carry you through from the beginning to the end Vse 1. Then certainly the thing is a possible thing a man may be able to say so it is a thing may be known effectual calling whosoever is partaker of it that man may know he hath it though it be such a great jewel such an admirable thing and happy is that man that ever he was borne when he seeth it yet it is such a thing you may come to see and know every man may know what estate he is in whether he be good or bad the conscience doth not onely excuse in good actions but also in a good estate preserve my soul for I am holy saith David Psal 86.2 his conscience did not excuse him onely in that he had done holy duties but in that he waâ— an holy man his conscience could witness with him that he was an holy man and on the other side the conscience doth not onely accuse in evil actions but also in an evil estate I and my people are wicked saith Pharoh Exod. 9. his conscience did not onely accuse him that he did evil actions but that he was in an evil estate not onely that he had done a wicked thing but was a wicked man and the reason of this is because how else should a man be commanded to shun a bad and follow a good estate if it were not discernable who are in a good and bad estate as we see we are called to avoid the one and follow hard after the other therefore it is a thing that may be attained to nay it is not onely a thing that may be attained unto but the children of God are wont to know it as Paul here to Timothy he hath called us we are able to speak it our consciences choake us not in speaking of it nay the doubtfullest man that ever was was Heman Psal 88.1 O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed night and day unto thee as who should say I am very much bewildered and much to seek and lost in doubts and fears marvelously oppressed and overwhelmed yet this I can say thou art my God the God of my salvation thou hast effectually called me to pertake of thy mercy and I have relation to that thou hast given me union with thee thou art the God of my salvation and so it was with David when he was at his worst hath God forgotten to be gracious will he cast off for ever c Psal 77. though he had named all their grievous passages of feare and despaire as a man would think yet at the self same time ver 5. I have considered the dayes of old he was able to lay hold upon this certainty I have been called such a time the Lord was gracious and merciful unto me I have believed I have tasted of Gods goodness and pertake of his mercy and known the forgiveness of my sinnes he looked unto the dayes of old he could not deny it though he were now miserably put to it he could not deny this but in the dayes of old God had been his God and he his servant and so Jonah when he was dejected and cast down and seemed to be in the belly of hell Lord saith he I am cast out of thy sight as if he had been cast off and quite at a losse yet at the selfe same time saith he I will look towards thy holy Temple Jon. 2.4 as who should say I cannot deny but thou hast effectually called me I have looked to thy Temple heretofore I have looked to Christ and rested upon thee for eternal life and for mercy and thou art my refuge therefore I will look againe to thee So Joh. 14.5 6 7. Thomas he speaks as if he had not known Christ Thomas saith he ver 7. thou dost know me nay when he made a vow that he would not believe except he saw the print of the nailes yet this was but in a fit for within a little space he saith my Lord and my God Joh. 20. I will prove this by reason that a man that is quite to seek that a man that is not able to speak with any certainty he hath not a jot of faith in this point to believe that he is the Lords for that man walks in darkness our Saviour makes it a brand of a man that walks in darkness that knoweth not whether he goeth Joh. 12.35 He that walks in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth whither to heaven or to hell whither he goes right or wrong to Christ or not it is a shroad signe that that man is in a bad estate that God never yet took him out of the world to the fellowship of Jesus Christ The first reason is because it is the office of the Spirit to make known to a man the things given him of God 1 Cor. 2.12 now saith he we have received the Spirit not of the world but the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God as who should say as God hath given us such and such things So we have the Spirit of God that can tell us the things that God hath freely given us when God hath given a man effectual calling it is a free gift and then it is the Spirits office to let a man know it and the Spirit will do his office nay when God effectually calls a man by his Spirit the Spirit saith to a man as the disciples of Christ said to the man that was brought to Christ Matth. 10.40 Be of good cheare he calls thee so when God effectually calls a man the Spirit saith arise be of good cheare the Lord calls thee the Lord of heaven and earth gives thee a gracious call to come to his heavenly Kingdome to believe in his name and to rest upon him for Salvation and for every needful thing for this life and the life to come the Spirit whereby a man is called doth speak internum verbum as Divines speak an inward word which the soul hears as well as the outward eare hears the external word our Saviour sheweth this Joh. 6.45 he that hath heard and learned of the Father saith he cometh unto me when a man is effectually called to come unto Christ he hears of the Father there is a word that the Father speaks not onely the word of the Minister but an inward word and that man hears a word from the Father and how can it be but a man may know it when he hears it for there is a word and an audible word a word whereby the Lord of glory speaks to a man when he effectually calls him to come out of his sins Secondly Because a man that is effectually called of God he is commaded by God to make his calling and election sure as we may see 2 Pet. 1.10 as who should say you may make it sure 't is true in legal precepts this doth not follow that if so be God bid a man to do it
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
must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Fifthly To proportion our Reward for though we are saved only by grace yet God doth proportion our reward according to the multitude and zeal and fervency of our good works for Gods Covenant is a remunerating Covenant for mercy doth not consist only in the pardoning of a man but also in the sanctifying of a man and the inclining of a mans heart to new obedience that there may be remuneration for though God doth not reward people for their works yet according to their works he doth 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly c. Though a man be a Believer and a godly man if he be sparing in his godliness he shall fare accordingly and if he be abundant in the work of the Lord he shall reap abundantly for as there are differences and degrees of torments to the wicked so there be degrees in the Kingdom of God and in glory and the Lord doth reward his people according to their works Lastly Good works are necessary by necessity of thankfulness it is necessary that we having received the forgiveness of our sins and God being pleased to be our God and to deliver us from the wrath to come and the power of Satan that we should be thankful for these mercies as David saith Psal 118.19 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts and be thankeful Col. 1.15 When David had considered what the Lord had done for his soul saith he what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits as soon as ever God hath been good to a man to open his eyes to let him see his damned estate and condition and to let him have hope and comfort and encouragement in him concerning deliverance from it and bestowing upon him his heavenly Kingdom and glory it cannot be but the soul must be thankful what shall I do unto the Lord for all his benefits you know there is nothing that we can do back again for these benefits except we will praise and glorifie him by living unto him and not unto our selves therefore when the Psalmist had reckoned up the benefits of God to Israel Psal 105.46 he concludes that they may keep his statutes and observe his Laws First Here we see how horribly the Papists wrong us when they say we Vse 1 do not teach people good works and therefore nickname us and call us Solifidians whereas we maintain a necessity of them and as great a necessity of them as they only we beat down the merit of them that no man may think to be saved by works as a reverend Divine Mr. Carter said we teach people holiness and righteousness and good works as if there were no way to be saved but by good works and again we teach that there must be as much hanging upon the grace of God as if we could shew no more to be saved then the vilest drunkard or adulterer all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth and it is Gods mercy that any of us have an heart to do good you see how the world runs after their hearts lusts and every man is of this disposition and it is Gods grace and mercy to incline any mans heart to walk in that way that tends to his heavenly Kingdom and if God should not be infinitely gracious to pardon us for our best doings they would rise up in judgement against us God might condemn us for all our prayert and performances Secondly This teacheth Ministers how to preach to people to call upon Vse 2 them that they have an operative faith not only to believe but to have a faith that may be fruitful and make their lives not to barren in obedience and to be abundant in the works of the Lord and to serve him and fear him and glorifie him in the world as the Apostle having shewed how Christ gave himself for us to purchase to himself a people zealous of good works saith he these things speak Tit. 2.14 15. We must speak these things and rebuke our hearers with all authority rebuke evil workers and tell them they turn the grace of Christ into wantonness they trample the blood of the Covenant under their feet and kick at the spirit of grace and misconstrue the meaning of the Covenant of God in Christ and rend themselves off that they cannot enter into life for no man without holiness shall see God Ministers should tell people plainly and affirm constantly that unless they bring forth good fruit they shall be cast into the fire and that without holiness they cannot have license and dispensation to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for God is an holy God and our faith is an holy faith and the promises are made to none but those that lead an holy and a godly life we must preach these things and reprove with all Authority and let people know that are loose Christians and Hell-hounds that if they do not depart from iniquity they shall see God as a Judge to condemn them for evermore Vse 3 Thirdly This confutes all the graceless conceits of men that think to be saved by Christ and yet walk not after Christ they cast not away from them the works of darkness nor renounce their wicked wayes and yet hope to be saved by Christ this is a cursed and blasphemous hope whereby a man blasphemes God 1 Joh. 3.6 whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him if a man live in his sins still that is the meaning of it and walks not after the spirit but after the flesh that man hath not seen him neither ever known him he doth not know Jesus Christ otherwise then the Divels know him otherwise then Hell-hounds and reprobates may know him for the second Covenant is as holy as the first and rather more holy and before God hath done it shall bring a man to a nearer communion with God and a nearer likeness it will raise the powers and faculties of the soul so as I believe Adam in innocency never attained unto so much participation of God as God by degrees will bring a man unto by the Covenant of grace therefore no man can look to be saved by Christ except he mean to be ruled by Christ and to have him for his Lord and Master and to obey him in all things if a man should lie sick in his bed of a burning feaver and should say he were well would you believe him so if we see a man that is burning in lust wallowing in sinful courses that hath a carnal and a worldly heart unmortified and unsubdued to God if he should say that he were in Christ and hoped to be saved by him believe him not all the world cannot save this man for the Lord Jesus Christ hath this very name Jesus not only because he shall save his people from hell but also from their sins and make them fruitful in all the works of God Vse
came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and other may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with thee yet God is there beholding thee though we should dig never so deep God can trace us and finde us out though we should be never so closely and cleverly wicked God can dive into us what we are Come in thou wife of Jeroboam saith the Prophet why dissemblest thou thy selfe to be another The Spirit of God revealed it When Gehesai wiped his lips O thy servant went no whither Did not my spirit goe with thee saith Elisha when the man returned He shewes how the Spirit of God which he calls his spirit because it dwelt in him did reveal his wretchedness Secondly As the Lord searcheth by his own Spirit so also by the spirit of man as for example by the spirit of the Magistrate he doth search out sly offenders when Solomon had said The King doth scatter the wicked Prov. 20.27 in the next words he answers an Objection How shall he finde out whether such a man be wicked or no A man may be brought before a Magistrate and yet have all the hands in the Parish for his good behaviour Now how shall the Magistrate finde it out saith he The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord that is as Tremelius expounds it the Lord helps the Magistrate to finde out these fellows though they be never so subtle and how doth he help him by the Magistrates own wit and wisedome it is the candle of the Lord the Lord gives him light to sift things and bring things to light and though wicked and ungodly men hang together though they swear and combine themselves hand in hand together yet if a Magistrate be an able man and gifted of the Lord the Lord hath set a candle in that mans minde to light him how to discover them As when the two Harlots came before Solomon the spirit of Solomon was the candle of the Lord that lighted him to discover which was the mother of the childe Thirdly God doth search a man by the conscience in a man himselfe sometimes you shall have a childe of God much afraid that he is not sincere and calls all into question anon the Lord discovers he is sincere and reveals he is upright how doth he doe it by his own conscience as the case was Davids one time he concluded all was naught and he had nothing of God in him and God was gone quite away and had shut up his mercy for evermore at last God revealed David to himselfe and that by his own conscience My own spirit searched saith he Psal 77.6 and then he saw that it was but his infirmity his own spirit and conscience the Lord stirred it up to make diligent search and David perceived himselfe to be as he was so on the contrary a wicked man may seem to have good hopes to be godly and to have an honest sincere heart and be a good Christian and he professeth himselfe to be so and if any one should charge him with the contrary he would say they were uncharitable Now this is a secret Now the Lord searcheth him out by his own conscience thus it was with Pharaoh he thought he did well in not letting the children of Israel goe nay he thought Moses was unreasonable to demand such a thing what to let six hundred thousand of his servants to goe out of his Kingdome at once there was no equity he should let them goe Now the Lord discovered this was nothing but the wretchednesse of his own heart and made his conscience cry out The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Rightly doth he call for it at my hands and rightly doth he punish me for not doing of it and I am a wicked man and have done it out of the wickedness of my heart Fourthly The Lord searcheth men out by his Word he doth thereby discover men to be what they are Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerful sharper then a two-edged sword c. and is a searcher and discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the hearts the Word of God doth search and discover men though they be never so secretly covered yet notwithstanding the Word of the Lord finds them out as you may see it discovered the woman of Samaria it made her give over all her wrangling and disputing the case with Christ it made her cry out at the last O come and see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done John 4.29 So the Apostle when he would exhort the Corinthians to expound the word in a known tongue he gives this reason O saith he if you doe thus it will discover people if a man should come in he will be judged by you and the thoughts of his heart will be made manifest 1 Cor. 14.24 The Word of God is a divine thing and it is a plain sign that it is the word of an all-searching God for it can meet with mens thoughts and mens secrets When King Ahasuerus said What shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour what man living could tell what Haman thought at that time yet the Word of God revealed the thought of his heart Hest 6.6 When David was dancing before the Ark and Michal looked out at the window what man could tell what she thought in her heart yet the Word of God sets it down She despised him in her heart 2 Sam. 6.16 When
he hath a calling thereunto Gideon was very earnest with the Angel that he might see he had a calling to that he was to go about Judg. 6.11 So it is in this divine calling it is a great encouragement when a man can see that he is called true it is that every man is called but I speak not of the general calling but of the effectual call when a man can see that he is effectually called of God this helps a man in all good actions then a man may go to God as to a Father he may go to the Sacrament as the seale of his righteousness and faith then a man may take Gods name into his mouth God challengeth the wicked for doing of it without his call Psal 50.16 What hast thou to do to take my name into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed now a man may take up the profession of religion and hold forth the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as Paul saith to Timothy fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life now marke the encouragement whereunto thou art also called 1 Tim. 6.12 Sixthly It is an excellent ground of a godly life when a man can say he is effectually called of God that man hath laid a good foundation to be a godly man he hath laid it low he hath built it upon such a ground that can never be shaken nor removed he that builds upon this foundation shall never be removed What is the reason why so many thousands undertake to be godly and are never able to carry it through others go about it and through the mercy of God are carried through stitch with it the reason is because those that are effectually called of God they have a good foundation they go upon the right ground as the Apostle Peter exhorting Christians to holiness and sanctity and righteousness of conversation be ye holy in all manner of conversation he doth presently lay down the ground whereupon he exhorts them whereunto you are called saith he 1 Pet. 1.15 so 1 Pet. 2.9 saith he ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy nation c. that you should shew forth the prayses of him that hath called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light In the last place this is the best means to help a man up againe suppose a man have fallen as the best of all Gods Saints and Children may fall and fall fowlly but when a man is effectually called of God this doth help a man up againe as it was with David Psal 51.14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God of my salvation c. he being able to say that the Lord was the God of his Salvation this made him to get up againe as who should say Lord I have committed murther I am guilty of innocent blood yet Lord thou hast called me by thy grace to be a God unto me thou art the God of my salvation I beseech thee purge me from my filthiness and cleanse me from my sins whereas there be thousands when they have committed murther it breaks their necks they never get up againe they are never able to finde repentance and a broken heart and to obtaine favour of the Lord that the sin be not laid to their charge but David though he had such a heavy fall and though it burst his bones and put him to much grief yet he got up againe because God had effectually called him The first reason of the point is this because effectual calling is an evident argument of a mans election unto life it is that which flows from election to life as Rom. 8.30 Whom he hath predestinated those hath he called c. as who should say them and none but them this is the lowest linke of that golden chaine if a man can but once finde that he is effectually called of God he hath a part of that chaine whereof one end is eternal predestination to life and the other is eternal glory now he knows that all the whole chaine of mercy from first to last from eternity to eternity all belongs to him when he finds himself to be effectually called Secondly This effectual calling is a sure and certaine pledge that a man shall have all Gods acts of mercy when God effectually calls a man he doth this for him not only as that particular mercy but as a pledge of all after mercies as it was with the delivering of the people of Israel out of Egypt he did not this onely as a parcicular mercy but as a pledge of future mercies for time to come therefore whensoever the Lord would assure the people that he would shew them mercy and do them good many times this is set down I have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 Nay when they pleaded for mercy they pleaded this as a pledge that God would shew them mercy Neh. 1.10 11. Now these are thy servants which thou hast redeemed by thy great power we beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to our supplication So it is with effectual calling it is an evident pledge and sure token that God will shew a man all his other mercies when a man is once effectually called though he hath all yet to do all the whole business yet to wade through it may be he hath abundance of estates and conditions to fall into before he dye why now he hath the whole compasse of Gods mercy to carry him along in it God hath given him a pledge of it and he may say to God Lord thou hast effectually called me by thy grace I beseech thee to justifie me I beseech thee to sanctifie me and help me by thy grace to pray and to go on through the several passages of this life to bear afflictions to humble me in prosperity and to stand upon my guard in sickness Lord sustaine me and in troubles and afflictions Lord give me patience thou hast called me and I have the pledge therefore I beseech thee do this for me as Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful who hath called you to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ as who should say when God called you to the fellowship of Jesus Christ he did not this as a particular mercy to you onely but as a sure pledge that he would shew you all other mercies and assure your selves he will be faithful and make good all these mercies to you go on with faith and affiance and courage for God will be faithful as the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 5.10 marke how he pleads that God would be pleased to give them grace the God of all grace that hath called you he make you perfect establish and settle you he that hath called you settle you he that hath given you a pledge he that hath vouchsafed you a pawne he will make it good he will strengthen you and enable you and
the guiltiness lieth upon his soul he cannot say he hath obtained mercy of God he is without God and without Christ and is yet in his sins for ought he knows Secondly As your consciences must needs accuse you so likewise you can have no joy in Jesus Christ nor any of his promises nor any of the gracious things in his Covenant because you know not whether they belong to you or no when a man knows not a thing he cannot have any joy in any thing as Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth a man cannot boast of that he knows not can a man boast of to morrow O I shall have a fine day to morrow when he knows not whether he shall have a morrow or no he may be dead by to morrow or his house may be burnt over his head to morrow he cannot rejoyce in it So when a man knows not whether he be effectually called of God or no what joy can he have what joy can he have in Christ or his ordinances when his conscience knocks him off and his soul stands in doubt whether these things belong to him or no he may catch at these as Josephs Mistres catcht hold on him but he left his garment and fled away so they catch at the promises and these things but they fly away from them and leave them as a shadow and they are as much to seek as before and it will be thus as long as a man doth not go on to make his effectual calling sure Thirdly Thou canst not tell what to make of Gods mercies and blessings to thee God hath given thee many blessings life and health and means and maintenance and sweetly provided for thee from thy cradle to this day and hath recovered thee out of many sicknesses and afflictions and hath given thee the means of grace and thou hast heard Sermon upon Sermon and hast had the acquaintance of his children and hast dwelt in the land of uprightness and seen the Saints of God and the examples of Gods Saints and thou hast had the motions of Gods Spirit from day to day and many good things God hath vouchsafed but while a man is questioning and doubting whether he be effectually called or no he cannot tell what to make of these things whether he should call them mercies or no whether they be in wrath or no to fat him up against the day of wrath to whom much is given of him much is required It is said of the Virgin Mary when the Angel saluted her graciously and comfortably the text saith she was much troubled wondring what manner of salutation this should be Luk. 1.29 So when the Lord sends abundance of sweet mercies the soul is troubled what mercies these should be are these mercies that come from Christ and flow from Gods goodness as pledges of his grace and favour or no he is troubled and cannot tell what to make of them what are these mercies and he is afraid he had been better to have been without them and better he had never known them it is a miserable thing when a man is uncertaine of his effectual calling for uncertaine of that uncertaine of all Fourthly Thou dost not know what to do in time of affliction when affliction comes as thou canst not but expect it every day yet when it comes how wilt thou bear it how wilt thou be able to suffer for Christ and to go to prison for Christs sake when thou dost question whether the truth ever made thee free if thou wert able to speak of God as thy Father and a Kingdom prepared for thee this would cast out fears feare not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom Luk. 12.37 but when a man questions whether God be his Father or no questions whether he hath given him a Kingdom or no yea whether any such thing belongs to him nay he thinks he is a wretch and he should wrong God if he should lay hold on such things this exposeth a man to fears what is the reason that many fall away in time of persecution it is because they want hold of God as Demas what is the reason he could not beare Pauls afflictions but fell away and embraced the world it was because he wanted Pauls hold a man must have hold some where if not on God some where else this is the reason why many break their necks and when persecution comes they are troubled and put by and make shipwrack of a good conscience and forbear to go on in that way which they ought to go on in and to yield to those things which they know they ought not to yield to When a man knows he is effectually called of God this will make a man suffer for God as the Apostle Peter speaking of the sufferings of the Saints hereunto saith he were you called knowing that Christ suffered for you when a man is able to say Christ suffered for me and God hath effectually called me to his heavenly Kingdom to pertake of Christ and his benefits and sufferings now this will beare a man out this man is able to endure the losse of liberty of means maintenance or any thing for the Gospels sake but before what shall a man do in afflictions as long as a man doth not know that he is effectually called he doth expose himself to hazards and breaknecks and who knows what may be Fifthly Thou canst not pray with any courage thy prayers are but lith and lanke and weak as water thou canst not come boldly to the throne or grace thou art afraid thou art none of Gods and none of Christs afraid that thou hast not received the Spirit of God that thou mayst be the child of God and art afraid that thy prayers are not accepted of God but he turnes them into sin thou canst never have boldness unless it be the boldness of impudence but never the boldness of confidence how shall a man call upon him on whom he hath not believed a man without faith cannot please God he cannot pray to God O my Lord saith Manoah c. Judg. 13.8 if he had not prayed with faith knowing that God was his God his prayer had not had successe but this made him pray with the more boldness and strength when the Priests of Baal had done praying and God would not hear them marke what Eliah saith I am thy servant Lord heare me 1 King 18.36 as who should say here be people praying they pray they know not what and to they know not whom they are none of thine but I am thy servant heare me Lord he comes and acts a better part and he will be heard before he goes and finde acceptance before he departs when a man can say Lord I am thy servant I am one whom thou hast redeemed and effectually called heare me Lord this man prayes indeed he prayes
opening of the hellish sink of sin that is in your hearts be you willing to hear it and let us do it 't is true we must be ready to poure in Oyle into every bruised spirit but first we must come with the hammer of the Law to breake and then bind up let me tell you as many as go on in your sins and are yet without Christ let me tell you what your condition is be it known from the Lord whatsoever you may think you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity hell is moved for your coming and the pit is digged for such as you are you are under the wrath of heaven and though God be gracious and full of mercy yet he will never save those that disobey him and stand out against his Holy and Heavenly Word though Christ died for sinners yet he is a stumbling block and a rock of offence to those that are disobedient and stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2.8 Whatsoever you may think of your selves and do not think of these things but suffer the world and your pleasures to take up your mindes think of it what a woefull case you are in know that the great God of Heaven and Earth hath bitter things against you and you shall heare it with both eares when it is too late there is no mercy but for them that repent and forsake their sins there is no Kingdome of Heaven for you you have no hope the Devils and you have one hope What turned so many Angels of Heaven into Hell was it not sin you have that very sin upon you you do not see your misery but if your eyes were open and would but heare what God saith you would loath your selves in dust and ashes and your knees would knock together for anguish of heart What no conversion yet no new creatures yet then no Christ no Heaven no Happiness what a woful thing is this I beseech you think of it and apply it and tell your soules either sin must down or else no Heaven to be looked for either I must be an holy man either God will give me grace and holinesse here or else I shall never see his face with comfort hereafter either I must have my life changed and my conversation made spiritual and godly by Jesus Christ or else I do but deceive my own soul to think of any happinesse this is certaine therefore do not think lightly of any sin there is no sin so small but is able to damn thy soul unlesse thou embrace the Gospel and the Kingdome of God If it were possible that thou never hadst sinned but one sin that one sin will damn thee unlesse thou be a new creature and by Faith embrace the Son of God thou canst not be saved there is no sin so small but the wrath of God from Heaven is revealed against it if people did but see their sins like so many Devils if they did but once see these Cockatrices stings if people were but affected with their estates and conditions something might be said but unless mens sins be laid before their eyes and charged upon their souls what hope have we to do them any good Thirdly this is for comfort to those that are humbled such as have had the Law come unto them and hath knocked them off that they have nothing to trust to and they see what miserable creatures they are look up and hear what the Gospel saith the Gospel of God sheweth mercy freely to be had and delivers promises freely to be apprehended and doth proffer eternal life without money or moneys worth though a man be never so vile and wretched if you see your misery you have Davids own argument go and use it Psal 25.16 Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted all the Saints of God have no other argument but this in begging of mercy as who should say I am a miserable creature no grounds whereupon to expect any mercy I am a desolate afflicted undone man in my self all my hope is in thee go to God and lie at his gate and plead this argument submitting to the Gospel Have mercy on me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted and here now comes in effectual calling when the Law hath shewed a man his wretched estate and his blindness and nakedness and captivity if the Lord do mean any mercy to a man here comes in his effectual calling 2 THES 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ I Have spoken already of the prepatory work that goes before Effectual Calling the next thing I am to speake of is the parts of Effectual Calling and they are two First the offering of Christ and his merits the objective propounding of Christ and his benefits when Christ comes and offers himself to a man in the Gospel he came to his own John 1.11 but his own received him not he came and offered himself to them I am the way the truth and the light I am the Messias and the Saviour of the world and I have eternal life and here I am take me and all with me this is the first thing in Effectual Calling the objective propounding of Christ to a man The second thing is the receiving of Christ not only the offering of Christ to a man for so he offers himself to those that are not of God even to all but in Effectual Calling as there is an offer on Gods side so there is a reflection on Gods side as many as received him c. John 1.12 they received him these two now make up Effectual Calling the offering of Christ and the receiving of him when Christ calls a man to him and he answers to his call thus you see the parts of Effectual Calling First to speak of the first the objective propounding of Christ and all the things of Christ to a man and this hath two degrees like the morning light that hath two parts the dawning of the day and the Sunnes arising so there are two parts in this objective propounding of Christ to the soul the first is that general propounding of him to every creature now the soul thinks what to every creature then it is propounded to me as well as to any body else but the effectualness of this call is that it breeds the seeds of grace in a man it breeds saving desires and saving longings and saving and kindly mournings for the want of this sweet good when it sees such an excellent good and a possibility of it and that it is propounded to every creature then the soule thinks I may be one as well as any body else and so the soul longs after it The second thing is the personal propounding of this to those that have these seeds of Grace the first was general to one as well as to another but now this is to this mans
he doth it to stay the soul that it may not sink under the hand of God I will revive the heart of the contrite ones I will not contend with them for ever Isa 57.16 17. Lest their spirits faile before me as who should say if I should let my wrath into their souls and should not put in this hope and reviving into their hearts their very spirits would faile before me and sink under me they would be at their wits end and be utterly overwhelmed therefore God puts in this that he may help their soules if God should shew a man his sins as they are in his ire and shew him all the corruption of his nature and his filthinesse from the womb till now and reckon with him for this in his soul and conscience and let him see what a cursed creature he is his spirit would faile before Almighty God and the stoutest creature under Heaven were not able to stand under it but would rather take an haltar and hang himself then undergo it now when the Lord deales with a man he puts in this supporting hope to stay him up otherwise the soul were not able to hold Secondly if the Lord should not put in this hope it would utterly disable a man from looking after Heaven when a man conceives no hope this breaks the neck of all his endeavours a man will not toile for nothing and lay out his strength and all that is in him when he conceives he hath no hope at all He that plowes plowes in hope c. 1 Cor. 9.10 therefore when a man can hardly see any hope this doth ever vale a man it makes a man rather despaire it makes a man do as commonly people do when they see they must go to hell they fill their souls with pleasures and delights there is little hope for them to come into the strict way that they will ever be able to beare it that they may have mercy like those wretches Jer. 2.25 There is no hope c. there is no hope we have loved our own lusts and after them we will go When people have not hope to get through this makes them desperate they care not what they do and they grow carelesse and negligent many a man hath said so I was of the minde once to be precise but the further I pried into it the worse I was and these Preachers will make a man mad when people finde humiliation so hard a thing they think they are not able to wade through and so leave it when they have no hope to go on they grow remiss and loose and carelesse in this kinde it makes a man desperate when this hope is gone therefore when the Lord hath a minde to do good to a man and encourage him to go on in the wayes of holinesse he puts some hope into the soul and when a man sees some hope then he will pray and fast and humble himself the Lord lets in this hope and so prepares a man for himself Thirdly because he will not do all at once but work upon a man by degrees the Lord could put faith into the soul at first but the Lord will first make a man a probationer of faith the Lord will first have the seed sowen and then quicken in the ground and then have a blade and then an eare and then harvest Again the Lord will so do it that he may be sought to for every mercy and therefore first the Lord gives a man natural parts that he may come to Church and hear the Word and then the Lord knocks him down that he may be abased and then he shatters him all to pieces that he may look out for hope and then when he hath gotten hope the Lord makes him seek out for faith and when he hath gotten faith to seek out for other graces and when he hath them to seek for the accomplishment of them the Lord will be sought to for every thing and it is fit we should seek to him though the parent doth not engender the reasonable soul in the babe but God doth create it immediately yet none of us do count marriage superfluous so though God doth give this grace of faith only yet we are not to account the using of means in vain the Lord doth not power in humane wit into stocks and stones but into a body fitted and ordered for a reasonable soul so it is in respect of faith and grace the creature shall be first ordered and fitted for grace there must be preparation and a foregoing work it is his manner of working he will so work as he will still be sought unto of all his people though they have not faith if they have hope they shall seek to him for faith as it is with a Scholar if he will be a Scholar or Fellow of a Colledge he must sit for it so the Lord will have a man sit for it he will have a man sit at the pool of grace and seek to him for it before he shall have it This shews us the graciousness of our good God that when he takes us to do for our sins He remembers us when we are in our low estate for his mercy endures for ever Psal 136.53 when we are at the brink of hell at the very bottome of destruction and in the belly of damnation when we know not which way to turne our selves then he remember us for his mercy endures for ever thus the Lord deals with his people for their good as he opens the casement that his justice may look out upon us so he sets his mercy in the window that we may see it through the glasse that we may not be overwhelmed this is the goodness of God and were it not for this no man should be able to abide his look nor bear his displeasure when he breakes out upon a man this is the infinite goodness of our gracious God to deal thus favourably with his people therefore you that have gotten this hope know that the Lord might have held you down to this day and he had justly served you if he had done so therefore whosoever of you are in the briars do not repine and grumble because you are not refreshed as others are if you have but the least cranny of hope to hang upon make much of it it is more then God owes you how easily might the Lord teare the soul all in pieces when he comes to deal with a man when he shews a man his sins and abominations he might make them as heavy as rocks and mountaines unto him and break him all to powder it were just if he did so now when the Lord puts in this hope what a wonderful mercy is this When God told Hezekiah Behold thou shalt die he presently bade him take a lump of Figgs and healed the disease so what a mercy is this that God saith Thou shalt die thou art a damned creature and bids him
be little enough to assure the soul of Gods favour and that he can and will pardon such transgressors therefore I say look upon this doctrine it is for those that are dejected with their dead hearts that they may yet receive some comfort to their souls The last day I shewed you how far forth a child of God might be dead but some may say I cannot believe a child of God may come to this and thou art confident thou shall not come to this therefore I will speak a little further of it And first Let me tell you there is not the fowlest haynousest abominablest the most notorious scandalous sin in the world but the most devout godly mortified man upon the face of the earth may fall into it if he take not heed except the sin against the holy Ghost I will instance in some particulars First For Idolatry gross Idolatry will you think that ever a child of God that believes in his name and is acquainted with his word and his goodness and mercy and his jealousie against this sin and iniquity should fall into it should fall down and worship a stock a stone a creature you will never believe it yet you shall see the wisest man that ever was and one that was beloved of God did fall into this sin in a great degree 1 Kings 11.4 Solomons wives drew his heart away from God they drew away his heart from God in an high degree and they did not nakedly draw away his heart from God but they drew his heart after other gods If a man should say I hope I shall never fall into this sin I say let us hope so still and go on in using the means if we be so confident let us take heed that none of us come to bowe to the creature let our own hating and abominating of it be a watch-word to us to take heed Secondly What say you to apostacy nay almost totall apostacy that a child of God should grow to be an apostate which of you would think it that he should come to curse and bann himself if ever he knew Jesus Christ or loved him or ever did countenance him yet you may see a child of God and a notable one too fell in this fashion Peter he did curse and ban himse lf that he never knew the man Mark 14.71 this is very far Thirdly What say you to persecution to persecute a man that is godly dost think that a man that hath the image of God in him that hath the knowledge of the Scripture that hath the fear of God before his eyes and a sympathy with all the Saints of God in the world that this man should ever persecute one that is godly and for his godliness too would you think this yet directly thus it is Asa a godly man for a fit as long as the time lasted when the Prophet reproved him for his sins and dealt roundly with him what was this but gracious dealing yet the man did not only not submit to the Prophets reproof but his very heart rose up against him and he cast him into prison he was a persecutor of him 2 Chro. 16.10 in one word what enormous flagitious sin in the world is there but a child of God if he look not to himself may actually fall into but the sin unto death Noah a Preacher of righteousness the holiest man upon the earth the world had not his fellow yet he fell to be once drunk David a man after Gods own heart a man of admirable experience a man that traded as far in mortification in holiness and righteousness and walking with God and acquaintance with him and his Laws and promises as ever any Saint in the Old Testament yet he fell into the sin of murther and adultery yea to make a man drunk and that otherwise a good man too one of the worthiest of all the Kingdom you see this is clear there is no sin so desperate the sin against the holy Ghost excepted but a child of God may fall into it therefore he had not need to be carnally confident Secondly When a child of God hath fallen thus into some fowl sin he may be much hardened wofully deaded and benummed and grow blockish and untoward to call upon God and go on in any of his waies become marvelously unfitted and indisposed to the use of Gods ordinances nay he may be grown to that pass that he should never rise up more but that for the infinite goodness of God that doth bring him again home and lift him up again by renewing his faith and his repentance you may see when Jehoshaphat had struck with Ahab and helped the ungodly and loved him that hated the Lord though he were smitten in the field and were like to have lost his life and saw what danger he was in for joyning with Ahab yet all this did not humble him the Lord sent after him by hue and cry rousing up his conscience by his Prophets if he had not done thus God knows how long he might have lain thus so David he found a deadness in all goodness when he had committed those foul sins he found no working of Gods blessed spirit his own spirit grew dull his own heart grew dead he was as if he had never known what grace meant create in me O Lord a new heart Psal 51.10 his sin was like to a sweeping rain that leaves nothing like to a consumption that wastes all it was even like a Thief that breaks into a mans ware-house in the night and a man knows not what he hath lost till he casts up his accounts and then he seeth he hath lost almost all his estate so it is with the best of Gods servants if they give way to sin contrary to evangelical obedience God knows what a Thief they let into their soul they know not what they have lost till God give them an heart to cast up their accounts and then they may see that they have lost almost all that they have who knows what God may do it is a fearful thing you see a child of God may not only fall into foul and fearful sins but he may lie in them Then Thirdly To go further when a child of God is come hither then you will say certainly this man must rise up again quickly grace will not let him lie dead 't is true God will not for ever let him lie dead but for how long he shall lie dead no man nor Angel can tell as the Church speaks concerning her misery there is never a Prophet never an ordinance of God all is gone to wrack and there is none among us can tell us how long Psal 74.9 so when a man hath fallen into sin and hath pulled distempers into his soul there is none among us can tell us how long 't is true Peter got up again within a few hours but David got not up again till after ten months and may
be unthankful to God for his grace and goodness and mercy vouchsafed unto him The second Use Is is so that a child of God may be left to himselfe to Vse 2 fall fouly then let every one that hopes he hath any grace learn the words of Saint Paul Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2 12. Hath any man gotten quickening goe on with fear and trembling hath any got softness of heart in the fear of God goe on with a trembling heart and consider how brittle your hearts are they are like glass you had need goe charily and tenderly up and down grace is a fine delicate thing if it be cherished and preserved and stirred up what a deal of good may a man attain unto if God hath been good to any of us to give us any saving grace we are very fooles if we look not to it it is a dainty and delicate thing it cannot enter indeed into a mans heart to conceive what a great mercy God hath vouchsafed unto him if he hath bestowed any grace upon him therefore be chary of it and remember Lots Wife remember those fearful examples remember how David brake his bones remember the miserable distressed uncomfortable condition thou mayst bring thy soul into if thou dost not take heed to thy selfe and if thou beest in such a condition consider what gracious promises there are to help thee up again and what gracious examples to make thee think with thy selfe there is yet grace and mercy and quickening for me and if I seek God he will assuredly be found of me The third Use Is it so that a childe of God may fall so foulely Then Vse 3 let not any man stumble at this Doctrine let not any think a childe of God cannot fall to be so dead I say doe not stumble at it but rather see if it be not thy case if thou art not fallen down into this depth of misery for what have I said did not I say that a childe of God might lose his zeal Look abroad what zeal is up and down what yearnings when the Church is in misery nay what need we look abroad who hath zeal against his own sins and corruptions Again did I not say that a childe of God may lose his affections what affections are now a dayes we heare Sermons but what affections are stirred up either in hearing or speaking the Word of God So for prayer what affections are there in prayer So for sin what griefe is there for our sins There is no affection or sorrow at all in us Where is that same anguish of heart that should be in us for our corruptions they are even lost I speak not of wicked men only but even of good people though they be sensible of their deadnesse and hardnesse of heart though they see it yet they are not able to relent at it Then for desires where are they Did I say a childe of God may have hardly any desire almost not be able to wrestle with God for grace and tug for it and is not this our case What frozen prayers what cold devotions are sent up from day to day So did I say a childe of God may be senselesse of sin How far hath this distemper grown upon us now a dayes our hearts might even ake to be privy to that backwardnesse and untowardnesse and unfruitfulnesse I say it might make us to be at our wits end until we were delivered and yet no man complaines there is complaining in a dull manner but no mans heart bursts almost Again did I say a childe of God may grow palpably vain and proud and worldly that a man that hath but halfe an eye may see it and take notice of it is not it thus among us how do we discover our shame wheresoever we come those that have but half an eye see how worldly we are and how we have no mind to God and the things of eternal life is not this our conversation from day to day nay the very world sees it they see how heartless good people are grown Vse 4 The last use may be to rap all mens fingers off that think to comfort themselves with this that hath been said there are these things will answer these conceits first all this is nothing to thee unless thou weâ—t once a godly holy zealous man for all these examples are of men that were once zealous and forward for God and goodness they were once changed from the estate of nature to the estate of grace And again when they were fallen they gat up again and were the more wary and watchful afterwards but it is not so with thee Now we come in the next place to shew what are the causes of this deadness of mens hearts in these times wherein God hath revealed himself more fully and clearly the general reason of this is the giving way to sin and not looking to themselves to abstain from sin and have a care of the commandments of God and walking before him as they ought to do which thing is an horrible deader of the heart as Solomon speaks concerning the adulterer he knows not that the dead are there when a man gives way to sin to worldliness or passâ—on or any other corruption he doth even go where the dead are and there where the guests of hell are if a man gives way to pleasure to be carried away with sinful delights this will dead a mans heart as the Apostle sheweth of the Widows that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 they were dead while they were alive as soon as ever David gave way to his sinful corruptions his heart was deaded presently upon it as may appear by the prayer he had afterwards when he came to himself and to look out for quickning uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51.12 as who should say I feel a base dull slavish spirit come upon me that former liveliness that was in me it is wofully decayed sin had made a mighty breach in his soul it had knockt off his wheels and made him dull and therefore he is fain to pray that God would give him a free spirit again so it was with Peter as soon as ever he had given way to his curiosity and security and presumption he would needs go and see sights he would go into the high Priests hall and see how the business went he did not see the proneness of his heart to be carried into sin now you may see how wofully it deaded his heart in a moment as soon as the damsel spake thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee a man would wonder how no life at all almost appeared in that mans heart if he had had any life would he have carried himself in that fashion his life was so gone that he cursed and sware that he never knew the man if he had any life in him he would rather have said what if I were with Jesus of Galilee I was
with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send forth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13.12 it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12.1 If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21.34 sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and aâ—â—iâ—ting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.13 he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man go on so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5.18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the very thought of it dulls him it is like a stone upon his heart now let a man sin against grace and the goodness of God and Gods gracious dealing let a man sin against these it doth put a man to a most hard task to go through to go and humble himself before Almighty God and the soul shall find a world of conflicts that he is loth to come to it loth to deal about this bitter business to go about to renew his repentance with bitter remorse for his sins it is like a desperate debtor that hath run himself over head and ears in debt the very thought of coming to a reckoning is death to him he cannot abide to think of it it is like a boy that hath made false Latine if his Master should call him to construe and pearse it and give a rule for every word he knows it is not according to rule he hath not looked after rule and every thing is false now he cannot abide to come to construe and pearse it so when a man hath provoked God by his sins and hath broken his covenant and slighted his ordinances when God calls him to construe and pearse what do you make of such an action and such a word and such a thought the heart is even afraid of these things as a dog is of a whip it is an hard task to be brought to this as David when he had yielded to his security and idleness and unwatchfulness and so had given way to Satan you may see what an hard task he brought upon his soul and how his soul was ever
reason that so many become very unsavoury and unfruitful in their lives the reason is because they do not watch what drowsie thoughts have we to be delivered from the wrath of God what lumpish heartlesse care have we to doe good duties This is the reason of the vanity of our minds and the hardness of our hearts and that so little good is done by preaching among us because people doe not watch When you sow your corn you set hullers to drive away the fowls so why doe you not set up hullers a watch over your own hearts that so it temptations come to pick away the Word and the benefit of it you may resist them how should we labour to hide the Word in our hearts that it may do us good The second Use is to exhort us all to take up this duty of watchfulnesse Vse 2 nay to watch in all things as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 4 5. to watch in our eating and drinking that we may not eat and drink our bane to watch in company that if they be good we may get good by them if evill we may get no hurt from them we should watch in good duties for we shall meet with the Devil there too every one that hath the fear of God before his eyes whatsoever grace he hath he should watch over it whatsoever good work he hath to doe he should watch that he may goe on in it for watchfulnesse is an helpfull duty watch and pray it is helpful to prayer and so for all other duties it is a duty destinated to another duty so that we can doe no other duty without watchfulnesse therefore we had need to watch First Consider the misery of them that doe not watch they must needs decline and wax worse and worse you see the Church of Sardis here for want of watchfulness grew dead nay the very good things in her were ready to die Secondly Consider the good of watchfulnesse if we watch we shall be satisfied with grace if we have grace we shall increase it Prov. 20.13 Slothfulness keeps a man in poverty but he that openeth his eye shall be satisfied with bread It is true as in outward things so in spiritual things let a man be drowsie and slothful he shall be a poor man and a beggar and shall have nothing to shew for eternal life but if thou wilt open thine eyes and look about thee thou shalt be satisfied with bread with the bread of life with the image of God with righteousness and holiness the more thou watchest the more abundantly will God bless thee Thirdly Consider that men in their outward callings are watchful the shepherds watch their flocks and the husbandman his seasons when to sow and when to reap his corne when to sell it and when to buy it how much more should we for the good of our souls Fourthly We should consider the examples of Gods Saints David he watched at midnight I will arise and praise thee he would rise out of his bed in the night and pour out his heart before God and bless God for his goodness he would not doe it in his bed but he would goe out of his bed and doe it by his bedside upon his knees how should this stir us up to watchfulnesse Now I come to the second Remedy and that is to strengthen the things that remain and the rather because they are but remainders and ready to die and their deeds are not perfect before God These words are diversly interpreted by Divines some understand them personally Strengthen those persons that remain as if he should say to the Angel of the Church Thy people are generally cold and dead and drowsie there is hardly any life in them now those that do remain strengthen them that they may be awakened they are ready to die there are hardly any of thy hearers that are upright and sincere before God therefore strengthen them thus Pareus and many others interpret it and this is a very good sense for a Minister is bound to strengthen all his people if any be drowsie to awaken them if any be dead to quicken them and the Lord complains against Ministers when they doe not doe thus Ezek. 3.4 The diseased have they not strengthened c. But then there is another Exposition of these words given by Divines that understand it of things and not of persons and so it is in the Original Strengthen the things that remain that both Minister and people would strengthen the good things that were in them for the Minister was grown weak and remiss and the people weak in all good things Now the Spirit calls upon the Angel of this Church and in him upon all the Congregation to strengthen the good things that were in them So that the point of Doctrine is this that it is every Christians duty to labour that he might be strengthened specially if he hath had more grace formerly then now he hath it is every Christians duty to strengthen the good things that are in him For the opening of this word strengthen it hath an opposition to weakness Now there is a double weakness First Of those people that are unconverted that are weak to the resisting of sin and doing any that is good they have some principles in them to resist sin and doe good but they are weak as common illuminations and natural conscience and fear of wrath and hope of Heaven and shame of others and the good example of others and living under the means and restraining grace and the like these things may do a great deal of good but they are weak and cannot make them resist sinne and doe good soundly thus unconverted people are weak This is not properly the weakness that is opposed to strength that he would have them get out of the weakness of unconverted people Therefore secondly There is another weakness and that is of the children of God themselves they have weakness to resist sinne and doe good and this is twofold First There is a weakness of Beginning Secondly of Declining First In beginning when a childe of God is a beginner in grace and is but a babe Heb. 5.12 When for the time ye ought to be c. Such as are babes have need of milk they cannot digest strong meat they are too weak for that as may be a new beginner hath gotten faith but it is weak he is not able to apprehend the promises of salvation and the assurance of Gods goodness and mercy towards him he hath much ado to apprehend Christ himself and uphold his heart so a man may have some knowledge but it is weak and some resolutions and endeavours but they are weak corruptions bear him down and his mortification is weak he cannot master many of his heady and mighty lusts Now such people as these are to be exhorted to strengthen these good things that God hath begun in them Hath God begun any good things in
any sin and corruption but if he hath not these he can never get up again as the Apostle saith Heb. 12.12 13. lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make strait paths for your feet c. as who should say if you will strengthen your feeble knees then though they be lame they will rather be healed then turned out of the way but if you let your feeble knees be weak still then if you have any lameness or any distemper you will be turned out of the way but if you strengthen your feeble knees when you have been lame and have any distemper you will rather be healed then turned out of the way You shall see when Israel were without the true God and were distempered they were Idolators and all manner of wickedness was grown upon them now when God would have Asa purge out these abuses see how he calls upon him 2 Chron. 15.7 be strong c. now in the words following we may see Asa did strengthen himself and reformed all the abuses and set up the worship of God and went on admirably in that work now he had gotten strength Reas 5 Lastly If we have not strength we can never do any thing God bids us with ease but if we have strength we may not only do what God bids us but do it with ease as when a man hath a strong memory he can get two or three leafes by heart with ease he hath it presently another that hath a weak memory will be conning and conning it I know not how long and as fast as he remembers one thing he forgets another he hath much ado to get it so if a man have a strong judgement and understanding though he meet with an hard word or passage he will understand it and pick out the meaning whereas one of a weak understanding may be studying all the dayes of his life and yet never apprehend it so when a man hath got spiritual strength he can do what God bids him do and leave what God bids him leave with ease he may pray and humble and deny himself with ease and lay those lusts aside which before he had as live have parted with his blood as parted with them when a man is strong in his love to God and strong in the consideration of Gods goodness and mercy he can do these things with ease my yoak is easie saith Christ and my burthen is light whereas to a natural man it is the heaviest yoak and burthen in the world for a man to be tied to abstain from all vanity from all vile passions and inordinate affections from all sinful pleasures and covetous desires it is a burthen intollerable for a natural man it is because of his weakness but now a gracious heart that hath gotten spiritual strength can do it and do it with ease Vse 1 The first Use is to condemn those that have no strength at all that are not capable of this Exhortation we cannot say strengthen the good things that are in you because they have no good things in them at all they have nothing of saving grace and of the covenant of life wrought in them they have nothing but the common graces that may be in a reprobate as Paul saith Rom. 8.7 of the carnal mind it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be it cannot be subject there is no strength of grace there is strength enough but it is let out upon the world may be they have strong parts and gifts but there is no strength to this duty to be subject to the Law of God he is not able to do it as Christ saith of the corrupt tree it cannot bring forth good fruit it hath as much strength to suck from the earth and to bud and blossome and bring forth fruit and as much fruit as a good tree but it cannot bring forth good fruit so a natural man thinks as much and speaks as much and eats and drinks and sleeps as much as a godly man doth and goes about the business of his calling and hears the word of God may be and prayes as often as a godly man doth but he is not able to bring them to a good end to do them well he hath no strength at all as Christ saith to the Scribes and Pharisees how can ye escape the wrath to come they had great parts and strength in other matters but to escape hell and shun the wrath to come they had no strength to do that they were as weak as water there what a woful thing is this when a man hath no strength to overcome his sins and deny himself when men â—ave eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 this is a miserable condition for a man to be in Secondly This may condemn those that though they have some good things in them yet they do not strengthen them that are of the strain of the Church of Sardis that let their graces dye and decay and go down the wind and perish and consume they suffer a consumption in their graces rather then watch and strengthen the things that are in them what a lamentable thing is this though our faith be never so weak we are hardly able to lay hold upon one promise and when we study to find sign of conversion in us we can hardly find any and yet notwithstanding people will not strengthen their faith and other graces Let us not deceive our selves if we be Christians let us shew it by the strength that is in us for if we be true Christians we must be able Christians to do all the works of God able to fight against our corruptions able to do good duties able to obey the Gospel he that hath the least strength of true saving grace is able to be upright in all his wayes he is able to observe all the commandements of God in some measure he is able to carry himself uprightly against every evil way in one word he is able to keep all the word of God in some measure he that hath but the least strength of grace is able to do this as the Lord saith Rev. 3.8 of the Church of Philadelphia though she had but a little strength yet she kept the very word of God a little strength of saving grace will make a man do more then the whole world can do it is able to make a man reach above all the reach of nature and all natural parts and morality and civility and all the fair carriages that ever were it is able to go beyond all there is more wisedom in the least degree of saving grace then in all the Politicians in the world and more knowledge in the least fool in Christs school then in all the wise men under heaven I mean true saving knowledge therefore let us not deceive our selves but as we desire to be able to say that we are true Christians let us
saith the Church that is while the King was enjoying communion with me and I with him I was just at the same time very well employed I laboured in some measure to stir up all the graces that were in me that my Spikenard might send up a sweet perfume into his nostrils that my faith might work and my love might work so while we are sitting at the Lords Table and the King sitteth down to bid us welcome we should labour to be well employed to keep vanities out of our minds and employ them well that we may have a good meal before we go Sixthly Because people when they have been at the Sacrament they do not examine themselves diligently whither they have got any good by the Sacrament I have received the Sacrament have I got any good by it is my faith strengthned am I yet backward to Gods will untoward in his worship dead in his service am I still hovering and doubting in my conscience have I no care of God have I got no good by the Sacrament if people would but call themselves to account whither they have got any good by the Sacrament this would do them a great deal of good it would make them bewail and lament and cry out if they got no good people let things run on at six and sevens if they get good so it is if they get none so it is but lay it not to heart whereas a godly heart when he hath been at an Ordinance calls himself to accoÌ„unt and takes it marvellous heavily if he see he hath got no good as the Church when she prayed and saw her prayers did not prevail it was a bitter thing to her Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow Lam. 3.44 when she saw she prayed and strived and tugged with God and there was no comfort O how she took it to heart she made it the burthen of her complaint so if Christians would do thus The Sacrament doth not take the Lord covers himself with clouds and hides himself from me he will not own me we should go crying and yelling up and down to see that we do not get good by the Sacrament if we would do thus we might get good by it Seventhly If people do get good by the Sacrament afterwards yet they do not interpret this to be by the goodness of God in the Sacrament may be they meet with some comfort and assistance now and then which might do them a world of good and strengthen their hearts wonderfully if they did look to it when they have gotten many good blessings now they do not construe this to be by reason of Gods Sacrament and Covenant if they did look upon it O this came by vertue of Gods Covenant and the seal of his Covenant to my soul this would make them strong in Gods Covenant and help them exceedingly thus David did if he got any mercy at any time still he laid it upon going to Gods Ordinances this I had because I kept thy precepts This I had because I prayed unto thee and sought thee earnestly I followed God earnestly and now I see his infinite goodnesse and mercy towards me how he hath rewarded me I confess it was a poor thing I did God might even have flung it as dung in my face but see how he hath rewarded me So if Christians would say this I had because I was careful though I had formerly neglected Gods Ordinances yet at last I came to seek him earnestly with my whole heart and to come more preparedly and diligently to the Lords Supper and now this I find I had by it how hath God blessed me since how hath he assisted me and lifted me over many rubs and temptations I will have a care of this therefore afterwards this would strengthen a man wonderfully but for want of this people get litttle good Eighthly Because Christians do not rowse and stir up the Sacraments that they have partaked of formerly they do not provoke their souls to extort the efficacy and fruit of former Sacraments when Moses had perceived that all Israel had entered into Covenant with God he rowseth up their hearts to look upon this Covenant Deut. 26.17 18 19. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God c. As who should say you have entered into covenant with God this very day now rowse up your selves and and consider what God hath done this very God hath promised you to set you up above all Nations then stir up your selves and believe God and say Why should I distrust God certainly he will blesse me and do good to me and this day thou hast vowed thy self to God therefore rowse up thy self and think there is no going back I have made a covenant and taken the Sacrament upon it and now there is no going back as Luther speaks of a good Virgin she was marvellously tempted by her lusts and corruptions she helped herself by the covenant I am a Christian and am baptized I have taken the Sacrament upon it and will not yield and this did marvellously help her but when Christians neglect this no marvel though they continue weak still nay most people though they have been at the Sacrament make no conscience of their vows to God they break covenant with God therefore no marvel they get no good by the Sacrament REV. 3.2 Be watchful therefore and strengthen the things which remain c. STrengthen the things which remain As who should say thou hast some grace in thee but what grace nothing but the remainder of a great deal more thou hast had formerly thou hast been more earnest and more fruitful and hast abounded in the work of the Lord thou hast had more a great deal thou art horribly grown down the wind thou hast nothing but the remainders of what thou hadst therefore it is high time for thee to go and strengthen the things that remain Now here by the way before we come to the main point we may observe That a child of God cannot fall totally away there will be ever something that remains though he may lose much of his good graces he cannot lose all though Sardis was brought to a low ebbe yet there was something remaining I say a child of God can never come to such a low pass but he shall have something remaining he may have horrible declinings and woful decayings of grace but he can never come to this passe to have no grace no faith no love to God no caâ—e of his name to be a wicked man again there will be something remaining in him that is good as we may see 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for the seed of God remaineth in him a child of God that is born of God cannot sin that is he cannot absolutely and totally fall away there will be good things in him as long as he lives there will be a seed
remaining in him for ever he can never be a bankrupt and come to nothing he shall be a godly man and a child of God and one that fears Gods name for ever he cannot lose all though he lose much as it is said of Jehoshaphat though he yielded much to sin and gave way to the lusts of his own heart in an horrible manner yet there was something remaining in him though he had greatly dishonoured God and distempered his own soul so far forth as to love the ungodly and to help those that were the enemies of God yet saith the Text there are good things found in thee he was not quite deprived of all the graces of Gods blessed spirit but there were good things in him still so the five wise Virgins though they slumbred and slept and were exceeding secure yet their lamps were not gone out I may compare a Christian to a cup of right Canarie Wine that no frost in the world can quite freeze it may freeze it very much but yet there will be some spirits of the Wine remaining unfrozen so godly men are an everlasting foundation all cannot possibly be spent and consumed in them they shall have something remaining in them Now I will tell you First What is not the reason of this Secondly What is the reason of it First Not any thing in himself it is not any grace received in it self it is nothing in thee no not the image of God in thee nor any holiness nor mortification there is nothing in him keeps him from falling away for let a man have all the grace that ever any man had he may fall totally for all that nay if he were as holy inherently as Adam in his innocency he may fall away totally nay if he were as holy as the Angels in Heaven and were in the same estate that the Angels in Heaven are they are not immutable in their own nature therefore that they are confirmed in grace it is Gods goodness and mercy to them it is nothing in themselves those Angels that do stand may fall notwithstanding any thing that is in them no grace received will keep a man from falling totally away if he have not the fountain and the favour of God to keep him if he have not a better bottom then himself intrinsecal unchangableness is only a property of the Lord Mal. 3.6 All creatures may change if they had a thousand times more of the image of God yet they may change and fall and lose all notwithstanding any thing they have received it is nothing in a mans self Now I will make this appear that it is not any thing in a mans self First Because the godliest man in the world is bid to look upon himself as one that may fall absolutely into any sin in the world in himself for all the love he hath of God he may yet hate him for all the fear he hath of God he may yet slight him a child of God is commanded to look upon himself as left to himself to be in a woful case that he may fall finally and totally away to be nothing and worse then nothing as the Apostle saith Gal. 6.1 if a man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual restore such a man knowing that ye your selves also may be tempted that is consider it may be thy case thou mayst be tempted to fall as well as he and worse too you that are spiritual though you be never so spiritual though your minds be never so wrapt up with God and taken up with spiritual things yet you are not so spiritual but if you will hearken to the counsel of your own hearts you may be carnal and brutish look upon thy self as a poor miserable creature though thou hast never so much grace thou canst not keep it unlesse thou hast a better keeper then thy self Secondly Because the people of God are bound to fear themselves I bring the very arguments that they bring that hold a child of God may fall away totally therefore I grant them that the arguments are good that in themselves they may fall away and I say a child of God is commanded to fear be not high-minded but fear that is though thou hast an excellent faith and standest by faith yet be not high-minded do not think thou art higher then thou art and remoter from the power of the flesh then thou art be not proud and conceited for all the faith thou hast thou mayst distrust God and if God leave thee to thy self thou mayst be an unbeliever and as vile an infidel as ever breathed upon the face of the earth in thy self thou hast as vile a wretched heart as any man which if thou wert left to thy self would quickly shew what it is Phil. 2.12.13 work out your salvation with fear and trembling for God worketh both the will and the deed As who should say I do not deny but a child of God both depend upon the good pleasure of God and is built upon his eternal counsel he is not built upon his own pleasure he doth not stand upon the hap hazard of his own will but upon the good pleasure of Gods will but saith he it is our part to fear for we for our part may fall we can do nothing no more then we are holpen no more then God doth stand by us and keep us from falling it is our part to fear and tremble from day to day as the Apostle saith Heb. 4.1 let us fear lest having the promises of entring into his rest any of us should fall short Let us fear as who should say we are in danger of coming short we are in danger to fall and not to reach the Kingdom of Heaven how many temptations are there what a vile flesh do we carry about with us therefore let us fear Thirdly The children of God are commanded to take heed lest they fall totally away where note they may for all that is in themselves for any grace that is received therefore God calls upon them to cling to him and â—o cleave to him that he may not be provoked to withhold himself from them as we may see Heb. 12.15 take heed lest any man fail of the grace of God c. Take heed look diligently to your selves lest any man fail of the grace of God if you mean to go to heaven I can tell you you must have care and diligence and look to your selves take heed you be not proud and worldly take heed you suffer not security nor any other corruption to steal upon you and hinder you from going on in a godly course take heed lest any of you fail of the grace of God what do these words import but that a man in himself is in greiveous danger in regard of falling totally away so 1 Cor. 10.12 he that stands let him take heed lest he falls though he stand never so firm for the present though he be
what our works are whether good or evil as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith First Conâ—ider we can never repenâ— of what is amisse in our selves or in our works except we search our selves Let us search our selves and turne unto the Lord â—am 1.43 If there be hypocrisie or hollow-heartednesse in us if we doe not search it out we cannot bewaile it and shake it off Secondly Consider it is a character and mark of the childe of God that he doth desire and is one that doth search himselfe nay he doth not onely use all the meanes he can to doe it but he doth cry and groan to God to help him as David saith Psalm 139 23. Search me O Lord c. As who should say Lord help me to search my heart I have looked into it and turned it topsy turvy and I cannot finde but I am upright but I feare my selfe still O help me if there be any way of wickednesse in me shew it me A childe of God is one that doth indeed deâ—ire to know himself and to know the worst of himself Thirdly Consider if we doe not search our selves it will be the worse for us for God will search us and if we doe search our selves we shall scape well when he comes to search us but if we neglect this duty what saith Job Chap. 13.10 So I may say Is it good that God should search us oâ—t is it good for us to leave all this work to him to neglect our owne soules to lay aside our lives and consciences and bosomes and never to â—ansâ—ck them from day to day never to enquire into our owne bosomes that we may reforme our selves but leave all to God to search us doe you think this will doe well saith Job Then when afflictions and death and judgement shall come that then God should search you and lay before you your works therefore as you desire when God shall search you you may be found upright be careful to search your selves FINIS 2 TIM 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began IN this verse the Apostle declares what God hath done for him and for Timothy he hath saved us that is he hath redeemed us with the blood of his Son and freed us from sin and from Satan and from hell and hath given us title to eternal life he hath saved us 2. He hath called us that is he hath given us a pledge of this that we shall be saved that we shall certainly have salvation compleatly and fully for he hath called us Now he illustrates this two wayes first by shewing what kinde of calling it is which he here means and that is an holy calling he hath called us with an holy calling and then 2ly By shewing the reason why God would do these things for him and for Timothy these are great things what to save them and make them heirs of his Kingdome and to call them to the fellowship of Jesus Christ and give them interest in all Gods goodness and mercy what should be the reason that should move God to do so much for Paul and for Timothy he doth here expresse this three wayes First by removing all false causes not according to our works as who should say it is not for any thing in us there was nothing in us that moved God to do this 2ly He layes down the true cause of it in the next words but according to his own purpose and grace that is he hath done it freely out of his own mercy and love and according to his own purpose Lastly He proves this and that by three arguments that this must be the cause and no other the first is this it was a gift that was given us therefore it must needs be free 2ly It was given in Jesus Christ as who should say he did not look at any thing in us there was nothing in us that was in his eyes no it was meerly for the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ Lastly Another argument is taken from the time when and that is from all eternity before the world began The point that I will handle out of these words is this that it is an excellent thing for a man to be able to say that God hath effectually called him the Apostle here speaks it as a great comfort to his soul and the soul of Timothy and as a pledge of Gods everlasting love and salvation to them both that the Lord had called them and had been pleased to take them out of the world and to make them partakers of his Kingdome and glory Now for the opening of the point I will here first shew you what kinde of calling it is that is here spoken of and it is not that calling whereby God doth call people to an office as of a Magistrate or a Minister but he speaks of a general calling of a calling out of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan into the Kingdome of his dear Son to be made partakers of eternal communion with himself 2ly It is not an outward call whereby wicked men that go on in their sins are called for so a reprobate may be called he may be called out of his own sinful courses and wretched estate and condition to the participation of Jesus Christ thus every man is called all men are called by Gods Ministers as Mat. 22.9 the King sent out his servants to bid all that they found to the marriage Secondly A reprobate may be called inwardly by Gods Spirit I mean the Spirit of God may go along with Gods Ministers to strive and wrestle with the soul and conscience of a man that remains in his sins Prov. 1.24 because I called and ye refused therefore will I laugh at your destruction and mocke when your fear cometh Thirdly A wicked man may be called not only with an outward call of the Minister and with an inward call of the Spirit but with some efficacy it may go a great way so far forth as to make a man come in some kinde as it was with the man Mat. 22.12 He was called together with the rest to come to the wedding and he came but he came without a wedding garment now none of these callings are meant here for in this sence many are called but few are chosen Mat. 22.14 But the calling here meant is a different calling from them and that in three things First It is a call according to Gods own purpose when God calls a man and hath a purpose to make a man come in deed and to come home this is the calling here spoken of Rom. 8.28 We know that all things worke together for the best to Gods children that are called according to his purpose as God calls them so he
as those that stand by can see the contrary this humour blinds a mans eyes and presents he knows not what to a mans minde as when David was in that passion he cryed out I am cast off what is the matter Psal 31.10 he was in a melancholy fit grief hath even wasted me he was even wasted and pined with grief sorrow deading his heart and mouldring and pining and wasting of him this made him speak words that he would never have spoken at another time the Apostle shews that when a man is overmuch sad and grieved and dejected and cast down and lyeth moaping and the devil hath a great deal of advantage by this therefore he speaks to the Corinths to have a care of that poore man that had committed an horrible sinne and it pleased God to humble him he was excommunicated and delivered over to Satan now the Corinths were something harsh to this poore man and were ready to trample upon him and tread upon him as if he were not humbled enough 2 Cor. 2.7 O saith he forgive him and comfort him least he be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow wherefore I beseech you confirme your love towards him least Satan should get an advantage of us ver 11. that was the reason why he would have him careful of this least Satan should circumvent us the meaning is least the devil should make us guilty of overwhelming a poor man and others by that example might do the like and so the devil might have advantage in aftertimes In the next place it may be hindred by the unskilfulness of a Minister many times those that are effectually called may chance to lye a long time ignorant of Gods mercy unacquainted with the work of grace which God hath begun in their souls by the unskilfulness of the Minister the Minister that should bind up those that God hath broken may be like those that afflict him whom God hath smitten Psal 109. he doth not feed the lambs of Christ and hold forth the grace of Jesus Christ perhaps he may preach good truths admirable excellent passages and yet make those sad whom God would not have made sad and make those grieved whom God would not have grieved as the Lord complains Ezek. 34.4 The diseased have ye not strengthned neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought againe that which was driven away c. A Minister though he preach the wayes of God and Jesus Christ and the promises of the Gospel and eternal life yet if he preach it not in a right maner if he carry it not as he ought to do rightly dividing the word of life he may do a world of mischief if a man preach hell and damnation indeed if a man be going on in his sinnes and be hardened in his wicked courses we are to preach hell and damnation to him but if a man preach hell and damnation to a man that is sencible of his sins and is of a tender conscience and ready to think too hardly of his sinnes it is as if a man should take a beetle to kill a fly upon a mans forehead to lay a heavy load upon those that are not able to beare it Ministers may do a great deal of hurt by preaching the law without distinguishing and all exceptions being shewed when he hath not a tender heart towards those whom God hath wounded and doth not alwayes put in that that may do them good when a Minister knows what it is and hath gone through the pikes himself he can the better stay up the souls of those that are dejected and yet belong to Christ therefore David prayeth give me the way of thy salvation and then I shall teach sinners the way unto thee Psal 51.12 13. as who should say if I do not know what belongs to the comforts of the Spirit if I have not waded through these things and know not how they are given and how they are taken I shall never teach sinners the way unto thee I shall never carry my self aright in that way he that is a Surgeon had not need to have a hard hand so those that have a tender heart and those that are truely broken for their sins and are of a contrite spirit a man had need deale gently with them according to the estate and condition wherein they are Ministers many times are too blame in not preaching Christ aright as they ought to do and so may be a hinderance to the comfort of their people What a woeful thing is it when a man is not able to say thus what laborinths and meanders is such a soul in and what heart aches and terrible fears and terrours and afrightments and quakings and misgivings are they subject unto they must needs be in a miserable and pitiful case for whether can they go what can they hang upon to get comfort and this is the case and condition of most of those that are amongst us even of the best sort though many of them have some good things in them yet who almost comes to know that he is effectually called of God these are declining times and languishing dayes and people are marvelously scattered for want of care and diligence and watchfulness and paines-taking in the wayes of God there is a woeful deale of unsetling and want of groundedness in a good estate people are very much off and all to pieces and that you may see what a woeful thing this is do but consider these particulars First Your consciences cannot but accuse you you cannot say Christ bare your sins you know not whether you are in him or no you know Christ bare the sins of his people but whether he bare your sins or no that you cannot tell all your sins and iniquities lie upon your consciences still though you have been bewailing your sins and confessing of them and craving forgiveness of them yet all your actual sins they still ly upon your consciences what your consciences could accuse you of formerly they accuse you of still such by-thoughts such wandring prayers such unprofitable hearing Paul could say 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a good saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief you cannot say so though you can say that of sinners you are the chief yet that you have obtained mercy your consciences will not let you say it you question whether you ever had any mercy or any hold of the mercy of God therefore you must be like a dry leafe driven to and fro or a reed shaken with the wind and as weak as water you are altogether unstable what a miserable thing is this that all a mans corruptions and miseries should lie upon a man notwithstanding all his prayers and asking forgiveness and many tears and sighs that they should yet lie upon him as they do until a man knows that he is effectually called of God all
him so that we see this confidence may be without this full perswasion of heart Secondly there is another good confidence that comes not within this definition of faith and that is a constant expectation and this is the daughter of faith Ephes 3.12 This confidence whereby the soul hopes in God differs from the confidence of faith for this confidence is an effect of faith it is by faith Now these two differ thus the confidence of hope is that which a man hath for the future having of those things that for the present a man believes now the confidence of faith is the confident apprehending of Christ for the having of them John 3.36 He that believeth in Christ hath eternal life he that believes in Christ hath a present possession of that he believes in Christ for eternal life is his for the present he hath present justification and acceptance with God and hath a title to all good and all the mercies of the Covenant of grace Now we come to prove this that this confidence is a true justifying faith and the Arguments to prove it are these and the first is taken from the several expressions of faith in Scripture Psal 78.22 it is called a trusting they believed not in God Why They trusted not in his salvation so that faith is a trusting in God when a man hath confidence in God and can fiducially leane upon God for all good things As Alexander trusted his Physician when his Physician gave him a Potion before he took it a friend of his wrote unto him do not take the Potion the man is set to poyson you if you take it you are a dead man he read the letter and then took the Potion and then gave the letter to the Physician and said I have trusted to your faithfulness and cast my self upon you if you have given me poyson you have killed me you see by the letter I have witness of it but I trust you and suppose you have not done it So faith is a trusting upon God when the soul resolves to follow God in all wayes and when the world and the flesh come in and object if you be so strict and follow these courses you will undo your self and be laughed at and loose your friends your very living depends upon such a course and you will be a begger and will never have any delight you are given to pleasure and laughter but all these must be gone farewell all carnal pleasure Well but the soul now believes in God God bids him come to him for comfort for friends for delight for pleasure for the satisfaction of all his desires and he shall want no manner of good he trusts upon this and he will never leave God never leave his wayes this is rooted in him and now he can go to God and say the Devil told me I should loose my friends and I should never have comfort never be able to live my flesh and my own heart said so but I have trusted thee and if friends go so farewell friends if means go so farewell them I am told so flesh and blood say so but I believe in thee is eternal life and in thee is all peace and happinesse and comfort and this is that which drawes me to thee and keeps me to thee and I rest upon thee for all good thus you see that faith must be an affiance in God because it is a trusting in God Secondly it is called a relying upon God as Asa when the Aethiopians and Lubims came against him the Scriptures shewes that he believed in God now mark how the Scripture expresseth his faith 2 Chro. 16.8 Because thou didst relie upon the Lord therefore he delivered them into their hands May be the world might tell him what do you think to overcome these enemies with strictness and fasting and praying You had more need make a league with the King of Syria and take some other course but he relied upon God and if he failed him he failed him he would relie upon him and therefore faith must needs be an affiance in God Thirdly faith is called a staying upon God when a man stayes himself upon God Isa 50.10 there faith is expressed by staying a mans self upon God He that sitteth in darkness and seeth no light let him trust in the Lord and stay himself upon his God It is a similitude taken from a staffe and old man that dares not trust to his own legs but thinks I shall fall and get some mischiefe he takes a staffe and stayes himself upon it now is this all that he looks upon that he conceives the staffe is able to bear him so a man that hath no staffe knows that such a staffe is able to beare him that is not the thing but this man doth not only believe the staffe is able to beare him but he commits himself unto it and leanes upon it and if he falls he is content he laies the bulk of his body upon the staffe and dares leane upon it so it is with faith it is not only an assent to this that God is wise and omnipotent and gracious and an hearer of prayers and that he comforts them that mourne for sinne and satisfies them that hunger for righteousnesse he not only believes there is a Christ and salvation in him he not only assents to these things but he staies upon them and commits himself to them Fourthly it is expressed by a mans rolling himself upon God Psal 37.5 We translate the words Commit thy way unto the Lord but in the Originall it signifieth to roll a mans way upon God so Psal 22.8 He trusted God would deliver him it is the same word is used here he rolled himself upon God this is a similitude taken from a Cart-wheele that rolls it self about the Axeltree and staies it self upon it and helps it self in its motion it could not move but for that and by vertue of that it moves to and fro So this is true faith not only when a man assents to the promises of God but rolls himself upon God moves his soul upon Christ and commits himself unto Christ in all his wayes Fifthly faith is expressed by adherence and sticking unto God Psal 119.31 I have stuck unto thy Commandements Lord put me not unto confusion as who should say Lord here I hang here I hold here I will stick fast I will ever fear thee I will ever obey thee here I hang and hold and will keep my hold Lord put me not to confusion that is Lord I hope thou wilt do as thou hast spoken Lord let me not be confounded let me not be scoffed at in the world if I be put to shame I am confounded doth this man now only believe the promises in general No but he relieth upon these promises he dares go and take this Bear by the tooth and dares venter upon those harsh duties that are crosse to
and hath made him a begger it seems that Christ is anointed to preach mercy to such a one it seems that such a one is the formal Object of the Gospel See Psal 147.2 He gathers the out-casts of Israel when the Law hath made a man an out-cast it seems he is the formal Object of mercy The Gospel undertakes to gather such people so far lost The Son of man is come to save that which is lost Mat. 18.11 he is come for that purpose it is his Commission he is sent to save that which is lost when the Law hath made a man to be a lost man that he seeth he is utterly undone without mercy Christ is come to save such people and to look upon them as the formal Object of mercy So for death it self when a man is made dead by the Law The houre shall come saith our Saviour and now is that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that do hear it shall live Joh. 5.25 It seems that the Scripture makes such as are made dead by the Law and poor and blind and naked and wretched and miserable by reason of the Law being pressed upon them and pulling them down with terrour and conviction it seems such a one is the formal Object of mercy such a one to whom mercy is promised I do not mean that he is the formal Object of the invitations of the Gospel that is most certain there is no question of that Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and you shall find rest to your souls Come unto me all you that are poor and blind and naked and dead and I will give you life have you a hard heart that you cannot free your selves from come unto me and I will free you from it have you no power to repent and believe come unto me and take mercy upon my terms and believe in me whatsoever weaknesse is in you I will strengthen you whatever discomforts and wants lye upon you I will relieve and chear you This is certain the more a man seeth himself a dead man the more he is the formal Object of the invitation of the Gospel But the Question is Whether he is the formal Object of the promises of the Gospel I Answer No There is a great deal of difference between legal Privations and these Privations as they are Evangelical as the Gospel makes them before it quickens a man there is a great deal of difference between a man that is dead and poor and blind and naked and miserable by reason of the Law and a man that hath these privations wrought in him by the power of the Gospel when a man is made dead by the Law and sees himself a lost creature by reason that the Law plainly shews him his estate and condition this man may be a Reprobate for all this and go to hell there is no promise in the Word that God will quicken him and raise him up Christ is free from any promise in this kind he may quicken him if he will and not quicken him if he please I may say in this sense as Christ himself saith Joh. 5. The Son of man quickens whom he will He is free to quicken whom he will though a man be made a dead man by the Law and cry out he is a dead man and a damned man though he hath the works of the Law and be terrified and gastered and humbled by the Law yet Christ is free from any promise he hath made to these people there is never a Promise in all the Word that Christ hath bound himself by to these people to quicken them they cannot say there is such a Promise in the Word that Christ shall quicken them There are plain places in the Scripture wherein the Lord invites such people upon condition they will come and believe and submit to the Gospel there is a conditional invitation upon these terms But that these People shall be quickned and shall have eternal Life given them there in no such Promise the Lord is free the Lord hath not bound himself to it but when a man is dead according as the Gospel makes a man dead before it quickens him and when a man is poor according as the Gospel makes him poor and when a man is blind according as the Gospel makes him blind now a man is within the compasse of Gods Promises he is one that is the formal Object of Mercy he is one that shall have Mercy and shall have Salvation and Redemption by Jesus Christ these dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall live the tongue of these stammerers shall speak plain the eyes of these blind shall see these out-casts shall be gathered these naked shall be cloathed these lost shall be found these poor shall be enriched when a man is dead so as the Gospel deads a man before it quickens a man for the Lord damns a man before he saves a man and kills a man before he quickens him like a good Surgeon that cuts before he cures or like a good Physician that kills a man almost with Physick so the Lord doth bring a man to deaths door before he quickens him it is the Gospel that truly humbles him and works these Privations and now he is within the compasse of the Promise now he hath a Promise that he shall be quickned and have supply in regard of all these Privations but so long as these Privations are only legal he hath no Promise that he shall be quickned for many are humbled and made dead as it were by the Law and yet shake it off again and go to their profits and pleasures and delights and hardnesse of heart again many a man hath been gastered by the Law and cryed out of his damned estate and condition and yet hath got up again and recovered himself by the world and the things of the world and it was ever so of old as we may see in Cain the Law had discovered him to himself to be a dead man and a damned man I see my sins are greater then can be forgiven or are forgiven or shall be forgiven he saw his punishment was intolerable his condemnation was more then he was able to bear From thy presence am I cast out and a Vagabond shall I be upon the face of the earth Gen. 4.14 Yet he was not the formal Object of Mercy the Gospel did not quicken him nor convert him he was not the formal Object of Mercy for he shook off these terrours again as we may see in the very same Chapter and went to building of Cities and inventing of Musick and other Arts and Sciences and this quickned and revived him again but he never came to true Life So it is with many men though they be terrified and gastered and humbled and cast down by the Law yet they get up again and run after the world and after security and
who should say it were a sign that God were not amongst us if we did not this he takes it as a principle written in the conscience though he were a natural man yet he doth reason thus that where there is not every day some time for Gods Worship God is not amongst them Another Reason is Because every morning God reneweth his Mercies Reas 2 and every evening they are continued to us as the Church saith in the Lamentations ch 3.23 Every morning his mercies are renewed to us and in the evening his compassions fail not therefore every morning we are to set our selves before God to ask of him the forgivenesse of our sins every morning and evening we are to do this Psal 92.1 2. David saith It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises to thy Name O thou most High To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night And then again God is the Alpha and Omega he is the beginning and Reas 3 the ending of all things and of all actions we do God should therefore have the beginning and ending of every day that the Worship of God may have the start of all other actions it is necessary it should be so when a man first awakes in the morning God should be the first thought that should come into his mind As David saith Psal 5.3 My voice will I lift up unto thee in the morning as soon as ever he awakes in the morning his heart is lifted up to God so it is good for a man to make the first part of the day holy that the rest of the day may be thereafter and so as we are to begin the day with the solemn Worship of God so we are to end it in the evening that we may reckon up all our accounts and make even with God as the Apostle saith Ephes 4.26 Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath so let not the Sun go down upon a dead heart upon a carnal heart upon a worldly heart but as the Sun goeth down upon our bodies so let the Sun of Righteousness set upon our hearts that we may lye down in peace having all our reckoning made even and all scores cancelled The Third Proposition is this As there must be some time for Gods immediate Service and there must be every day some set time at least morning and evening so likewise every whole day all the dayes of our lives should be in some manner a Sabbath day to the Lord we should be holy every day The Apostle finds fault Gal. 4.10 That they observed times and seasons and dayes and months and years we must not be earthly-minded one day and heavenly-minded another but we must be every day holy to the Lord. The First Reason is The Covenant which God hath made with us doth Reas 1 require it that is the end why God saves a man from his sins and brings him into the kingdom of Christ he takes a solemn Oath from him That being delivered from the hands of his enemies he shall serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of his life Every day must be a Sabbath day whensoever a man gives himself up to God there is an Oath hangs upon him and he breaks this Oath if he set not upon it with all his might that every day may be a Sabbath day he is to be careful to live godly and religiously in all places and at all times and in every action he puts his hand unto a man is not only to make conscience on the seventh day but every day of his life Reas 2 The Second Reason is Because not to make every day an holy day is the brand of an Hypocrite it is hypocrisie Job 27.10 Will be alwayes call upon God To be holy sometimes and not at another time is the trick of an hypocrite will he alwayes call upon God will that man alwayes obey God and worship him will he alwayes set himself to keep close with God No an hypocrite will not do so You may know an hypocrite he hath his fits and his pangs and his moods but a godly man a sincere hearted man is one that doth compose himself to keep a constant course in Gods worship as Act. 24.16 There saith Paul Herein do I exercise my self to keep a good conscience alwayes both towards God and towards man And as it was the practise of Paul so of all the Elect people of God of all sincere Christians in the world Act. 26.27 all the Elect of God all the beloved of God they did instantly serve God day and night Thirdly Because blessednesse doth consist in this In keeping every day Reas 3 in some kind as a Sabbath day as the Holy Ghost doth pronounce him blessed that feareth the Lord alwayes Prov. 28.14 and that doth righteousness at all times Psa 106.3 It is true the Servants of God are sometimes out of the way they have their swervings and failings but their resolution is to keep a constant course in Gods Worship and they do strive to humble themselves under the hand of God for their failings and to be the more wary because of them Reas 4 Lastly This is the Sum and Scope of all the Law of Righteousness it is the very drift and end of all the Ten Commandements the Lord hath set down in the Decalogue his whole Will and Pleasure what we are to do all the dayes of our lives this day and that day as long as we live and there is no set time but that we should alwayes obey it and this is the practise of the godly alwayes to keep his Commandments as David Psal 16.8 He set the Lord alwayes before him that is every day he did make it an holy day that he might walk as in Gods presence and live as in Gods Courts that he might do all his worldly businesse as in the presence of God The Fourth Proposition is this As there must be a set time every day and we are to keep every day as a Sabbath day in some sense so there must be a particular special day set apart for Gods immediate Worship and Service This is the next Proposition I will prove unto you for though every day is to be a Sabbath day yet we have particular callings and we have businesse in the world to employ our selves about so that we cannot be every day hearing of the Word and employing our selves in Prayer and spiritual exercises though every day we are to keep it holy yet we cannot be vacant wholly and totally every day Now therefore I say That there is a set day that the Lord hath called for to be devoted unto him The very School-men themselves do acknowledge this and the very Heathen have found it out They have set a day apart for the Service of their Gods which they call their holy day wherein they lay aside all other businesse and
set themselves apart to honor and worship their Images and Idols according to their manner Now I will make this good by many Arguments that God will have a set day besides the every day Sabbath he will have a set particular Sabbath for his Worship and Service Reas 1 The First Reason is Because he will have a little emblem and picture of the kingdom of heaven among his Saints and Children in this life in the kingdom of heaven there is no buying and selling no eating and drinking no worldly businesse there is nothing but praysing and glorifying of God and speaking of God and singing of Halelujah unto his holy Name there is nothing but enjoying communion with the Lord and feeding upon him continually there is nothing but this in the kingdom of heaven Now God will have a little picture of this among his Saints here upon earth You know there remains a rest for the people of God Heb. 4.9 It is an express place the word in the Original is There remains a Sabbath for the people of God As who should say There is a glorious Sabbath that all the Elect of God shall have and they are preserved for it and that is reserved for them and they shall enter into it when this body of death is laid down and they shall enjoy God face to face to all eternity they shall behold him as he is and have communion with him now the Lord will have a little picture of this here in this life we cannot have it altogether in this life for we have mortal bodies that must be fed and cloathed and stand in need of the creature for mans sin is not yet purged away but there is a great deal of rubbish still left therefore this cannot be complete here but yet God will have a little picture or this even in this life and that is the Sabbath day wherein they are to lay aside all the works of their ordinary callings and rest from all servil labours this is Gods day and we must now call upon him and hear what he saith and wholly employ and occupy our selves about him as neer as we possibly can but now this we cannot do every day for we have Children to look after and Families to provide for and there be an hundred occasions to call a man away it may be a man thinks to go into his Closet and seek God in private and one occasion or other calls him aside that he cannot go on but the Lord will have a little emblem and expression of the kingdom of heaven upon the Sabbath day therefore the Apostle saith It remains for us scil in the life to come The Second Reason why the Lord will have a set day for his Worship and Reas 2 Service besides the every day Sabbath is because the honour of God doth so require it doth require that there should be a solemn day for Gods Service as Kings though their subjects are to obey them every day and keep their Laws every day and if a subject transgress the Laws at any time he is in danger of the displeasure of the King but he will have one day of solemnity to his Majesty So God Almighty though every day we are to tremble before him and stand in aw of his Word and take heed we do not err from his Commandments yet he will have one solemn day for the honour of his Name he will have a solemn day wherein his people shall have nothing else to do but to set themselves apart for his Worship therefore this set day is called The honourable of the Lord Isa 58.13 that is we must count the Sabbath day an honourable day a day of honour wherein Gods Servants should from morning to evening fall down before him and confess that great is the Lord God We should wholly dedicate it unto him seeking of him in Publick and in Private that we may store up holy affections for all the week following Thirdly Because God sometimes calls for an extraordinary day and an Reas 3 extraordinary day hath ever relation to an ordinary if I say this is my extraordinary food and diet I imply that I have ordinary diet so if the Scripture tells us that God calls for extraordinary dayes it is an evident Argument that there be ordinary dayes which he calls for Now that God calls for extraordinary dayes it is plain 1. First He calls for extraordinary dayes of rejoycing when God compasseth us about with songs of Deliverance and works wonderful Mercies for us we ought to set a part a day for rejoycing and delighting in his goodness and favour towards us and this day is to be an holy day as Nehemiah 8.9 This day is holy unto the Lord your God mourn not nor weep So that when we are to rejoyce towards God for any spiritual favour towards us we ought to keep this day an holy day we ought to employ the hours of the day in labouring to affect our hearts with his kindnesse and labouring to make his goodness to have impression upon us that we may with cheerfulness run over all our dayes afterwards that we may adhere unto him the better all our life time 2. Secondly As he calls for extraordinary dayes of rejoycing so he calls for extraordinary dayes of Fasting and Humiliation and that in Four Cases 1. First When we fear some heavie judgement to come upon us or else when some judgement is already upon us may be some heavie judgement is upon us or else we fear it to come upon us and now we are to set an extraordinary day apart to seek the Lord as 2 Chron. 20. Jehosaphat proclaimed a Fast when the Land was in danger Suppose the Lord should take away the Gospel and the feet of those that bring glad tydings should be turned from us then should we Fast in those dayes we should grieve before God and bewail the loss of his Mercies and Favours that we may have his Goodnesse to quicken us and keep us and uphold us in the want of them 2. Secondly In case that we want some Mercy that we cannot well be without in such a case as this if ordinary seeking will not do the deed we ought to set apart an extraordinary time to prevail with God as Ezra he was in danger of the enemy and if he should go to Jerusalem the enemy would set upon him now thought he if I should go to the King though he were very great with the King of Persia at that time yet thought he if I should go to the Kigng for a Band of Souldiers he would think our God were a weak God I have told him what a strong God we have and that he is ready to help all those that trust in him now if I should go to him for a Band of Souldiers he might think that our God were not able to deliver us and it would be a great dishonour to God therefore he set a day apart for a