them by the word whether those saving effects which God doth work in an elect person be wrought in your soules or no and that is tâ—e way to come to a sure and certain knowledge of your elecâ—ion The knowledge of your election is not attainable by ascending into Gods decree for who hath made you his Counsellors Nor is it enjoyned you by way of Revelation That is an unsure ground and you may runne into Enthusiasme as well as perswasion about your election It is not done by Revelation neither against nor without the word What ever tâ—stimony there is if it come not from the word you may suspect it to be a delusion Now the safest way though I know much cried down for you to go by in searching whethâ—r you are in the number of Gods elect is to search into your own hearts whether those things be wrought in you which are wrought in those whom God hath elected to life and salvation and here I shal content my self with the naming of six saving effects First every man that is elected sooner or later shall be effectually called and savingly converted by the power of the word This the Apostle laies down 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing brethren beloved your election of God How should this be known Vers 5. For our word came not to you in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghâ—st that is oâ—â— Gospel did not come in word onelâ— to affect youâ— eâ—rs and rest there but our word came with poweâ— being bâ—â—kâ— with the operation of the Spirit for your conveâ—â—ion This work all men that are elected sooner or later must come under to have the power of the word come with authâ—rity upon Conscience for his effectual calling So Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated whom he appointed to life tâ—eâ— he called And therefore Beloved who ever you are if you live and die without having the power of the Word to pass upon your soule for your â—ffectual Calling you may lay your hâ—arâ—s under this Conclusion that you are no elected by God to obâ—ain life and salvation For Whom he hath predestinated them he calls Secondly a man that is elected by God to life sooner or later God will sanctifie him by renewing and regenerating grace And this is onely different from the former in degree for calling is sanctificaâ—ion begun Now when God elects a man he doth not onely begin the work of grace but he carries it on in a course of sanctification And of this your read 2 Thes 2.12 13. We are bold to give thanks to God alwaies for you beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth If God hath from the beginning chosen a man to salvation the Lord doth it through sanctification not for sanctification as the Papists say or for faith foreseen but it is through it as a means whereby we are brought to salvation sanctificaâ—ion shâ—ll runne through our lives as water through a channel So 1 Pet. 1.2 They that are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by Christ through sanctification So 2 Tim. 2.21 And therefore beloved if men live and die and have not the power of sanctifying grace upon their hearts and consciences and working in their lives doubtless those men are not elected because this you see clearly that at one time or other God will work this in such men Jude 4. Thirdly men elected by God to life and salvation shal sooner or later be brought into a state of believing Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed No man that is ordained to eternal life but shall be brought to a believing estate And therefore men living and dying in a state of unbeliefe are not elected Hence you read Tit. 1.1 it is called the faith of Gods elect implying that all that are elected before they die shall have faith and none shall have faith but onely they and therefore in a peculiar manner called the faith of Gods elect appropriated only to them Fourthly That man that is elected sooner or later before he dies God will work in his heart a special delight in and an intire love to the word preached This you have expressed John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his words To be of God that is to belong to God by election Now he that is of God God will in time make him hear his word with delight and love but he that takes no delight therein is noâ— elected of God 1 John 4.5 6. Fifthly The Lord will sooner or later work in the heart of an elect man love to the people of God and compassion to those who are not the elect and chosen one of God Col. 3.12 Put on as the elect of God bowels of mercy and loving kindness The Apostle there by the manner of phrase doth seem to intimate thus much Put on as the elect of God c. As if it were a thing ordained to and inseparable from an elect man after his effectual calling that he should have bowels of mercy towards those that are not called and that he should have loving kindness towards those that are called For a man that is once elected and hath the execution of that decree in effectual calling it is proper to him to have bowels of mercy Sixthly God will sooner or later work an elect man into a new course of living and of obedience from what he had in times past 1 Pet. 1.2 You are elected according to the foreknowledg of God through sanctification to obedience that though you were disobedient before serving divers lusts yet God if he hath chosen you will bring you in a course of obedience Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us What to doe that we might be conformable to the image of his Son God intends that that person whom he chooseth to life should be conformable to Jesus Christ and that he shall live another manner of life then before that though he hath formerly been subject to sinne and satan yet then he shall walk in waies of obedience to Jesus Christ Thus having briefly finisht these heads I have onely foure or five cautions to lay down to bound what hath been said within the limits of truth As First Take notice that these six defects do not extend to children who die while they are children but to men and women that are grown in years A childe that cannot act reason as he is a childe cannot have any of these particulars wrough in him at least in that way and manner men of years have A childe as it is an infant hath not conversion in that way a man hath though it hath somewhat equivalent to it as somewhat like sanctification and somewhat like that faith men of years have but what that is and how wrought man cannot determine In pressing of this therefore I
merciful to men that sin of malicious wickednesse And therefore beloved all you that so live and resolve you will die and haply do die and yet sin obstinately that let God command what he can you wil do what you please let the Minister say what he will you will do what you lift that sin against knowledge and against conscience and without any reluctancy resolve to live and die in a course of sin the Lord be merciful to such persons for certainly there must be no Bible if such men fall within the compasse of Gods election Fourthly That man that by living under the powerful Ministry of the Word is more hard in heart and worse in life if a man grows thus it is an argument he is not within the purpose of Gods election Matth. 13.14 15. By hearing you shall hear but not understand by seeing you shall see but not perceive â—his peoples heart is waxed gross their ears dull in hearing their eyes shut lest at any time they should see with their eyes hear with â—heir ears understand with their hearts and be converted and I â—hould saâ—e them Here is the judgement God laies upon such â—inneâ—s that they shall have eyes and not see they shall be igâ—orant their hearts shall â—axe grosse they shall be uncapable â—f taking any impression of tâ—e word upon them And whaâ—'s â—he end of all this left they should be converted and I should â—ave â—hem implying that if God lets you that live under the Miâ—iâ—â—ry to have dark eyes and hard hearts it is an argument God hath no intent to save you and therefore his purpose is to condemn you So John 12.40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted Here is laid down as an act of Gods that God did harden their hearts and God did blind their eyes lest they should be converted Implying that if men do live and die in this temper that they have lived year after year under a powerful Ministry and yet they grow more blind in judgement and more profane in life and more hard in heart after 20 30 40 years hearing then they were before that the word doth but draw out their wickedness and makes them more profane and more to oppose godliness the Lord have mercy upon such soules for certainly if God leave you thus it is an argument he never intends to save you for the Lord doth thus with such that they might not be saved There is a passage Rom. 11.7 Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for but the election hath obtained and the rest were hardened By election is meant the elected the Abstract put for the Concrete As often in Scripture Circumcision put for Circumcised and so here Election put for elected The elected have obtained it what did they obtaine they obtained salvation and glory but the rest that were not elected they were hardened The Lord there makes it the badge of them that are not elected that they are a blinded people and a hardned people Imitating that men that are not elected they shall live under the word yet shall be blind in mind shall be hard in heart shall be wicked in life and the Ministry of the word shall never reform them And if any of you be such O that the Lord would make you tremble this day tremble lest you are not in Gods thoughts to do you any good another day Fifthly when God doth give up men to strong delusions not only to believe lies themselves but to teach lies to seduce others when the Lord leaves them to live and die in that estate the Scripture makes it an argument of them that are not chosen by God to life and glory You shall read therefore in that great delusion of Antichrist 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. God gave them up to strong delusions to believe lies that all might be damned that believe not the truth It is made a brand of damnation when God shall give them over to believe lies Though a godly man may die in a corrupt opinion for every errour is not a badge of damnation but errouâ—s that are foundamental that strike at the foundation of Religion wherein men runne so far as never to repent of their errour that the Scripture makes the badge of a man whose soul is in a world of danger Read that Text 2. Pet. 2.1 2 3. There were false Prophets among the people like as their shall be false teachers among you And who are they vers 2. They shall deny the Lord that bought them they shall bring in damnable heresies Every errour is not an heresie but these men shall bring in damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious waies Now what is their censure whose judgement now of a long time lingers not and their damnation slumbers not Their damnation was not asleep but for a long time damnation did attend them and they were in danger of it So that beloved it is great danger for men to be patrons of errour especially when they are grosse and palpable and when in Scripture language they may be called damnable heresies It is an argument if men live and die thus that they are not within the purpose of Gods Counsel to do them good Sixthly Men that live and die in a continual spurning and opposition against the Gospel and word of God powerfully preached it is a dreadful sign they are not within the compass of Gods election 1 John 4.5 6. You are not of God for you hear not his word So John 12. He that heareth the word is of God but you hear not his word therefore you are not of God Therefore you belong not to him But more pregnant to this purpose is that place Act. 13.46 47 48. It was necessary the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles Now compare this with vers 48. And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed The opposition lies thus As many as God purposed to save they glorified God for his word and they rejoyced and were glad in his word but those that were not decreed to salvation they put off from them the word of the Lord they spurned at it and opposed it and could not endure the word of the Lord. Therefore the Text saith The Jewes stirred up the devout and honourable women and they raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coast It was said to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 By this I know that the Lord hath purposed to destroy thee because thou hast not harkned to my counsel Thus you see the Scripture makes it the badge of a man that doth not fall within the compasse of Gods election to bring
after that time he did evil against his God Nay you read further Nebem 13.26 27. That Solomons wives turned away his heart from the Lord though he was the beloved of his God Though he were beloved by God and were elected by him yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. The like phrasâ— you have Numb 14.23 After all these works I have done among them and the miracles I have shewn them in Aegypt and in the Wilderness they have provoked me saith the Lord these ten times After they were the Lords by covenant and after they were a delivered people after this they provoked him many a time by sinning against him and yet divers of them were elect vessels of mercy So that I say many of Gods servants after their calling are fallen foulely into scandalous sins and yet have been within the compasse of Gods election Secondly if you falling into grosse and scandalous sins have not these four sinful ingredients your falling into sin after calling may be consistent with election First if you fall not into sin voluntarily Secondly if you fall not into the same sin frequently Thirdly if you fall not into sin with complacency And fourthly if you lie not under your fall impenitently If these ingredients be mixed with your sinning after your call they are inconsistent with election First if you fall into sin voluntarily that you rush into sin as a horse into the battel Secondly if you fall into the same sin frequently then it is hazardous and dangerous It is true Peter denied Christ but it was but in one fit of a temptation Dâ—vid fell into Adultery but it was never but once Lot was guilty of drunkennesse but onely in one fit For the Servants of God though they fall yet they fall not frequently into the same sin if grosse and scandalous Thirdly if you fall into sin with complacency that you take pleasure in the evils you fall into if you do as Job saith wallow sin under your tongue counting it sweet and delightsome to you And lastly if all this be joyned with impenitency that you have not a heart to repent of the evils you fall into the Lord have mercy upon you for certainly if you fall into sin with these ingredients you are not within the compasse of Gods mercy to save But now though you do fall into sin if it be not voluntary but through the force of temptation if it be not with complacency but a dislike of the sins you fall into and as soon as you do fall and see your sins you repent and rise again though you doe fall in this way it will be no prejudice to your election Thirdly falling into sinne after calling and profession made of Jesus Christ may be consistent with Election in these foure cases First if the sins you fall into be clearly discerned Secondly if they are sensibly bewailed Thirdly if they are strongly resisted and lastly if they are dayly laboured and prayed against Though you doe fall into sinne yet in these cases sin will not be damning to you or be an impediment to your election And thus I have done with the second case of conscience Only let me urge this one thing before I leave it for I would not have you make this Doctrine a Doctrine of liberty but I would have you lay this to heart that if any of you fall foulely after conversion believe it God will make you smart for this though not in hell yet you shall have a hell in your conscience you shall have the very pregustations of hell a wounded conscience and God will expect deep humiliation and great repentance if you sin after profession made of Jesus Christ It may have that influence upon you as upon David who cried out I have no quietnesse in my bones by reason of my sin God will give you no rest night nor day by reason of sin if you run into it after profession made of Jesus Christ Thirdly men do doubt of their election because God pursues them with continual afflictions and layes the continued strokes of his heavy wrath upon them and this makes many a godly man think that he is not in the number of Gods elect ones To which I shall briefly answer That this is nothing else but a temptation and not a truth and it was the very controversie that Jobs friends had with him they would fasten this upon Job that he was a Reprobate and an Hypocrite because God did so afflict him yet Job maintained his sincerity and shews his grounds that God was his friend and that he did not reject him though he did afflict him But to speak more particularly First no man can infallibly and certainly judge of Gods purposes about mans election or reprobation by any of the dispensations of God toward their bodies in the things of this life Eccl. 9.1 2. No man knows either love or hatred by any thing that is before him All things fall alike to all The same event to him that feareth God and to him that feareth him not to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath Secondly Afflictions from God are so far from being grounds or evidences that a man is not elected that in some cases they may prove evidences that they are the very elect of God Heb. 12.6 7. He chasteneth every son whom he receiveth they are bastards and not sons whom he chastiseth not As â—any as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Rev. 3.19 In some cases afflictions from God are rather tokens of love from God then the contrary As now in case afflictions be as a spur to you to make you quicken your pace in heaven-way 2. In case your afflictions be as pruning-hooks to you to cut and lop off the luxuriant buddings and workings of sinne in the heart 3. In case affliction be as a hedge to you to keep you in and to make you walk in a close communion with God and not to wander or goe astray from him 4. In case affliction be as a file to you to file off that rust that cleaves to your nature 5. In case affliction proves a furnace to refine you from that drosse of corruption that is mixt with your services In these cases afflictions are so farre from being grounds to doubt of your Election that they may rather give you evidence you are the very elect of God Thirdly That God in his wisedome doth many times expose his own people to greater troubles in this life then he lets wicked and reprobate men undergoe God will not give reprobates their hell here that so he might give them hell hereafter God will not give the elect heaven here to make heaven more desirable to them while they live here and more welcome when they come there It is Gods pleasure in the dispensations of his providence amongst men to let his own people lie under more outward sorrows then wicked men shall do Psal
made the streets of Jerusalem run down with blood yet called Paul a pesecutor a blasphemer a man mad with rage against the Church of God yet he obtained mercy and why that he might be an example to them that after should be called So that here is your comfort when Jesus Christ hath an intent to cal you neither your Poverty nor your Impietie shal withstand his cal nor turn the thoughts of his mercy from you 10. That though no man can pry into the Decrees of God about Election and Reprobation yet if you can make good your Effectual Vocation you may be sure of your election and of your glorification Though no man I say can enter into the bosome of God to know his secret decrees yet if you can finde upon good and Scripture grounds that you are â—ffâ—ctually called you may be sure you are eternally elected and shal hereafter live in glory Rom. 8.28 Whom he predestinates them he calls whom he calls them he justifies and whom he justifies them he will glorifie And therefore comfort your hearts in these consolatorie Conclusions about effectual calling SERMON V. 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe Doctrine I am yet upon in the prosecution of these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the managing of which I laid down the last Lords day twenty Propositions ten in relation to wicked men not called and ten Conclusions for the comfort of them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ I am now to proceed in the dispatch of six cases of conscience which I shal handle about effectual calling Three of which concern men not effectually called and three touching Believers who are called by Christ to grace here and to hopes of glory in the world to come The three first cases touching wicked men are these First Whether a wicked man be able to resist his own call Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to keep a wicked man from entertaining and embracing the cal of Jesus Christ Thirdly What delusions doth the Devil use to deceive Hypocrites to make them presumptuously believe that they are effectually called when they are not There are three cases more touching godly men As First Whether may a man that is effectually called be any way assured that he is so Secondly If a man may be assured then what is the reason many a godly man is not assured of his effectual calling And then Thirdly How may he come to get the assurance of his effectual calling I begin with the first about wicked men that are not called and the case is this First Whether may a wicked man a man as yet not called be able to resist and keep off his own cal And that you may understand the answer hereto I must lay down this distinction That there is a twofold callng of Christ A Significative calling and an Operative calling First a Significative calling which is such a calling whereby Christ in the Ministry of the word signifies and declares what he would have men to do Now this kind of cal wicked men may resist this cal I say and this revealed will of God in declaring what grace he would have men act and what sin he would have men forbear Therefore we read Acts 7.5 You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in heart and eares you have alwaies resisted the Holy Ghost meaning the Preaching of the word by the Ministry of his Apostles So Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye have refused c. But then secondly There is an Operative calling and that is such a call whereby God doth not onely signifie to a man what he must do but with the signification of his wil gives a man a power to do what he cals him to do accompanying the word with his Spirit making the heart stoop and yeild to Jesus Christ Now this cal no man can resist Grace is irresistible and this effectual calling by the operation of the Spirit a man cannot resist Al the gain-sayings of the heart and al the stoutnesse of the will it must stoop and must be brought under subjection to Jesus Christ Iohn 6.37 All that the Father hath given me saith Christ shall come unto me They shal not be able to withstand Jesus Christ but they shal come in unto him So Isa 55.10 As the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and returns not thither again but waters the earth to make it bring forth so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth it shal not return in vain but shall accomplish that which I intended and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it As al the world cannot hinder the rain from coming down on the earth no more can any man in the world if God hath an intent to convert and cal him hinder the benefit of the word from redounding upon his soul Now the answering of this case thus briefly wil admit of a double Use First an Use of Condemnation to wicked men that have often resisted the signicative call of Jesus Christ When Christ hath signified this is my wil I would have you leave these courses and I would have you walk in these waies Christ signifies his will in the Ministry of the Gospel yet let Christ signifie what he wil you wil do what you lift this is for thy great condemnation Secondly The answering this Query is for consolation to elect men who are not yet converted Dost thou belong to Gods Election Why before thou art converted thou hast a stubborn wil thou hast a gainsaying heart thou hast a stout spirit against God thy heart is as hard as an Adamant as hard as the Rocks yet here is thy comfort all the gain-sayings of thy spirit and all the stubbornnesse of thy wil it shal not be able to keep off converting mercy and shall not be able to keep off calling grace from thee When God hath an intent to call thee he wil come with Power by his call and make thee do what he commands thee and make thee embrace what he calls thee to Did not Jesus Christ use an operative call as wel as a significative cal no man in the world would ever be called And this is the reason that in hearing the same Sermon and following the same Preacher one man is converted the other is not The reason is this The cal of the Ministry is onely a significative cal of a Reprobate onely signifying what God would have him do But there is no power conveyed with the invitation to make the man able to do what Christ cals him to and therefore one is called the other is not Thus much in in Answer to the first case Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to men who are uncalled that they should not give entertainment to
vomit not as if he loathed his meat but if he could free himself from those pangs he would fain have the meat in his body to nourish him Thus a wicked man he may disgorge and vomit up his sins and leave his sins but why it is not because he hates his sins no he would keep them as a sweet morsel under his tongue but it is because those sins cause horrour and trouble of conscience he cannot deceive nor he cannot follow his lusts but conscience will follow him Now if thou change thy sin only to stop consciences mouth and muzzle conscience this is no Argument of effectual calling Fourthly Men are tempted by the Devil to nourish presumptuous perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not because they are miscalled and reproached by the men of this world Now think they I should never be miscalled and reproached by wicked men if I were not called by my God Now to take off this briefly I answer Every reproach from wicked men can be no argument of an effectual call from God because men may be miscalled upon a twofold ground There are some men suffer as Christians and some as evil-doers we may suffer either for Christs sake or for our own sakes The distinction is laid down 1 Pet. 4.15 16 17. Let none of you suffer as a murtherer as an evil doer as a Thief as a Busie-body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed So that some men may be punished for their own evils they have done and so suffer no more then they have deserved but other men suffer for their profession because they professe Jesus Christ Now to suffer because of your evil doings this can be no evidence but to suffer for Christ meerly for professing his name this is an argument of effectual calling Therefore Christ pronounceth those blessed Matth. 5.11 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and speak evil of you for my sake This is an evidence of your effectual calling by Jesus Christ SERMON VII 2. Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE Doctrinâ— I am yet upon drawn from these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars and resolved some cases of conscience in reference to wicked men I am now at this time to dispatch some cases of conscience more touching them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ As 1. Whether men that are effectually called by Christ into a state of grace and hope of glory may in this life attain to an infallible and firm assurance of their own effectual calling 2. If it be found that it is attainable in this life then what is the reason that many Christians who are effectually called doe so much suspect and doubt their own calling and walk so sadly for want of their assurance 3. What must be done that so you may make it sure to your own soules that you are effectually called by Jesus Christ First whether it be attainable in this life that men who are effectually called by Christ may have a firm and infallible assurance of their own call And in resolution of this I shall briefly free it from two extreams both of which are untrue about this Query The first is that of the Papists who utterly deny any such thing as assurance about a mans Calling Justification or Election by God and they hold all their followers in suspence affiâ—ming that the most a man can have is a conjectural faith an hope or conjecture that he shall be saved And hence it is that in that Popish Councel of Trent they made this Canon that if any man doth say that he is bound of faith to believe that he is certainly in the number of Gods called ones or justified ones or elect ones let him be Anathema let him be accursed That man that would so much as take this assurance to himselfe they would hold that man accursed And the reason why they doe it is because they hold another errour to wit falling from grace which they could not maintain did they not hold this also This is the first extream 2. Another extream is of the Lutherans they being opposite to the Papists in this point of assurance to confute them who deny all assurance they run into this extream to hold that assurance is of the nature of faith and whosoever hath faith hath assurance but this is another extream and an uncomfortable Doctrine for doubting Christians were it true Therefore to keep this truth in the middle betwixt two extreams I shall lay down this position by way of Answer That though sometimes persons effectually called may be without a particular assurance of their own call yet this assurance is attainable by Christians in this life and Christians may be assured of their own effectual calling And this I shall prove by four Mediums First Because the Apostle injoyns it here in my Text Give diligâ—â—ce to make your Calling and Election sure Now this is a rule in Divinity No man is bound to doe a thing impossible and therefore in that we are commanded and bound to doe it it is clear that it is possible and may be made sure Secondly because it is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work this particular assurance in the hearts of those that are effectually called that they are in the state of grace and shall be brought to glory 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the Spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 John 5.10 He that believeth he hath a witnesse in himself a witness to his own soul that he doth believe Eph. 1.13 14. There the Spirit is called a Seal you are sealed by the Spirit of promise and verse 14. it is called the earnest of our inheritance Now a seal and earnest is to give more assurance to a promise and here the Spirit of God is given to Believers as a seal and earnest-penny that as they have the first fruits in grace they shall have their harvest in glory 1 Iohn 4.13 Hereby we know we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit It is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to assure our hearts in this particular Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it selfe beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Thirdly Particular servants of God in Scripture that have been partakers of this mercy they have had this firm assurance of their effectual calling I shall instance in three First in Paul and the Scripture tels us of him that he had a clear evidence of his effectual calling Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I
call As you know it is with Carpenters they give more blows to knotâ—y Timber then they will do to smooth and tender wood thus doth God when he meets with a knotty sinner a wretched stout-hearted sinner God must give many blows by humiliation before he will be humbled before he can bring him to be a serviceable piece in Gods building whereas Christians of a milde and softer temper they shall have fewer blows and shall not have the terrors of God stick so fast in their hearts as others shall Hence you read that phrase Hos 6.5 saith the Lord I will hew them by my Prophets c. God doth hew some men hew them with judgments and hew them with terrour Yea but others that are not so loose as they I taught Ephraim to go I led Ephraim by the Arms and I drew him with cords of a man and with the bands of love Hos 11.4 God you see would hack and hew some men with terrour and wrath but others he would draw with love and the cords of a man Now suppose God hath not hacked and hewed thee with judgments if God melt thee with loving kindnesse and if God gain upon thy soul with mercy and with love and grace thou must not blame God thou must not confine God for this is Gods way of working sometimes as well as by wrath God works upon some with wrath â—he will allure others with loving kindnesse so that you have no cause or ground of fear that you are not effectually called because you apprehend some defects in the manner of your call because it is Gods usual way to plunge them in most humiliation and most terrour that have been most wicked liv'd men before their call and so ordinarily with men religiously trained up from their youth Thirdly God when he goes to call a sinner to conversion he looks upon the temper of those that are to be called and God sees some men of a rugged temper that their tempers will not be won but by wrath and by fire and by hell and by judgment And so it 's like Felix was his temper was such that nothing could conveâ—t him but wrath and judgement to come terrible Doctrines Some are of this temper that nothing but wrath and hel-fire can work upon them As children there are some that are of such soft and tender tempers that the shaking of a rod may doe them good there are other children if a man should whip them every day they would never leave their childish tricks It is so with sinners God sees some of a more tender and soft temper that love will gain upon them others are of a rugged disposition that nothing but wrath can affright them Now God in the dispensations of his grace he observes their temper and if he seeth love will gain more upon them then wrath will do he will take that course but if God see nothing but wrath and fire and horrour wil doe it then he wil work that way This you read in the Epistle of Jude ver 22 23. On some saith the Holy Ghost have compassion making a difference but others save with fear pulling them out of the fire The meaning is this There are some that you must shew tendernesse and compassion to in calling and working upon them they are of a tendâ—r temper but others there are that you must save with fear that is preach terrible Sermons to them and fright them with hel-fire and judgment to come For God doth observe the different tempers in men and hereupon doth proceed in different wayes of Administration in working upon them Now it may be thou that dost thus complain thou never hadst these terrours in thy soul and yet art effectually called it may be God saw thy temper more to be won by kindnesse and more gained upon in a way of love therefore wrought upon thee this way God is not bound to one way And therefore we may justly count them blame-worthy who preach onely free grace and Gods love and so tie God to one Method and they are too blame on the other side likewise if there be any such that preach only terror and wrath for God observes the temper of mens dispositions some to be knotty and some soft and accordingly proceeds ceeds in his way of working with them This ground therefore for your doubts is insufficient Secondly A second ground that makes men doubt of their effectual calling is upon the apprehension of some seeming defect that may be in the means of their calling As thus Think they I have read in the Word that it doth please God to use preaching as the ordinary means to call and convert sinners to Christ It pleased God by preaching to save them that beleeve I read this also that faith comes by hearing Now many a poor soul hath this that gravels his conscience and troubles his spirit but alas I finde a defect in this means For my part I cannot say I was converted by hearing a Sermon that which did work upon me was some other means One of these three either I was converted saith one by living in a godly family among good Christians seeing their example that first gained upon me Or saith another I was gained upon by reading a Chapter in the Bible or in some good Book and that first wrought upon me Or saith a third it may be if it was the Word it was the Word preached by a wicked man that is now turned either erroneous in judgment or prophane in practice and this occasioneth a great deal of jealousie The word preacht by the mouth of a godly Minister is Gods ordinary way but I was altogether out of this way and therefore this doth make him suspect the truth of his effectual calling Now Beloved I beseech you lend me your thoughts a little for I would fain make this Doctrine as comfortable to every called one as I can I shall speak of all these in order and shew you that put case either of these have been the meanes of thy calling yet thou hast no reason to doubt of thine effectual calling First thou suspectest thy call because the means hath been sayest thou not by hearing a Sermon or the word preacht but by living among good Christians and seeing their example and their living thou camest by this means to love the wayes of God and this was the first meanes that converted thee Beloved I doubt not but I speak to a great many that cannot say a Sermon ever converted them but only that they were gained to Gods wayes to imbrace the truth this way now what shall I say to such men as these why I would say thus much that though the Lord did not use his Word preached the ordinary meanes of converting soules in calling thee yet God is not tied and bound up to his word preacht but he may use other means to convert thy soul Secondly and more particularly that living among good people and seeing of their
say it doth not extend to children who die in their infancy but onely to men come to years of discretion if they live and die without having these six effects they may conclude they cannot be elected Secondly that the want of these six particulars for a time is no Argument of a mans non-election for before conversion which is Gods first dealing with a sinner an elect man may be as vile and as bad as any wicked man alive As the Apostle Paul tells us Titus 3.3 In times past we were also disobedient and served divers lusts and lived in pleasure and excess c. So 1 Tim. 1.12 So that the want of this for a time is no argument of a mans non-election for then it would follow a man unconverted is no elect man which would crosse the whole tenour of Scripture But a man living and dying without these doth not belong to the election of grace Thirdly I do not presse the having of these effects actually if you have them habitually My meaning is this A man may be elected and yet may not act any thing answerable to effectual calling nor act with any delight and love to the word nor act any thing in a way of sanctification yet if you have these habitually in the habit of them these may be testimonies or evidences of election Fourthly I do not presse the having of these effects sensibly to be an evidence of election if so be you have them really There are many men have these really when they have them not in their own apprehension Fifthly I do not presse the having of these effects gradually so you have them sincerely My meaning is this that a man may be elected yea and he may not onely be chosen in Gods eternal decree but the execution of that decree may be passed upon him that he may be effectually called and yet he may not have all these six effects in a great measure in the highest degree yet he may have them sincerely and so be a pledge to his own heart of his eternal election And thus having finished this third Quere I come now to enter upon another depending upon the former which indeed is a very dreadful subject and a point to be trembled at while it is handling and that is this what probable guesse may be given of a man that he is not within the compasse of Gods election This is a very high point and must be handled with a great deal of seariousnesse and sadnesse it being a point concerning the salvation or damnation of all the men upon earth And therefore I would intreat you to look about you Gods decrees they are in Heaven and it is onely a reall work of grace upon your hearts on earth that can give you evidence that those decrees are for good to you As good wrought is an evidence of Gods purpose to save you so the contrary work may be an evidence of Gods purpose never to save you but of leaving you without the compasse of his eternal election There can be nothing laid down absolutely and certainly yet there may be many probable guesses given of the men that are not within the compasse of Gods election Of which I shal name but six or seven sorts And I wish to God that none of you that are before the Lord this day have your names written in this black book lest you have just cause to fear your names are no written in the book of life First That man that falls back from a course of profession to a course of profanenesse without timely returning the Scripture gives a shrewd guesse of such a man that he is not within the compasse of Gods purpose to save I do not say every backsliding and every decaying affection but a total and final relapse when a man falls and riseth not again wâ—eâ— a mans runs from God and â—eturns not again the Scripture gives a guesse at him that he is not within the compasse of Gods election Heb. 10.38 39. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Interpreters observe that in these words there is a figure wherein there is lesse expressed then is intended My soul shall have no pleasure in him It is as much as if God should have said My soule shall hate or I will exceedingly hate him But we are not of them that draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of their souls which words clearly import that men that draw back without returning they draw back to perdition to damnation but we are not of them saith the Apostle And here then beloved doth this word fall upon any man before God this day Hast thou left a course of strictnesse and fallen into a course of prophanesse and loosnesse Hast thou fallen from thy God and never thinkest of a returning I shall not censure thee now but if thou livest and diest in this estate it is an undoubted argument thou art not within the compasse of Gods decree to save Secondly Men that do make the mercies and goodness of God as arguments to embolden them the more in sin such men are not likely to be the persons whom God hath elected to life and glory In the Epistle of Jude v. 4. It is spoken there of men that turned the grace of God into wantonness And what saith the Apostle of them they are men ordained of old to damnation The Scripture there makes it the badge of a man ordained of old to damnation when he shall persist in this sinful temper to turn Gods grace into laciviousnesse that is to take arguments from the grace and mercy and goodnesse of God to walk in waies of sin And therefore look to it and with your hearts bewaile it all you that are apt to abuse doctrins of grace and because God is good you will be evil because God is merciful therefore you will be sinful if you die in this temper the Scripture declares that you are the men ordained of old to condemnation Thirdly a man that doth walk in a course of sin wilfully with malice and knowingly against conscience and obstinately without reluctancy and persist in this and live and die thus that man is not within the compasse of Gods election There is a phrase Psal 59.5 Be not merciful O Lord unto wicked transgressors It is in some translations be not merciful to them that sin of wicked malice or of malicious wickedness Now there is this rule which Divines give that those prayers which were made by David they are rather Prophesies of what should be then meere prayers that this might be As David prayed against the Jewes Psal 69 2â— that their table might be a snare to them and that they should alway bow down under their prayes which was a prophecie and they did so And so he burden here that God would not be merciful to men that sâ—n of wicked malice which is as much as a prophecie that God will not be
him to life and glory to live and die in opposition to the word of God Seventhly and this we may speak more confidently and positively that that man is not within the compasse of Gods election who sinnes the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12.32 He shall neither be forgiven in this life nor in the life to come This is an unpardonable sin 1 John 5.16 Now I know there are many men who confine this sin only to the Pharisees as if they onely were guilty of it There are others that say this sin is seldome committed and so many Divines speak favourably of it but Beloved I am perswaded this sin is oftner committed then most men in the world dream of and many men are plunged into this sin that think well of their own souls The sin against the holy Ghost is only this It is a wilful and deliberate act in a professor of Religion whereby he doth not onely fall from his profession but he runns into a course of sin knowingly against conscience obstinately against counsel and maliciously against Jesus Christ This is briefly a descrption of this sin Now I am perswaded there are many in the world that have professed Religion that are if not in this sin yet at the very next door to it And if a man be gone thus farre this is called in Scripture a sin unto death a sin which if a man fall into he may be sure he shall be damned And thus I have in breif given you an account of these seven particulars whereby every man may give a guesse in his own thoughts whether he be within the purpose of Gods election unto salvation or no. I have now from this sad Doctrine only a few comfortable positions to lay down and so conclude As 1. That though these partâ—culars may give you a guesse of those that are not within the compasse of Gods election yet no man is bound to make this sure to himselfe that he is not elected You are bound to make your election sure but you are not bound to make your reprobation sure For these heads I have given out not to make any godly man question his election but to startle wicked men who live quite contrary and opposite to the elect of God 2. That a man may come very nigh to the worst of these sins and yet may be an elected man We were saith Paul sometimes disobedient deceived and served divers lusts Titus 3.3 And Eph. 2.2 In times past you walked according to the course of the world according to the power of the Prince of the aire who worketh mightily in the children of disobedience In times past ye were children of wrath as well as others In times past before calling you may come very neer to these evils yet be within the compass of Gods election Provided that you do not live and die in those evils For if so there is no hope of mercy 3. That for men to question their election meerly because they do not finde the saving effects of election in their hearts and lives is rather an argument of their being then of their not being elected Because men not elected they never look after their election to make it sure they will trust all upon the mercy of God and grace of God and never look after holiness sin never troubles them profaneness never grieves them want of holinesse perplexes not them The questioning therefore of your election arising from the evils of your conversation is rather a sign that God hath chosen you to life and glory 4. Election it runnes often times to those that are the worst sort of men in the world Election runnes to them that have been worst in their lives before they were called And thereby God magnifies the riches of his grace Election passeth by civil honest men and ingeniouâ—â—emperate mâ—n and commonly runns to men that have been scandalous loose Atheistical profane livers before they were called Matth. 21.31 Whores and Harlots shall come to Heaven before you Manasseh that was a cruel murderer and Idolater yet election ran to him Mary Magdalen a common strumpet out of whom Christ cast seven Devils yet election ran to her Rahab a Harlot Paul a persecuter a blasphemer a man injurious to the Saints yet Acts 9.15 He was a chosen vessel unto God and obtained mercy God to magnifie the riches of his free grace le ts election run to the worst of men that are in the world And this should be great comfort to you though you have been drunkards and though you have been Sabbath breakers and adulterers and though you have been profane yet if you can but now close with Jesus Christ and look after heaven if you can but now mourn over your condition and repent of your former failings and come in to Jesus Christ Election hath run unto men as bad as you and though you may be now men profane in your lives yet you may be objâ—cts of Gods election SERMON XIV 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe last Doctrin I drew from these words was this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are eternally elected by God to life and glory In the prosecution of which I have gone over some queries There are four difficulties or queries I am further to insist upon in treating of this point As namely First whether this election be universal or no Secondly whether a man that is once elected by God to salvation may come to be damned yea or no Thirdly whether God in electing a man to life and glory doth it out of any foresight of faith or any other grace he sees in man And fourthly whether this doctrine of election that God in his own counsel hath determined who shall be damned and who saved doth not take men off from any endeavours after their own salvation to make them desperate and neglect the use of means that they shall say if I shall be damned I shall be damned and if saved I shall be saved let me live as I lift whether this doctrine will favour this desperate conclusion yea or no First whether election be universal or no This is that the Arminians and Papists do mightily drive at And here they lay down this conclusion which they make unquestionable That there is such a thing as a certain universal election of God without limitation or restraint of persons whereby God did determine to save all mankind by Christ who were fallen in Adam This opinion was first drawn from Origen who held that all creatures should be saved and the Papists and Arminians mincing the matter to make it a little more plausible then he did they say that God in his purpose did intend to save all mankind by Jesus Christ but man falling away and walking contrary to their principles the defect lies in them that they are not saved
thorouâ—h â— Nâ—edles eye aâ— for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God As easie for a Camel It is not meant in this sense as some expound it That there was a gate in Hierusalem called the Needles eye a little and low gate which their Camels being ladâ—â— could not go through and therefore they must unload the burden and the Camel stoop before they could enter Some â—hink Christs speech had relation to that Beza saith that instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Camel they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cable which if untwisted may be put through the eye of a Needle but the knot is not untied but cut by this Exposition But the words were a proverbial speech among the Jewes who had this proverb amongst them that when any one spake things either unlikely or unprobable they would say This can be as easily done as a Camel can goe through a Needles eye And Christ alluding to this Proverb saith that rich men that doâ—e upon their riches and cleave to their wealth and rather part with heaven and Christ and soule and all then part with their riches Christ makes it an unpossible thing for such rich men to come into heaven As I once told what Buchanan said lying upon his death-bed in a message to King James I am going to that place where few Kings come And Beloved the speech is true for not many wise not many mighty not many noble hath the Lord chosen Secondly few civil honâ—st men doe fall within the compasse of Gods choice to save Moral men that trust upon their civility and moral honesty and plain dealing few or none of these come to heaven Publicans and Harlots shall come to Heaven before you Matth. 21.32 Whores and Harlots believe in me when you do not saith Christ Thirdly That though God in his own counced hath determined or made choice but of the fewest number of men women men to life and salvation yet this doth no way intrench upon the mercy of God this doth no way lessen or impeach the mercy of God Men may think as if surely God had cast off all bowels and cast off all mercy What God make such a world of men as he hath done and save but a few of these Man might think as if God were a hard Master that delighted in the destruction of man that had forgotten to be gracious such a hard charge will they be apt to lay upon God But now Beloved that God hath elected so few a number to life this doth no way impeach the mercy of God And this I make appear thus because God was bound to save none at all therefore you cannot challenge God either with unmercifulnesse or unfaithfulnesse if he should save none It was a meer act of his bounty and good will that he would save any Nay secondly there is that in man in the best of men that might justly provoke God not to save any And therefore if God save any it is of grace And this is a certain rule that God doth shew more mercy in saving of one then he would have done rigour of Justice had he damned all As may be made plaine by this comparison Suppose forty men guilty of Rebellion were arraigned for their lives and were condemned to die by the Law if the Prince pardon foure of these forty he shewes more mercy in pardoning the foure then he doth rigour of Justice in condemning the forty Why because the Fact deserved death in all alike So it is with God Every man upon earth deserves death and damnation and if God cull out any of the mass of mankind to save them he shewes more mercy then he had done rigorous Justice should he have destroyed all because he is bound to save none at all Fourthly God in electing a certain number to life doth it without foresight of any good works which he saw would be in them Indeed the Papists and Arminians joyn their strength to maintain this God say they foresaw men would believe in Christ and would be holy in their lives and therefore God did chuse them to life This you may remember I spent some time in overthowing formerly and therefore pass it over now viz. That God did not chuse men to life with reference to any good works he foresaw in them This indead is an undoubted truth All men whom God did elect to life he foresaw they would have good works in them but Gods foreseeing of this was no the cause for which he did elect them No the motive was his own will according to the pleasure of his own grace Rom. 9.11 and Rom. 11.5 A remnant are saved according to the election of grace for if it were of works grace is no more grace Were election upon foresight of good works then it would follow that infants dying in infancy were not within the compasse of Gods election because an infant so dying could not perform any good works and so their case would be most miserable Besides we are not justified by actual works therefore not elected upon works foreseen Rom. 3.24 for there is the like reason of these two Fifthly That Gods election is so free that in chusing and electing men to life and salvation he doth not do it for the sake of Jesus Christ himself Understand this well that therein you might both give Christ his due and God the father his due for mistake me not God doth save none but by Christ but God did elect men without reference to Jesus Christ as the motive of election meerly according to the purpose of his own will All modern and latter Divines lay down this for a truth that it was the meer pleasure and good will of God to man that was the motive of Gods electing us and not Christ Christ could not be the cause because he was the effect Now what is the effect cannot be the cause Gods love in electing mankind did produce Jesus Christ to be the means of our salvation and of bringing about Gods election therefore he being the effect of election cannot be the cause The cause of election was eternal but the merits of Christ were not so Again Christ was elected himself 1 Pet. 1.20 He was preordained of God before the world was Now he that was elected himself could not be the cause of our election Besides the elect are said to be given to Christ to be saved John 17.2 therefore he was not the cause of our election It is true the Scripture tells us Eph. 1.4 We are elected in Christ i. we are elected in Christ as a common person God first chose Christ and then believers in Christ as members of his body But God elects no man for Christs sake but man is chosen meerly of Gods bounty without reference to Jesus Christ And here Divines say Gods love in electing man to life was as free as if Christ had never died and it was so free that man was not beholding to