take heed of this Lastly Other sins though God threatens hell and damnation against them yet more specially against deadness did you ever hear of a more special threatning then that 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. when men â—oe not receive the truth in the love of it He doth not say When they do not receive it but When they do not receive it with affection with all their hearts You may see there how terribly God threatens when we do not receive the truth in the love of it we do not love Gods Word we do not love prayer and his ordinances we do not love the communion of Saints we do not love obedience to Gods truth this is a most woful thing though we doe receive it yet if we do not receive it in the love of it see there what he saith For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they might all be damned c. So when Ephesus lest her first love God threatned to remove the candlestick Rev. 2.4 5. When Laodicea was gâ—own cold and careless and of a middle temper Gods threatens to spuâ— her out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 When Eli was grown cold and remiss and wanted zeal and life to stand for him see how terribly God threatens him I will doe a thin that whosoever heares it both his eares shall tingle 1 Sam 3.11 Nay saith he I will judge his house for ever for this thing v. 13. What remains then but that we should with all our might and all care and diligence even set to both our shoulders for the casting off this sin of deadness that if it be possible we may come to be quickned and serve God as we ought to do and follow his heavenly Kingdome with eagerness that none of these things we have spoken may befall us Consider first we have life and why may not God have it He hath breathed into our souls the breath of life in him we live move and have our being he hath given unto us all life and breath and if we have life why may not God have it if he hath given us affections why should they not be given to him again if he hath given us thoughts why should we not bestow them upon him if he hath given us dispositions and inclinations why should they not be set upon him The Rivers that come from the sea return to the sea again It is said of the Macedonians that they did yield themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 So we should yield our selves to the Lord if God did ask any thing that were not in us it were another matter if we had no thoughts and affections if we had no heart and inclinations then no wonder thought we did not give him them but when we have them why should not he have them all things are of him therefore let all things be to him shall our lusts have our thoughts and not God shall the world carry away our minds and not God that is against reason Secondly Consider that all the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs as the Prophet speaks Mâ—cah 4.5 Every man walks in the name of his god let us walk in the name of our God So I say every man follows his god those that have their belly for their god all their minde and affections run that way those that have their pleasure for their god and their profit for their god how eager are they after these things as one saith the world is like the Ant poor little creatures they goe carrying of straws after their manner and are so busie so it is with the world what a deal of drudging up and down and going this way and that way is there in the world one for one thing another for another one for his Mammon another for the lusts of his flesh and the pride of life men are busy and stirring every one is setting forward why should not we be as forward in our way if we be Christians and the servants of God why should not we bestir our selves for him the Devil himselfe is a spirit and is working and busie as himself saith Job 2.2 Then let us walk up and down and bestir our selves this way and that way and every way for God and be as active and agile for him let us consider how the poor prisoners in Ludgate beg for a token what eagerness they use that though a man had no minde yet their importunity will make him give them something and shall not we beg earnestly of God to pardon our sins and quicken us and humble us for our deadness and for the time to come to make us earnest for the Kingdom to come if men be so earnest for bables how earnest should we be for these precious jewels Thirdly Consider the worth of these things the worth of the Kingdome of Heaven the worth of eternal life the worth of the Gospel the worth of prayer and all Gods holy Ordinances are they such poor beggarly trifles that we follow them with such a slender pursuit are they such beggarly commodities that they are not worth the looking after Certainly Heaven may justly challenge our best desires our best affections our best pains and endeavours and the best and flower of all our parts and learning as the Church saith Cant. 7.9 My beloved is sweet so our beloved is sweet sweet things goe down pleasantly so how should the word be and prayer be how sweet should all the things of our beloved be they should goe sweeâ—ly down nothing should delight us more When Solomon set up his Throne it is said that he laid out the best gold upon it so if we would have the crown of life we must lay out our best parts and affections and endeavours upon it how sweet should the calling upon God and the going to Gods house be what a shame is it that when such heavenly things such precious jewels are to be had people will not come to them whereas these things should be the sweetest things in the world if we were carefull of the good of our soules and were affected with Heaven and heavenly things as we ought to be we should be tender of this how should we take heed of pride and covetousness and any thing that should hinder us of so great salvation Fourthly Conâ—ider if we be quickned nothing will be hard all the difficulty of Religion is over if a man be quickned for nothing is hard to a willing minde when a mans heart and soule is set upon it nothing is hard as the Apostle saith to him that loves God His commandements are not grievous all the difficulty that we cannot pray and hold our hearts to the Word and overcome our corruptions all lieth in the deadnesse of our hearts if we would have mastery over our corruptions if our hearts be dead we must look for the more toyle as Solomon saith If the iron
dishonour God thus if we would go armed up and down we should go strongly if we would make serious resolutions to cleave to God and not to do evil this would strengthen us now when temptations meet us unresolved we are not able to put them off Fifthly We should frequent the Ordinances of God First We should be careful of hearing the word of God in a godly manner Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary Psal 96.6 there is strength to be had in Gods house in Gods courts his Word and Ordinances are the food of the soul that as bread strengthens a mans body so this spiritual bread of life strengthens a mans soul So again For prayer to go to God in prayer that would strengthen us Prov. 18.10 So the Sacraments they are a means to strengthen us to go to the Lords Table with hunger and thirst and serious consideration of our own unworthiness and of our need and with true faith unto it the Lords Supper is a means to strengthen as it is noted in the primitive Church Acts 2.42 so again for meditations if we would meditate of the things we hear of Gods word and his blessings and judgement and warning we have from day to day if we would digest these things and chew them from day to day they would yield a great deal of nourishment unto us as David saith Blessed is the man whose meditations are in Gods Law he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers side and his leafe shall not wither Psal 1.2 3. that man shall flourish like a green bay tree So for holy conference that is a great means to strengthen all good things as those good people when the times were bad mark how they strengthned themselves that they might not be infected with evil they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 Sixthly We should put forth our selves to the utmost in good duties it is our lazinesse and idleness that we are not more able to do good and that we are so frail and infirm to do any thing that is of God if we would take pains and put forth our selves we should be strong and indeed what is strength but taking of pains when a man puts forth himself as Eccles 10.10 that is a man must take the more pains the more pains a man takes the more strength he puts forth there is no creature that God hath made besides man but doth act to its utmost strength the fire burns as much as ever it can and the light shines as much as ever it can and the stone goes down as low as ever it can every creature works as far as it can but now man he can limit his strength because he hath reason and will and according as he sees a thing more or less necessary according as he sees it easier or harder to be attained accordingly he lessens or puts forth his strength and it is great reason that God should give man power to limit his strength for he is to deal with the creature as well as with the Creator and if he should love and seek the creature as much as ever he can this were Idolatry therefore the Lord hath given a man power to limit his strength not to let out all his love or fear upon any thing here below but yet God doth not give a man that power to limit his strength and the exercise of it towards his Maker but he should let out all towards God as David saith let all that is within me praise the Lord he opens his floodgates wide and le ts out all towards God Seventhly Consider that all received strength is worth nothing unlesse God give us new supply wherefore are true Christians weak at any time but because they think thus I had true grace in the morning and an hour ago I had the fear of God and the hatred of sin and the consideration of this makes him that he is not so careful to keep close to Christ and to take heed of falling he thinks I had power the other day and I was able to resist temptations then this makes a man weak he thinks he had grace a while a go and so trusts to that for if a man do not still look up to Christ and cleave unto him as if he had no strength the man is presently a weak man as weak as another man and cannot stand a man cannot be strong in the grace that is in himself but in the grace that is in God Eph. 6.10 Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And as Paul speaks to Timothy though Timothy were a man that was as strong as any man upon the face of the earth almost yet he bids him not count himself strong in the grace that was in him but in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 As it is with the air which is not strong with the light that is in it self but with the light that is in the Sun therefore we are careful not to shut the windows for if we shut the light of the Sun out the air though it be light now will be dark again in a moment therefore though the room be light yet we keep the windows open for the light of the air is strong in the light of the Sun so a Christian should keep his windows ever open towards Christ if a man ever turn his back again upon Christ and neglect Christ if he do not cleave to Christ and take heed he do not provoke Christ against him he is gone he is as weak as can be as Ezra speaks Ezr. 7.28 I was strengthned as the hand of the Lord was upon me no otherwise if the Lord should take away his hand he were gone though he had never so much strength wisedom and parts he were no body without God Eighthly Lastly Take heed of striving against knowledge or willingly that weakens us horribly and in particular take heed of pride no man so weak as a proud man nor so strong as an humble man as a Divine speaks a man that is sensible of his own weakness of his own being no body of his own folly and that he is able to do nothing of himself he that is sensible of this is strong as Paul saith 2 Cor. 12.10 when we are weak then are we strong that is when we are humble and weak in our own apprehension and consideration when we lay this to heart that we are weak then are we strong for this makes a man lay about him to cleave unto God I have laid down divers directions for the strengthning of those good things that are in us and I will now adde one more because it is seasonable for the time Make conscience of using and improving the Sacraments for they are excellent Ordinances to strengthen a man First The Sacrament of Baptism I do not mean the meer receiving outward baptism that is a weak thing
man resists temptations when a man doth watch and pray and is careful that he may not enter into temptations when a man is careful of all the objects and beginnings and occasions of sin when a man fights against the temptations of the flesh and warres against the suggestions of Satan and puts on all the armour of God to withstand the fiery darts of the Devil though he be tempted to be proud and wrathful and impatient yet he will not 't is true now and then he may be overcome against his principles and care and labour but that is as a dagger to his heart This is his course and practise to fight against temptatiâ—ns nay take him in the desperatest cases yet a godly man is sincere take him when he is most afraid that he is not sincere when he cries out how dastardly am I for God how dead in good duties how full of unbelief what a vile heart have I how filthy and untoward take him in these desperate lists he is not without sincerity and in this case he doth one of these two things either he walks according to the measure of grace given unto him or else according to the condition wherein he is 't is true the conditions Gods people are in are sometimes better and sometimes worse sometimes horrible distempers are up and sometimes they are down but when they are never so up he doth as a man in that case may doe as a man when he is bound hand and foot what can he doe if he rowle himselfe upon the ground that is all he can doe and this he will doe as you may see what David saith Psalm 119.40 It seems he felt himself marvellously dead and dull and wonderfully inobedient and he could not get hold of Gods commandements to doe them as he ought yet he rowls himselfe and thrusts himselfe forward to doe them he longed for Gods commandements he longed for the spirit of grace to assist him and quicken his heart Now a naughty heart is not good in all cases nay there are but a few cases wherein he is good at all Again Take an upright man in the lowest ebb he doth question his sincerity and he cannot quiet himselfe because he thinks he hath it not but this is certain a man that hath most sincerity doth most suspect the want of it that man is most eager and most questions himselfe as David was not he an upright man yet no man did suspect himselfe more Psalm 119.80 as who should say Lord I am afraid I shall be ashamed in the end I am afraid my heart is not sound towards thee and directly sometimes I am horribly afraid I shall be confounded in the end Now good Lord let me be found in thy statutes that I may not be confounded So it was with Christs Disciples when he said one of them should betray him though eleven of his Disciples were privy to themselves that they had not the least thought to betray him yet eleven of the Disciples did suspect themselves I may be the man that he means though they were privy to themselves for the present they had no such thought nay it was against the love and principles they had in them they did love him and fear him and believe in him to be the Saviour of the world and they durst not doe it yet they suspected themselves Master is it â— As who should say I have a baâ—e corrupt heart and it may be I for all the goodnesse that is in me and the love I bear to thee they were all more unquiet then Judas that was the man indeed when all questioned it he would question it also for company Seventhly an upright man is universal in regard of relations Consider him with good people and the Saints of God O how he loves them he honours them that fear the Lord Psal 15.4 Though they be never so poor and vile yet he honours them that fear the Lord as Elisha saith he would not have spoken but onely for Jehosaphat so an upright man he honours the Saints of God All my delight is in the Saints saith David Psal 16. Psal 119.63 Nay an upright man is faithful with the Saints as it is said of good Judah she was faithful with the Saints Hos 11.12 So an upright man is faithful with the Saints his heart closeth with them they are his bosome friends and the beloved of his soule But one that is not sound though he take himself to be a Christian and one of Gods servants yet he cares not for the people of God may be he cares for those that seem to be religious but if a man be religious indeed he cares not for him he is too nice and precise for him and he is false to the Saints and will shew them some slippery trick in the end Now again Consider an upright man with the wicked he carries himselfe upâ—ightly towards them he will not be acquainted with them nor all one with them lest he should countenance their wicked wayes as the Psalmist speaks He despiseth them that are wicked Psal 15.4 Let a vile man be never so brave and excellent and noble and high in preferment yet if he be a wicked man in the eyes of a godly man he is despised I doe not mean for his person he gives him the honour due to his place as he ought to doe a childe to his Father a servant to his Master c. as Paul Acts 22.1 Though they persecuted him he gave them their due but he abhors their courses and practises as Solomon saith A wicked man is an abomination to the just Now an unsound heart though he joyn himselfe to the people of God yet he cannot close with the Saints of God but abhors them and counts them vile Again Consider an upright man with his friends he is true to them especially to their souls Consider him with his enemies he doth not yield them railing for railing he dares not hate them that hate him but blesseth them that curse him and prayes for them that despitefully use him Consider him in his Family he sets himselfe to walk uprightly in the midst of his house if he be a Master he labours to be a servant to Christ and if he be a servant he labours to be the Lords Freeman and to be a profitable servant to his Master if he hath Superiours he gives them the reverence due unto them and if he deal with inferiours he makes himselfe equall with those of low degree Thus an upright man is good in all relations Lastly An upright man is good in all the manners and circumstances of his actions he is careful to doe not onely for matter what God commands him but for the manner as God commands him though he doth what God commands yet if he doth not find the love of God setting him a work he is not contented he must doe it in a right manner constantly duely faithfully and to a right end
of the Corinths 1 Cor. 4.3 4. I count it a small matter to be judged by you 't is the Lord that judgeth me As who should say I shall not stand or fall at your sentence what you think of me no the Lord judgeth me this is a great comfort So this comforted Peter when Christ put that triple query to him Simon thou son of Jonah lovest thou me As who should say thou sayst thou lovest me but how can I think it hast thou not denied me thrice therefore I ask thee thrice dost thou love me what saith he now Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This was his comfort that God that searcheth the heart knew it was his weaknesse and he loved him unfeignedly as who should say men may judge me to be a wretch and an Apostate and that I love my life and my liberty more then thee they may justly judge thus but thou knowest how I have grieved for it and have been ashamed of it and it hath been as a dagger to my heart Thou knowest all things and thou knowes◠〈◊〉 I love thee Secondly This may be a comfort against their own selves as a mans Conscience many times may have shrewd things against the people of God for the conscience by nature is legal and by nature a man is borne under the Covenant of works and conscience is apt to be very strict and severe against the children of God and to have shrewd things against them that they can hardly tell how to answer Now what a comfort is â—his to them though their consciences be unquiet many timespunc to think that God will search them out they shall not be judged by their conâ—ciences altogether but the Lord shall judge them As Paul did not onely set doâ—n a comfort against the censures of the Corinth but against his own conscience I am not my own judge Many times conscience may be abused and cry out there is nothing good nothing sounds no true good in my soul Now a mâ—n should say I must not judge my selfe but the Lord must judge me and search me out so that this is a great comfort to the people of God that God will search every man Thirdly This may stir us up to be able to stand out Gods search when he shall come and search First That we may be able to stand when offences come When offences come the Lord searcheth whether people love themselves or love his commandements and love his servants there be such horrible offences sometimes that if he doe not love God indeed he will stumble the commandements of God and his pure worship and service may be so derided and opposed a man may be offended at it that professed it before if he love it not indeed therefore Mâ—ttâ— 18 10 our Saviour saith â—oe to the World because of offences As if he had said when offences shall come they shall discover thousands in the world to be naught woe to the world when they come for these be searching things therefore let us labour when offences come that we may not be offended as Christ saith Matth. 11.5 Blessed is the man that is not offended in me That man is a blessed man that when all offâ—nces arise nothing can make him offended at Jesus Christ This doth plaâ—nlâ— shew that a man hath the grace of God in him when nothing can offend him not the means of Christ in the world in his members not the crosse that doth accomâ—any Religion not the multitudes of evil men not persecuâ—ions revilinâ—s nick-names poverty and disgrace nothing in the world can offend him but he will love God and feare him and keep close to his commandements this is a sign we shall stand when God searcheth us Again Let us be able to stand out against afflictions and persecutions these search men as it is said of Joseph when he was laid in prison because he would not yield to his Mistris the Text saith The word of the Lord tryed him Psal â—05 If he had not been sincere when he saw how the times went he would have been afraid and yielded to the temptation but the Word of the Lord tryed him and he was found to be sincere and godly indeed So when God afflicted Job Job 10. he saith Thou searchâ—st for my sins When God afflictâ— us or persecutes us or suffers any evil to fall upon us then he searcheth us and then if we be hypocrites and have onely a forme of godlinesse and are not sound at the bottome then God will finde it out it will appear when crosses and afflictions come it will lay a man open therefore let us be able to stand in afflictions to be dead to the world and worldly things to be able to deny our lives and livings and forgoe all the world rather then any of Gods commandements that when we come to be tryed we may be found to have faith more precious then gold Thirdly Labour to stand in time of difficult commandements sometimes God calls a man to difficult commandements that he cannot doe except he cut off his right hand and pull out his right eye except he will lose his life except he will be driven up and down like a vagrant Traitor and cast into prison sometimes may be God puts a man upon commandements that he must lose all that he hath if he doth them Now know God comes to search whether we love him best whether we will rather obey him or the world whether we love profits or credit or any thing more thâ—n him So when the young man in the Gospel made as if he were well-minded to enter into eternal life he was an observer of the commandements â—f God Now when Christ would search him he doth it with a diâ—ficult commandement the man was rich and he bids him goe and sell and give it to the poore this was a very difficult commandement and this discovered him to be a very wretch he was not able to doe it nay he went away sorrowful this commandement could not sink down into his heart It is so many â—imes the Lord puts a man upon difficult commandements such commandements that if he doe them the world will think him mad such commandements that if he doe them he must part with his living and all that he hath Now if we be not able to doe this we shall be discovered not to be good Lastly Let us be able to stand out against judgement for then God searcheth people most of all there may be something left after all the other searchings a man hath stood out persecutions and yet hath turned Apostate but when the panâ—s of death and the day of Judgment comes nothing shall be hid then therefore let us labour to stand then when the King of terrours shall appeare before us nay when the Judge of quick and dead shall stand before us The last Use is for exhortation Will God search us out then we should search our selves
could see an honest life and conversation whither he had pleased God saith he I communed with my spirit and made diligent search Psal 77.6 How have I pleased God and followed God what manner of life have I led he ransacked all his life and conversation and would be glad to see he had done the things pleasing to God it would be more comfort then if all the Angels in heaven had spoken comfort so temptations or afflictions may be upon us that we would be glad to see signs and tokens of Gods favour in sanctifying our hearts and making us to be obedient to his will and tremble at his word and if we cannot see these things woe unto us 1 Tim 6.19 charge them that be rich in the world that they be not high-minded c. So we do not know what times may come we had need lay a good foundation for comfort against the time to come and charge rich men that they be rich in good works charge all Christians all that desire to stad in the evil day to be rich in good works and abound in them and lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal life Lastly Consider that your want of obedience and good works is the cause of all Gods temporal judgements why God doth stop the bottles of Heaven and turns the Earth into dust and parcheth our Corn we see God hath begun the plague among us in the principal place of the Kingdom wherefore is all this see what the Prophet saith Jer. 3.3 therefore have the showers been withholden because you have been wicked thou hast an whores forehead and refusest to be ashamed thy carelesseness and barrenness under the means of grace thy impenitency and hardness of heart these have caused the showers to be withholden and have made God to deny the former and latter rain The second point is this As the Covenant of grace requires works so it requires perfect works he tells the Church of Sardis that he looks for works and perfect works but cannot find them so that the second Covenant requires perfect works But you will say how can that be Paul himself that was as forward a man and had as perfect works as any man yet he confesseth he was not perfect Phil. 3.12 so likewise here we know but in part 1 Cor. 13.10 perfection is not yet come in the world to come it may come Heb 12. there we read of the spirits of just and perfect men then men are made perfect but they are not perfect in this life I answer 't is true therefore there is a double perfection First A perfection of degrees to be perfectly perfect and so no man can be perfect by any perfection inherent indeed the Covenant of works requires this perfection but the Covenant of grace doth not indeed when we come to glory there shall be this perfection but not in this life in this life the Lord only subdues our sins but casts them not into the bottom of the Sea til the life to come therefore this perfection cannot be looked for upon earth Therefore secondly There is another perfection and that is a perfection by way of sincerity and uprightnesse Job 1.1 Job was a perfect and upright man Now this perfection differs from the other five wayes the perfection God requires in the Gospel from that in the Law First The Law stands upon performances as well as the will and desire and a man is not perfect unlesse he perform all as well as desire to doe it But now the perfection of the Gospel is without these performances indeed that man labours for as many performances as he can but it may be onely by desires Rom. 7.18 Paul was perfect by Evangelical Perfection he was upright before God yet he could not reach performances no he had a will to be good he did unfeignedly desire to be godly and serve God in every thing unfeignedly endeavouring after godly courses yet could not attain to that which he did desire So it was with Nehemiah and all the good people of God Nehem. 1.11 O Lord I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayers of thy servants who desire to fear thy name He could hardly say that he did perform it but he did desire it he could hardly say he did love and obey God and doe his will but this he would say he did desire to doe it and unfeignedly desire it as Solomon saith Prov. 21.21 He that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy findeth life He doth not say he that reacheth it he cannot reach it may be but he that followeth after it shall have life it is a sign that he hath the life of justification and that he shall have the life of glory Secondly The perfection of the Law it stands upon quantities as well as upon qualities truth it is not satisfied though a man be never so truly holy and religious unless man hath quantities and is so much holy But now the perfection of the Gospel indeed it will have as much quantity as a man can but yet it will stand with truth though a man hath not that quantity of humiliation and self-denial and power against sin yet if he have it in truth he is Evangelically perfect in some measure he is sincere and upright before God as Solomon saith of his Father 1 Kings 13.6 Mâ— Father had great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth He doth not say he walked before thee in legal perfection he was perfectly righteous but he was truly righteous he was humble in truth and godly in truth and zealous in truth he had none of all these things to the utmost yet he walked before thee in truth So Josh 24.14 Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth He doth not say serve him as if you should doe every thing he commands but doe it in truth and sincerity Now sincerity is when there is no commandement but a man sets himselfe to doe it there is no sin but he labours to avoid it and there is no right manner but he sets himself to doe it in the right manner to his power this is the perfection of the Gospel Thirdly The perfection of the Law stands upon full measure whether a man have power or no that is nothing to the purpose the law will have all holiness and righteousness whether a man hath power or no But now the perfection of the Gospel by way of sincerity it looks at what measure God hath given and bestowed and no more but what God hath given and enabled a man to doe as you may see the Lord doth not require the gain of ten talents when he gave but five nor the gain of five when he gave but two the widows two mites were accepted and taken for a good and sincere gift because she gave all that she had Luke 21.4 as the Apostle
doth purpose to make them come to himself and make them partakers of everlasting mercy God hath no such purpose when he calls the reprobate he hath a purpose indeed to do them good if it be not through their own default but yet notwithstanding he hath no such purpose and absolute intention to do them good he hath no such purpose to bring them to his Kingdome and carry them quite through in the business Secondly This is a secret in Gods own bosome and that is another difference wherein this calling differs from the other it is such a calling wherein God puts forth his power and the greatness of his power too God called the light and it came God called the Heavens and they came when as they were noâ— God calling of them they were made to come so when God doth call a man by his Spirit he calls a man powerfully he doth powre in divine instincts of grace and faith and all other holy vertues whereby the soul is made able to come to God the Lord gives the heart a kinde of touch that being touched by his Spirit it must and shall and will know God in Jesus Christ it puts in divine things into the soul whereby the soul must needs know him and come to him and be reconciled to him 1 Joh. 3.9 he puts his own seed into him he that is borne of God sinneth not for the seed of God remaineth in him the Lord puts an holy kinde of ointment upon his eyes and makes him see and that abides in him 1 Joh. 2.27 The holy anoynting which ye have received abideth in you Thirdly It is a continual call it is not a call and so away a call for a year and so an end but it is a continual call he never leaves calling of him till he comes home to him as 1 Thesâ— 5.24 Faithful is he that hath called you who will also do it as who should say he hath called you and doth call you and he is faithful and will do it he hath called you heretofore and made you come to him in truth and sincerity and he will still continue his call he will still do it more and more the Lord draws his people nearer and nearer to himself Now I will prove the Doctrine by divers particulars First Because a man then may be able to look back upon all his life even from his cradle to this day even before his call and see Gods love to him as Paul though he could not see it before yet when God had effectually called him he is able to look back upon all his former time and space he had lived even from his mothers womb Gal. 1.15 Who hath seperated me saith he from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace and so it was with David I have been cast upon thee saith he even from my mothers belly Psal 22.9 10. it is not likely that David was converted then but when God had effectually called him then he was able to go back all along even to his very infancy and trace Gods goodness towards him in this and that even to his very bringing him into the world Secondly This interests a man in all the promises of God 2 Pâ—t 1.3 Who hath given unto us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue if we know that God hath called us to glory and vertue then we know that God hath given us all things that pertaine to life and godliness to this life and the life to come we know it when God hath effectually called us we know that all the promises belong unto us as the Apostle speaks Acts 2.39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to yours that are afar of even as many as the Lord our God shall call look how many God calls so many do the promises belong unto all the promises of mercy and grace and comfort of strength and direction and eternal redemption the compleat working of it all these promises from the first to the last they all belong to a man when God hath called him when the Lord effectually calls a man he takes him out of the world to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and in whatsoever he hath done or suffered or purchased for his people Thirdly It doth sweeten all Gods promises to a man what is the reason we can hear such admirable things out of the Word and yet they affect people generally for the most part no more then a dry chip though they hear of the promises of God what promises he hath made to his people to their Prayers to their hearing of the Word to their receiving of the Sacrament what promises he hath made in adversity and prosperity in sickness and in health in life and death when they sin through frailty what promises they have to help them up againe when they are to do any thing what promises to assist them and go along with them when they are called to any employment what promises to sustaine them and bear them out I say though all these things be delivered to people things that were sweeter to David then the hony and the hony combe Psal 119.103 Yet generally people are not affected with these things the reason is because they are not able to say that God hath effectually called them therefore when they heare such things the heart cannot lay hold upon them they think with Francis Spera I have no part in these things they think 't is true they are so to Gods people but they think there is little comfort little sweetness in them because they cannot say that they are effectually called of God Fourthly If a man be effectually called this helps a man to pray Psa l. 119.94 I am thine save me when David was able to say thou hast called me to be one of thine then he was able to pray to God Lord save me Lord help me I am thine thou art my God when he was able to say that he had interest and propriety in God this did exceedingly help him and encourage him with boldness in prayer but when a man questions his effectual calling every petition a man puts up it is choaked a man cannot pray to God but he is beaten off there is no strength in such a prayer as soon as ever Paul was converted saith God to Ananias behold now he prayes Act. 9.11 Paul had prayed a thousand times before no man in Judea prayed more then he but God took no notice of his prayers but when God had effectually called him by his grace now the Lord took notice of his prayers and observed them and heard them and regarded them and inclined his ear to them behold now he prayes Fifthly This is a great encouragement to all goodness in outward things it is a great encouragement to a man to take them in hand when he seeth
to some purpose Sixthly Thou canst not sweetly go on in the waies of God all the duties of Religion will be a burthen to thy soul and thou wilt be weary of them which would be light and pleasant if thou didst know thy effectual calling of God but now they will be burthensome and thou wilt think the Sabbath comes too often and good duties come too often about they come so fast that thou hast no heart or minde to them for want of that which should sweeten the wayes of God to a man the knowing of God and what he goeth about and the knowing of him he hath to deale withal without this a man can never go on nay it is a wonder that thou hast not broken thy neck before this day that thou hast not turned back to folly and revolted cleane to the wayes of sinne that thou hast not turned back to be a drunkard and profane person againe it is a wonder that thou prayest in thy family that thou hast not given over all holy duties and reassumed the works of the flesh and cast off all the courses of a godly life it is a wonderful mercy of God that thou hast not apostatized Take a man that knows he is effectually called it is a wonder to see that man fall I marvel saith Paul that ye are soone removed Gal. 1.6 A man may wonder what ayleth that man that knows he hath an effectual call of God and falls that man is besides himself he is not his own man certainly if he turne back to folly when he knows God to turne from his Commandements to yeild to the lusts of the flesh and grow carelesse and negligent it is a wonder that such a man should be removed back but he that never knew of any such things he hath no knowledge of Gods goodness towards him it is a wounder that he doth not quite fall off for the knowledge of a mans effectual calling is that which doth preserve a man Jude 1. the Apostle saith Jude a servant of Jesus Christ to them that are preserved in Christ and called when a man hath an effectual call he hath that which should preserve him therefore when a man comes to know it what a sweet thing is this to be preserved of God to be kept and carried through when Gods people know not this they are subject to falls and returning back without the Lords wounderful mercy Seventhly What difference is there between thee and a very wretch as long as thou knowest not that thou art effectually called of God what difference between thee and one that is in darkness and under the power of darkness in thy own sence and feeling when David was but afraid of falling into this passe Psal 28.1 O Lord saith he be not silent least I be like them that go down into the pit he was afraid of falling into that estate of doubting of Gods love and the assurance of his love and favour least he should be like unto those that go down into the pit so may I say of those that are unsetled in their minds and do not know whether they have any good at all wrought in their hearts what difference do you see between your selves and those that are wicked and abominable you can hardly pitch upon any thing wherein you differ from a wicked man as Throgmorton said brother what will you say if I dye a reprobate so such speeches may come out of thy mouth what will you say if I dye a reprobate as David when he had committed those two foule sins and had blurred his evidences and could not see Gods goodness and mercy towards him he was faine to begin the world again create in me O Lord a cleane heart c. as though he were to begin from the very ground againe as if he had lost all and had nothing in him what a miserable thing is this Eightly Thou art of all men most miserable if thou knowest not thy effectual calling for other men though they have no comfort in heaven yet they have comfort in the world but as for thee thou hast neither comfort above nor here below the wicked of the earth they care not for thee because thou professest religion and thy conscience that mistrusts that God cares as little for thee because thou art not right and so thou art as a meteor hanging in the ayre cast out from men and God conscience will not let thee close with God nor close with the wicked not with God because thou doubtest whether thou art his or no not with the wicked because thou art strongly convicted that their courses are damnable now what comfort canst thou have when a man cannot tell whether to go this is the case of a man that knows not whether he be effectually called of God or no. Nay lastly Let me tell thee this if thou be totally uncertaine thou wert never effectually called of God to this very day but still remainest under the guilt of thy sins and the wrath of God and the curse of the law and the damnation of ungodly men for if a man be called he presently comes to be faithful chosen and faithful Rev. 19. it is faith that makes up the effectual call for this call differs from the other in that this call makes a man come to God by faith so that a man is a believer if he be effectually called now if a man be a believer there is some knowledge in faith Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength saith the text look up and down in all the Scripture there is some surety in every believer that he hath righteousness in God that he hath salvation in his name as the Church saith Isa 53.15 doubtlesse thou art our Father it is the speech of people that are marvelously troubled with unbelief and doubting yet at last they conclude it doubtlesse thou art our Father they cannot deny it so saith David Psal 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life 1 Joh. 5.19 We know that we are of God he doth not only say it is thus but we knows it is thus nay take the doubtfullest man that ever was which was Heman Psal 88.1 O Lord God of my salvation saith he he was able in some measure to speak it that God was the God of his salvation he was not totally uncertaine of it wheresoever there is faith there is some knowledge But then you will say what is the difference between the uncertainty that is in believers and other people it is true that all believers are effectually called of God but yet a man may be uncertaine now the question is how differs the uncertainty of a true believer that is called of God and others the difference is in these several particulars First A man that is effectually called of God as it may be he cannot say it so he cannot deny it
were his enemy and would slay him and now he was willing to do it so the Lord deals with a stubborne soul if it belongs to him he will overcome his heart and make him let fall his sinnes he will make as though he would slay him he will make him a weary of keeping his lusts before he hath done with him The Lord deales in this case as he dealt with the Philistins they would not send home the Arke what course did he take to make them send it home and send it home in pomp and great respect God did fling down Dagon which was their chief Idoll and the Lord smote them with Emerods And now they think with themselves let us send home the Arke of the Lord and how shall we send it home Let us provide golden Mice and Emerods they sent it home with cost and offerings So the Lord deals with those that belong to him he tires them in their own ways and makes them willing to come out at last Lastly the Lord doth it to knock his people quite and cleane off from all every man naturally hangs upon something and above all hangs upon his good works and good prayers and performances and this keeps his heart from seeing what a miserable creature he is this keeps him from mourning and zeal and fervency and all this while that he hangs upon these his heart is hard'ned he will never stoop and yield to God now when the Lord means to do a man good he knocks him quite off and plucks out of his hands all his works and makes him let all go not that he ceaseth to work but as the Apostle speaks Rom 4.14 He makes him as a man that worketh not not as though he worketh not for there is no carnal man works more then this poor soul in this estate he keeps a great deal of stir to find out mercy and obtaine grace from God there is none that mournes and laments more and goes to Sermons more but yet he is no worker now he is faine to go to his father to him that justifies the ungodly all his wayes are loathsome and abominable he seeth nothing to trust upon but is driven to him that justifies the ungodly he sees he is a vile wretched creature he sees no worth no reason why God should look upon him he is now pennilesse and worthlesse and miserable in himself the Lord makes him a very bankrout he thought he was a rich Merchant but now he makes him a very bankrout and makes him appeare to be naked First here all Dawbers are to be reproved that preach nothing but mercy and the promises of the Gospel many love alife to be upon such theames O say they the promises are best to humble a man and bring him out of his sins whom shall we believe God or man This not the way Ezek. 13.22 the text saith Ye have strengthened the hands of the wicked that he should not turne from his wicked wayes by promising him life When a man preacheth the promise of God before wicked and ungodly men this hardens their hearts and strengthens them that they will not returne from their wicked wayes because the promises are propounded to them and the Minister makes no distinction between the precious and the vile this strengthens them in their sinnes and makes them think they are not so vile but they hope they are in a good case for all this therefore Saint Austine calls such men desolatores not consolatores such work desolation in their hearers and no sound consolation such Ministers as make their Sermons to be pillowes under peoples elbowes they make themselves guilty of the peoples blood and their souls shall be required at their hands they are the cause of peoples miscarriage when a Minister thinks to do people good by crying peace peace when the Prophet saith there is no peace to the wicked this rather drives people further off from God may be it may make them seeme outward professors but it will never make them sound in the faith rebuke them sharply saith the Apostle that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 sharp rebuking the powerful delivering of the Law and Gospel is the meanes to mahe men sound in the faith the more humble a man is made to be the more faith he comes to have our Saviour saith of the Centurion he had not found the like faith in Israel how came this the text shewes plainly that we shall hardly heare of a man so humble in an age as he was he did even grudge to think that Christ should come into his house he thought he was unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe though he were in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of a servant his heart was employed and brought low he had no hope in himself all the worth he saw was in Christ this helps a man to the more faith the more a man is emplyed the more may be poured in Wherefore serve all those texts in Scripture The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evill flesh and blood can never enter into the Kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and such a one can never please God while the world stands Wherefore serve all these texts of Scripture when Gods flings balls of fire upon men that live in their wicked wayes Why do we not open them and presse them upon mens consciences Why do we not apply them to those to whom they belong are they not in the Bible were the Prophets fooles were the Holy Pen-men of the Scripture mistaken in putting such texts into the Bible If they be there they ought to be utâ—â—red and applied and if they be to be applied to whom but to those to whom they belong Then such persons had need to look to themselves and we that are Ministers woe unto us if we do not preach terrour to whom terrour belongs as well as mercy to whom mercy belongs but you will say are not we Ministers of the Gospel 't is true and so was Christ yet mark what he saith repent and then believe first he discovers their miserable conditions and breaks their hearts and then bids them lay hold upon the Gospel of peace this is the Method that we that are the Ministers of God should take first wound and then heale first lance and then bind up first detect mens sinnes and shew them their miseries and then shew them a remedy first let them see what they are and then see how they may be better Then you must be content to let us go up upon Mount Eball and pronounce the curses of God upon those that go on in their sinnes you must be content to have your estates and conditions ripped up be not ready to be snappish and murmuring against the revelation of the Law and the