to be jealous of his love to him 4. He will Candidly Interpret whatever might seem a declining of the Others love to him And not be satisfied until it be recover'd or better understood II. Inference If you be of this happy Remnant of Election Then look for ill usage from the World Esau you know hated Jacob because of the blessing and so will the World you so soon as it comes to be discern'd Think it not strange John 15. 18 19. but take it as an Appendix of Election As a part of That you were Chosen unto And as That by which partly you must be fitted for the main End Heb 2 10. Your Lord Himself was made perfect through Sufferings And Those Foreknown were Predestinated to be Conformed to their Head Rom. 8. 38. ch 6. 5 in Suffering as well as Glory III. Inference Having trusted Electing love for Eternal Salvation see you distrust it not for things of lesser Moment When the Lord Ordained you to life He Ordained also All those various occurrences Windings and Turnings you should be exercised with in your way thither And 't is sure He does nothing in vain There is need of all sorts of weather for the Earth's good All-Fair would destroy it Know it therefore of a Truth that all your Concerns were Fore-determin'd of God and that so well as all your Prudence and love to your selves could not Mend it Nor can all your Care and Solicitude alter any of them either as to Matter or Form No Not to change the colour of an hair Matth. 6. 25. Therefore Take no thought But whence is it That Believers who have trusted God for their Souls should yet make so difficult of Trusting Him for their Outward Man And so Comber themselves with unprofitable burden Earthly things are nearer our Senses and thence we are more sensible of the Comfort of them as also of their want They also seem more within our line and Compass and so we Reach more earnestly after them and are answerably troubled when we fall shoâ—t Whereas we should carry it for Temporals as we do or should do rather for our Souls and Spiritual portion That is look to our present Duty Be diligent in our place and Content with such things as we have Heb. 13. 5. Bearing our selves as becomes the Children of such a Father so Rich Wise Bountiful Tender and Faithful to us Who always gives the best supply and That in the best Proportion Manner and Time Have therefore your Faith exercised As about the Greatest so also about the Smallest and Commonest Matters Use Grace and have Grace It is want of Vse makes lame of your right hand and Much using renders more useful Faith is the head of your Spiritual senses And if That be Active the Rest cannot be idle Nor much at a loss Faith also is a plain Dealer It represents things as they are Shews them in their true Dimensâ—ons with their use and end See therefore that you never hold a Consultation unless Faith be present yea and President
walking but He puts His hands on him agen and dismisses him not until He had made him see cleerly Zach. 9. 12. Then take them as Prisoners and Prisoners in the pit and he that will Deliver them must not onely open the Grate but disarm their guard knock off their shackles and bring them forth as the Angel did Peter Acts 12. 6 7. Joh. 10. 3 15 with Zech. 9. 11 12. even whiles the keepers stood afore the door He so Calleth His Sheep that He leadeth them out and this He doth by the blood of His Covenant 't is That makes those in the Pit to be Prisoners of hope And these Effects as duly flow from Redemption as light from the Sun 't is therefore expresly said That the blood of Iesus Christâ—oleanseth from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. And that we are sanctified through the offering of His Body Heb. 10. 10. This gave the Apostle to argue so positively in Rom 6 That if planted together in His death Rom. 6. 5. we shall be also in His Resurrection and to put that Emphasis upon it in chap. 5. That If Reconciled to God by the death of His Son chap. 5. 9 10. Much more shall we be saved by His life That saying of Christ in the 10th of John is much to our purpose And other Sheep I have Joh. 10. 16. Them also must I bring and they shall bear my voyce This Must imports a duty not to be dispensed with He had received a Commandment for it from the Father And this Shall ver 18. that Effectual working whereby they are made to believe The Sheep of themselves lye as cross to this work as other Men what have I to do with thee cries the possest Gadaren but being His sheep Mark 5. 7. Psal 110. Isa 29. 22 24 Psal 68. 18. He must make them willing But suppose they stopp their ears Then He is to bore them for He received gifts for the Rebellious Mens Averseness does not loose Christ his Right nor shall it render his work ineffectual For this very end God raised him up Acts 3. 26. chap. 5. 31. viz. To bless His People in turning them from their iniquities and to give them Repentance and that such as hath Forgiveness of Sins annexed to it Which also He doth as a Prince i. e. As One invested with Power to Remove whatever might lett the effect of His work To Him are committed the keys of hell and of Death Rev. 1. 18. From these premises I safely conclude That what Christ as a Redeemer came to do that He doth and will do and that None of His work shall fall to the ground What He saith in the 17 John is prophetical of what He will say at the latter day I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Of all that Thou hast given me I have lost Nothing I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest Me I have given them the words which thou gavest Me and they have received them Jeh 17. 6 8. More might be added but by these I hope it is evident That Jesus Christ was not only a Redeemer to pay our Ransom but the Officer appointed of God to set us at liberty even that glorious liberty of the Sons of God Isa 53. 10. and This is that pleasure of the Lord which shall prosper in His hand II. Freely All that God doth for Men or Gives to them in order to their Salvation is Given and Done freely Now a thing is then said to be thus Given or Done when it proceeds from the meer Good will and favour of Him that Worketh or Giveth without respect to any thing done or deserved by the Receiver Dan. 2. 30. It is a voluntary act supposing no obligation on him that gives Nor attractive or obliging virtue in him that receives nor yet expectation of Recompense from him Much need not be said to proove the free-giving of the things we are speaking of Did we duly consider three particulars 1. The Sovereign Greatness of Him that gives It is the Most High God Possessour of Heaven and Earth Who is Infinitely and Independently blessed in Himself and therefore cannot be Added unto nor Receive from any Creature Who can give to Him that gives to All their life and breath 2. The superexcellent and unspeakable worth of the things that are Given The first and Chief is our Lord Jesus Christ whose dignity is such That Heaven and Earth are too low a price to set Him at especially To be given as He was and in Him Righteousness and Strength Adoption and Reconciliation Grace and Glory 3. The vanity and wretchedness of those on whom they are bestowed Both Scripture and Experience speak nothing of them in their Naturals but what bespeaks a Condition every way deplorable and uncapable of yielding Motives for such a Gift as is shewn afore But being so greatly in love with our selves and fond of our own improvements and so stifly bent to a Covenant of works To help us off from those dangerous bottoms let us dwell a while on the following Considerations I. What is the Nature and Import of the Covenant of Grace This Covenant is that which all professing Christians profess to be saved by how-ever they differ about the Import and Latitude of it But if we receive the Scriptural Notion which needs must be the Rightest we shall finde That it is of the very Nature and Substance of this Covenant To give freely and absolutely without Conditioning for anything to be done by Men as the ground and Motive thereof All that God doth for those He will save is for His Name sake which Name is recorded in Exod. 34. 5 6 The Lord God Gracious and Merciful c. To be Gracious is To doe well to one that deserves ill And if otherwise it would be but after the Covenant of Works or first Covenant Which yet was not faulty or defective in it self for it gave a sufficiency to obtain the benefits contained in it which if they had used and improv'd as they might there would not have needed a second But the Lord forknowing the Creature 's mutability and consequently what need there would be of another kind of Power and Grace than that Adam was Created with Did therefore determine of a second which in Tit. 1. 2 is called The hope of Eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the World began It is called the Covenant of Grace not onely as designing the Glory of His Grace in the saving of men but as giving freely and of mere Grace and Favour what-ever must bring-about that Salvation For Where els can lye the difference between the two Covenants It cannot be in respect of the easiness and difficulty of the duties enjoyned by either For Faith and Repentance are much more above the compass of natural power than to forbear the forbidden Tree
also an important Argument for proof of this Doctrine The Lord's manner of dealing with His People of old and the Reason of it is an Instance above Contradiction The Promise of giving them Canaan was not more Absolute than the Promise of Salvation to Believers Nor was it less clog'd with Conditions Threatnings and Cautions which were afterwards added But the promise being once made absolute Gen. 15. 18. To thy seed will I give this land the Lord held Himself obliged in honour Chap. 12. 7. to make it good How often did He seem to be pouring out His wrath to destroy them First in Egypt Then in the Wilderness as appears by Ezek. 20. 8 13 21 22 and 40 verses And what was it that kept it off It was the Interest of God's Honour This put Him upon finding out Wayes to deliver them Ezek. 20. 14. I wrought sayes He for my Name 's sake The Lord did as it were labour and work to suppress His righteous fury incensed by their intolerable provocations His Name and honour were concern'd and that held His hands He had once made an absolute Promise which therefore must be made-good tho' they made themselves never so unworthy of it The like ye have in Isaiah 48 They had dealt very treacherously than which Nothing is more provoking But sayes the Lord For my Names sake will I deferr mine anger v. 9. And Agen v. 11. For mine Own sake even for mine Own sake will I do it For how should My Name be polluted The Lord will over-look a Thousand transgressions rather than expose His Name and honour to Reproach as once it was by a temporary suspension To Recover which and that His Name might be sanctified He will bring them home agen yea tho' it be in the eyes of Men a Thing impossible and they themselves doe think so likewise For Our hope is lost and we are cut off say they Ezek. 37. 11. and Lam. 3. 18. My hope is perished from the Lord. Whether at home or abroad they still caused His Name to be prophaned And for this His Holy Name He had pitty on them Ezek. 36. 20 21. For if He should have cast them off for ever It would have been said Either That He did not foresee how unworthy a people they would be Or He was not able to keep them in their own Land Or to bring them back agen Or els That He was Changeable in His Purposes and not true to His word c. some reflexion or other they would cast upon Him which He could not bear All which much more of like kinde is applicable to Belivers with respect to their Perseverance 4. Justice or Righteousness There can hardly be found a firmer support or more plenary consolation to Believers than That the Justice of God is engaged to save them For The Righteous Lord will doe no iniquity He would not Justify No Not His very Elect but in a way consistent with His Righteousness For which cause He set-forth Christ a Propitiation for sin Surely then having received the Attonement He will not expose His Justice to censure by leaving them in any wise obnoxious to comdemnation Salvation Now is their due Rom. â— 1 7. His Grace hath made it so By both giving and accepting such a price for it as engageth Righteousness it self to save them For Who shall eondemn ver 33. 2 Thes 1. 7 8. since 't is Christ that dy'd It is as Righteous a thing with God To give Rest to His People as tribulation to those that trouble them Paul therefore builds his expectation of the Crown upon this Attribute as well as any other Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day Yea this Righteousness of God secures to them Their holding out To finish their Course andto keep the Faith as well as the Reward when their work is done God is not unrighteous to forget His Peoples labour of love Much less Christ's This gave the Apostle to be perswaded better things of those he writes to than to be subject to Falling-away Heb. 6. 9 10. The blood of the Everlasting Covenant is engaged to make them perfect in every good work ch 13. 20 21. to doe His will Yea They shall bring forth fruit in their old age Ps 92. 14 15. and this To declare that the Lord is Vpright and no Vnrighteousness is in Him 5. The Faithfulness or Truth of God is also concern'd in the final Perseverance of Believers For having drawn them from all Created bottoms to a total Relyance on Himself He cannot but give them That they have trusted Him for The Lord will not be to His people as that broken staff Egypt was to the Jews to fail them at their greatest Need which is when they are lost driven away broken and sick and perhaps have no mind to Return as Ephraim who went on frowardly Then is the fit time for the Faithfulness of God to discover it self Isa 57. 17. 18. by seeking them out Ezek. 34. 16. Bringing them back Binding them up Healing and Comforting them To heal their backslidings as it shews the Freeness of God's love so His faithfulness The Lord will not behold iniquity in Jacob Numb 23. 21. i. e. He will not take notice of it so as to Recede from His Word For He could not but see their perversness and Murmurings for which He punished them severely and sometimes made as if He would disherite them but still He Remembred His Covenant and that Restrain'd it that He could not Cast them off The Lord had blessed and therefore Men should not Reverse it Neither themselves by their insufferable Contumacy nor Balaam by his Inchantments The Lord loveth Judgement Numb 23. 20. i. e. Truth and Faithfulness and therefore He forsaketh not His Saints Ps 37. 28. They are preserved for ever The Saints are in league with God Ps 50. 5. They have made a Covenant with Him by Sacrifice And it is a league of His own propounding by which He hath obliged Himself to protect them And tho' Men may break their Compacts the Holy One of Israel will not Numb 23. 19. He is not Man that He should lie Ps 16. 1. nor the son of man that he should Repent David having made God His Fortress Ps 31. 3 4. concludes from thence that the Name of God was engaged to lead and guide him Those Corinthians were as lyable to temptations as other Men who fell by them for they had strong Remainders of Corruption as appeares by both the Epistles and a subtil Adversary to observe and draw it out Besides They were highly gifted and so thought themselves above the Rank of ordinary Christians than which nothing could more expose them to danger But notwithstanding all these disadvantages they shall be kept The Faithfulness of God that
you all the service it can even the whole of what it was ordained-for But shall I say That Faith will then be dissolv'd and go-to-nothing I would rather express it as the Apostle doth the state of the saints that shall be found alive at Christ's coming 1 Thes 4. 17. They shall not die but they shall be changed Faith shall Then be turned into Sight and we shall have the Real presence Full possession and Perfect immixed fruition of that Blessedness we have believed and hoped-for 7. Gather hence Phil. 1. 23. both the Reason and Rationality of the Saints desires to be dissolv'd They knew that when this Earthly Tabernacle went-down 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. they had a better and more capacious building in Heaven They also found That spirits whiles dwelling in Flesh are too-much streightned and infirm either to bear the Glory they were made-for or to express an answerable thankfulness for it And for this they groned Not to be unclothed as weary of their present state but to be Clothed-upon with their House from Heaven 1 Joh. 3. 2. They were NOW the sons of God but what they should be and fain would be-at did not appear to them Nor could till the vail were Rent which hung as yet twixt them and the Holy of Holies Rom. 8. 23. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 14. Rom. 8. 21. The first-fruits of the Spirit which were both an Earnest and Foretast of future Glory inspired them with servent desires of liberty that glorious liberty which belong'd to them as being the Sons of God They had by faith laid-hold on Eternal life This they had still in their eye and earnestly pursued And so intent they were upon it that they even forgot what was behind tho very Memorable in its time The Much they had attain'd they counted for Nothing to what was coming Nor reckon'd for any Cost to gain that inestimable Pearl viz. The prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Phil. 3. 14. This they knew was a thing too-big for Mortal senses tho as highly Refin'd and sublimated as capable of whiles Mortal and therfore long'd for that day when Immortality should be their clothing The love of God shed-abroad in their hearts had given such a Divine Tincture Rom. 5 5. Cant. 5. 4. and so Transform'd and Wid'ned their souls as nothing could satisfie but that Immense Deep from whence it came Coll. 3. 4. They knew That when Christ their life should appear they should see Him as He is Not under shadows as of old Nor in a state of humiliation as when upon earth nor as since under Memorials and Representtations but in His state of glory The sight of which would make them like himself till Then they could not say It is enough They knew that the very Quintessence of Heavenly beatitude consists in the vision of God and that Heaven it self with all that Innumerable company of Angels and spirits of just Men made perfect tho' a very glorious and desirable society would not satisfie Heaven-born Souls if their Lord Himself were not there in His Glory Hence those holy exclamations and out-cries Psal 73. 25. Psal 42. 2. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee and When shall I come and appear before God! Good Jacob would go and see his Beloved afore he died and These would die to go and see Theirs This is the second time that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence from the heirs of Salvation Math. 11. 12. They know it is theirs and that they were wrought for that self same thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. and being theirs they might lawfully take it by force 8. Infer VIII 2 Pet. 3. 12. And for a close of all ye have seen what Paul and others did Go you and do likewise Hasten to the day of God and wait for it as they that watch for the Morning 1. Affectionately as a thing greatly desirable especially after a dark and toilsom night 2. Patiently and with Quietness Not precipitating but as knowing it will come and that in the duest season 3. Attentively as not willing to loose the smallest sound of your Master's feet 4. With Diligence also and Preparedness that neither Oyl nor Lighting may be to-seek when the Cry is made Be always Ready and Then Grone Grone I say for that day of Glory when life and Immortality shall be brought to light in Perfection When your self with all the Elect of God meeting in that Great and General Assembly Heb. 12. 23. the Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven may be intirely vniversally and everlastingly taken-up in admiring Electing love which so gloriously and happily shall have wrought all our works for us and brought us to the ultimate End it designed us for which was To be ever with the Lord To see Him as He is and to experiment the sum of that great Petition in the 17. Joh. 17. 21. Iohn That they may be One in us And in your way thither Carry this assurance still afore you That the same hands which laid the Foundation will also lay the Top-stone and that with shoutings And you shall lift-up to Eternity Zach. 4. 7 9. Deut. 33. 29. that loud and joyfull acclamation Grace Grace unto it Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved by the Lord the shield of thine help and the sword of thine Excellency 2 Sam. 22. 1 7. All thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places And which is more than Angels and Men can utter besides GOD shall be all in All 1 Cor. 15. 28. To proclaim which was the End of this work Amen FINIS