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 in with Jesus Christ and looke 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 runne unto men as bad as you and though you may be now men profane in your lives yet you may be objects of Gods election SERMON XIV 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe last Doctrine I drew from these words was this That Christians should put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soules 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 universall 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 counsell 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 list whether this doctrine will favour this desperate conclusion yea or no First whether election be universall or no This is that the Arminians and Papists doe mightily drive at And here they lay down this conclusion which they make unquestionable That there is such a thing as a certain universall 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 and this Divines call universall redemption Now against this I shall lay down severall Scriptures and then take off the objections that seems to strengthen this opinion First for Scriptures In the Epistle of Jude vers 3. you read of some that were ordained of old to condemnation Therefore sure all could not be saved 1 Thes 5.9 Some men are appointed to wrath but we to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ Therefore all men could not be within the purpose of Gods first intention to save Matth. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen So Rom. 11.7 The Jewes did not obtaine what they sought for but the elect obtained it and the rest were hardned 2 Tim. 2.20 There are vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour The Scripture makes it a discriminating act in God that some he chose to life and others from eternity in his councell he chose to wrath and condemnation And these Scriptures will fully overthrow this opinion And indeed the very word chusing confutes it which intimates a taking of some with an overlooking of others But now let us view a little the Arguments or Scriptures they abuse to strengthen this unsound opinion of theirs One is 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adant all died even so in Christ shall all be made alive Now say they Every man did die in Adam every mothers child by Adams fall became subject to death even so in Christ shall every man be made alive the Lord did intend that every man should have benefit by Jesus Christ Now to take off this I shall answer it in shewing you the true intent and scope of this Scripture This universall phrase of making alive hath not reference to the saving of the soule but to the resurrection of the body And so the sence is this That as in Adam by vertue of his sinne every man came to die a naturall death So in Christ shall all be made alive that is so by Christs power shall every man rise from the dead And if you aske how I make that appeare to be the intendment of the Text. I answer the words themselves will make it plaine Vers 11. It is said By man came death by man also came the resurrection from the dead that is as by that man Adam came death so by that man Christ shall come the resurrection from the dead for as in Adam all died c. so that here you see this is brought in as a proofe of the 21. verse Intimating that this being made alive hath no reference to the life of the soule but onely to the Resurrection of the body that as Adam by his sinne brought death to all men so Christ by his power shall raise all men from the dead every man in his own order However should this be granted that this making alive should have reference to the life of the soul it would beare no more but this that all that are damned are damned as in Adams loynes and all that are saved shall be saved as in the loynes of Jesus Christ And so make nothing at all to prove this which they call universall election Another Scripture undeniable they think is Rom. 11.32 where it is said God hath concluded all men under unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all Now say they If God did doe an act to make men see their unbeliefe and did intend by this action to have mercy upon all then God in his counsell intended to save all Now to this that he might have mercy upon all I answer This phrase all is not to be taken in an unlimited sence as if he would have mercy upon all mankind but it is to be taken in a restrained sence that God shut up all men in unbeliefe that is God made all believers see their own misery that he might have mercy on all them that believe And if you ask how I prove this to be the meaning of the Text I answer The Scripture makes it cleare Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all men under sinne The very words fore-quoted But what 's the limitation Shall all men be saved No. For mark the next words The Scripture hath concluded all men under sinne that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe Now though Paul doth not say thus to the Romans yet the words being the same the Restriction holds good in both
unto we are elected to eternall glory but our works are finite imperfect no more then our duty yea not done by our own strength but by the power of Gods grace and therefore cannot be that which moveth God to elect us Sixthly because God doth not chuse men to life for the sake of Jesus Christ therefore much lesse for their works sake It is true and mistake me not I confesse and so all Divines that are confesse this that God saves a man for Christs sake but God elects not a man for Christs sake but meerly for his own good pleasures sake God in chusing a man to life hath no reference to Christ as if Christ were the motive Christ was predestinated himselfe therefore could not be the cause of our predestination 1 Pet. 1.20 We are chosen in him its true Eph. 1.4 as the common person God elected Christ first in order and all believers in him but it is not for Christs sake but according to his own will As suppose a Kingdome to be newly set up a King is chosen and his successors to follow after why then all the succeeding Kings are chosen in him that was first elected so are we chosen in Christ God doth chuse a man as freely as if Christ did never die and yet God saves none but for Christs saxe and this makes election on Gods part most free God doth not consider Christ nor the good works we have but t is onely his own good will engages him to save some and neglect others And thus much for proving this point There are some objections now that lie in the way which must be removed God say they doth elect men upon the foresight of their good works and they alledge foure Scriptures to prove this James 2.2 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith now say they their laying out their estates for good uses and so becomming poore that is the reason why God chuseth them and neglects richer men To which I answer That poore here is onely spoken of Dins elegit sideles us siâ—t non quia jam â—rant Aug. l. de praedest as the quality of the persons that are chosen not as the cause wherefore they are chosen And this answer Mr. Perkins gives that poverty is not the cause why but the description of the persons that are chosen that Gods decree of election doth commonly runne among the poorer sort of men the more to advance his own grace that man shall not say election is intailed upon works for if poverty should be the cause of their election then all that are poore should be elected which is false Again further they object 2 Thes 2.13 God from the beginning hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth Now say they sanctification and faith is made as the channel through which election must run and therefore that is the cause or motive why God did elect them To this we answer That it is true God elects men through sanctification and faith as the end God aimes at in elect persons not as the motive for which he elects them And this answer Rivet gives All elect men shall be sanctified and all elect men shall believe though it is not for this sanctification and beliefe that they are elected It is not for grace but unto grace they are chosen This distinction the Scripture gives 1 Pet. 1.2 Ye are elect according to the foreknowl dge of God through sanctification unto obedience Not for as the motive but to as the end Again Titus 1.1 it is called the faith of Gods elect Now say they it is called so because God elects them foreseeing their faith To which we answer That faith is here called the faith of Gods elect not as if God foreseeing faith did elect men but because all elect men shall believe because faith is a peculiar priviledge belonging onely to elect men therefore it is called their faith And then lastly one Scripture more they alledge 2 Tim. 2.20 If any man shall purge himself from sin he shall be a vessell of honour Now here say they purging that is sanctification and good works it is made a condition of election of being a vessell of honour God makes this condition if he forsee a man will purge himselfe and will live holily that man shall be elected shall be a vessell of honour To which we give this answer That purging and sanctification is here laid down not as the cause but as the signe of their election not as the cause why men are vessels of honour but the signe or evidence that they are so If you are purged you shall be vessels of honour that is if you are sanctified it is a sign to you that you are elected SERMON XV. 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe last Conclusion or Doctrine drawn from these words was this That Christians should put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are eternally elected by God to life and glory In the prosecution of which I have dispatched severall queries I am now to proceed further in the dispatch of what yet remaines to be spoken concerning this subject A fourth query followes Q. Fourthly Whether the decree of election or Gods purpose to save a company of men being from eternity and being immutable whether doth not this give way to man to be secure and carelesse in the use of the means of grace that they take no care to get grace and to get heaven while they are in the world This is a very usefull point to insist upon seeing the Arminians charge us with this that if we hold election without respect to Gods foresight of workes in men then this layes open a gap for men to live as they list that they shall say If God hath determined they shall be saved they shall be saved if that they shall be damned they shall be damned whether they are holy or profane if God hath elected them to life they shall be saved let them live as they list Thus the Arminians plead This therefore is the query whether this doctrine of election doth administer any ground for such a cavill as this to be in the minds of men To answer which I shall first lay down this generall Conclusion That the decree or the purpose of God about the election of man to life and salvation doth no way administer any just ground to men to make them live as they list and to make them neglect the means of grace and salvation In the clearing of which I shall lay down three particulars to satisfie you about this matter As First that Gods decree about Civill and Temporall matters doth no way give encouragement to men to neglect the use of means and live carelesse of the accomplishment of his decree and therefore not so in
It is good to be sure and may not I much more say to you It is good to be sure of heaven it is good to be sure you are effectually called by Jesus Christ it is good to be sure that you are Christians in truth not in name only that you are Christians in Deed not in Profession only O it is good to make your Calling and Election sure Reas 3 Thirdly Christians should labour to assure this because the more assured you are of your Effectual Calling the more it wil heighten and increase your inward peace and comfort 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and full of glory It is verie observable that in all the Epistles of the New Testament where the Apostle speaks of their effectual calling to be Saints in the very next verse he salutes them with these words Grace and Peace be towards you 1 Cor. 1.2 You are called to be Saints Grace and peace be towards you Rom. 1 6 7. Called to be Saints grace and peace be multiplied towards you and so in everie Epistle besides to note that when a man is effectually called the more assurance he hath of his calling the more peace he hath in his own conscience It wil greaten your peace and greaten your inward comforts therefore you should labour after this assurance of your effectual Calling And thus having shewn you what Effectual Calling is and why you must give diligence to make this sure I now pass to a third Querie What are the Characters or discoveries whereby my soul may be assured that I am effectually called by Jesus Christ And in the dispatch of this I shal resolve it only by these two general heads First You may be assured of your effectual Calling if God hath taken that method with your souls which he doth ordinarily take with those whom he doth effectually call Secondly If the Lord hath wrought in you those saving effects or concomitants which do ordinarily accompanie those that are thus effectually called if these two things be done you may have a seal and assurance in your own hearts that you also are effectually called Beloved it is not for Ministers to flatter you there are among many in the world but few that are called among many that are called but few elected and therefore do not flatter your selves If upon trial you find you are not in the number of Gods Called ones go home and bewail your unregerierate and unconverted estate But before I can speak of this method I must first lay down some mistakes that are held by erroneous minds about the method God takes in calling a sinner home to himself A first mistake is of the Pelagians who hold this that a man is able to call and convert himself Now this opinion doth quite exclude and justle out God from having any hand therein they say A Christian is able to call and convert himself having only a general concurrence and assistance from God 2. Of the Arminians and they hold this That Effectual Calling consists only in moral perswasions and may be resisted by the person that is thus called and that a man being called into a state of grace may fall from his Calling and fall from his grace and so have no profit by his Calling at all which is a most uncomfortable opinion and surely God would never take this method in calling of his people 3. That of the Papists they say That God cals ordains a sinner to glorie but it is upon the foresight of his good works God foresaw how good and holie the man would be and therefore God would chuse and call him to glorie But this hath no ground from Scripture neither 4. That of the Familists and they hold this That Gods method in calling a sinner is not by the outward Ministrie of the word but it is by raptures and revelations and by divine inspirations and extraordinarie waies of working but this is not Gods usual method though God sometimes take this way as he did by Paul who was called this way after an extraordinarie manner Yet this is not Gods odinarie rule 5. There is another Mistake and that is of those who press a necessitie of such measures of legal horrour and terror upon the consciences of men else they can never be saved Sometimes Ministers have been so harsh now and then though indeed no such cause to blame them as is pretended yet sometimes lashes break out that men must be so and so humbled in such a measure and so long for duration Now this is not Gods method to press for measure but a great mistake about Gods manner of calling a sinner though I must confess this is the nearest of all the five to that rule God takes in calling a sinner to glorie Having thus laid down the mistakes 't is the easier now to find out the truth I come now to speak of that method God takes in calling a sinner And here I shall lay down a sixfold method in which God proceeds with those whom he doth effectually call which if he doth so with you you may go home with a seal upon your hearts that you are effectually called to grace and you shall one day come to glorie First When God goes about effectually to call a poor sinner into a state of grace he puts a clear light into his soul whereby he may see the hainous and aggravated nature of all his sins more then ever he did before Rom. 7.8 8 13. Paul tels you Before the commandment came he was alive and sin was dead that is before the power of the word came upon his conscience to convert him he was alive i e. he thought he was a good man and a just man and he thought sin was dead sin was destroied he never knew sin so sinful but when the commandment came sin revived and I died but when the word of God came with power upon my conscience and light upon my judgment then I saw I was a dead man sin had kild me and I saw sin was raigning and sin was raging in me and what then ver 13. I saw sin exceeding sinful he never saw sin so before conversion before his Call when he was a Pharisee but when the word of God came with power upon his conscience to call him then saith he I saw sin to be exceeding sinful Now O Beloved hath ever God done thus with your souls may be you look upon sin with a transient and general view but do you look upon sin so as to see more evil in sin then ever you saw before This is the course God usually takes Me thinks God deals with a converted sinner as it is spoken in Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it doth not profit me he will deliver his soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light that is God looks
you Do you look about you God will give you many a blow God will send you many a sad houre before he brings you to your peace 3. Those that have often sinn'd against Conscience that do as it were lay Conscience wast that are prodigall of sinning not caring for sinning against never so much light and never so much conviction Beloved you shall not have so easie a coming to heaven God wil first lay many stroaks upon you and draw heavie groans from you David saith By reason of thy terrors I am afraid and my bone are dried up You are subject to most horror and astonishment that do sin against Conscience Again 4. When God hath done thus made you see the aggravated nature of sin shewn you your misery by reason of sin and brought you into such a condition that you cannot tell how to be saved then 4. this is Gods Method to take you off from your own bottome beat you off from resting in duties and beat you off from dependance upon graces and beat you off from every thing in your selves This was Gods work in Paul Phil. 3.9 10. I was saith Paul Circumcised the 8th day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews that is my father and mother were Hebrews what then and I was touching the Law blameless Mark he was so standing upon his own legs upon his own bottome that he thought himself a holy man a man blameless touching the Law But now saith he what things were gain to me I count loss for Christ yea doubtlesse I count all things lost that I might be found in Christ not having my own righteousnesse Here Paul before Conversion depended upon his holy living and honest dealing but now I am converted and see my folly now I desire to be found in Christ not having mine own righteousness See how God did unbottome Paul from any goodness in himself to make him rest upon Jesus Christ and this is Gods work with thee he will unbottome thee from thy self and make thee see thou canst not be thine own Saviour 5. After he hath unbottom'd thee from thy self he puts thee upon earnest longings and looking after Jesus Christ When the poor soul hath ransack'd duties and gone to this Minister and the other Minister to be satisfied and he sees duties cannot help him and prayer will not help him now he thinks I see none but Christ to lay my head upon and I see none but a Christ I must make my recourse unto And now he is so longing after Christ that if all the stones in the streets were gold and all the building of his house were diamond and all his garments bespangled with pearâ—e none of these should interrupt or stay him from running after Jesus Christ and this as I may say is Gods second work The three first may be in wicked men they may see their sin and miserie thereby and be in a maze not knowing which way to goe but these two are a form beyond the wicked they never unbottome themselves nor ever have any longings or breathings after Christ at all 6. It is Gods method after all this to make them find abundance of contentment and acquiescence in Jesus Christ that they may have occasion to say I see I have laid my help upon one that is mightie I see I have picht upon him that is both able and willing to do me good 2 Thes 2.16 hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And now Beloved having spoken of these things how many in the Congregation have I left hehind that haply the Lord hath used none of these Methods with their souls O Lord I am not able to tell you your miserie but I intreat you take heed and do not nuzzle up your souls in Presumption and groundless Perswasions for believe it these are Gods ordinarie Methods he takes with most souls in bringing them to glorie SERMON III. 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure HAving finisht the first part of the discoverie in relation to the Method God takes with those whom he doth effectually call I now proceed to the second way of discoverie and that is by those saving Concomitants that doe and will accompanie a soul that is effectually call'd and these saving effects I shall reduce under eight heads First A man effectually call'd by Christ he doth unfainedly love the word of God and the Minister that preached that word that God did use as an instrument of his call First I say he will love the word John 8.47 He that is of God that is he that is call'd by God heareth Gods word therefore you are not of God because you heare not his word There the Scripture tels us that they who are of God effectually called by him they heare his word with abundance of delight and abundance of joy and love So 1 John 4 5 6. He that is of God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us And therefore David when he would evidence a work of God upon his heart Psal 119.14 Thy word saith he is as great riches to me And as if he did not value riches comparable to the word vers 72. I love thy word above thousands of gold and silver Beloved if you are converted and called by Jesus Christ you will love the Word of God that was an instrument of your Call Wherfore all you that spurn against the Gospel that cannot endure to have the word come with power upon your consciences all you that are weary of Ordinances and finde no more savour in an Ordinance of God then as Job saith there is taste in the white of an egg this is an argument you are not yet called What 's the reason one man will rise early go far take pains and many times neglect his own lawfull affairs and all to enjoy the Word when another man will goe by the Church-door and haply go to a Tavern and will not go to hear the Word at all What 's the reason One is call'd by the Word and the other not one is called by the Word and therefore loves it another is not called and that makes him neglect it 2. He doth not onely love the word but the Minister that by preaching the word was an instrument of his conversion And therefore it is observable which some Divines note That of all men that we read of in Scripture there was no man did love Paul so much as Timothie For I have no man like minded saith Paul Phil. 2.22 No man that did so naturally care for him and for the Church of God as he For as a son with his father hath hee served me And what 's the reason Why Paul was the instrument of Timothy's Conversion and Timothy being a Minister and come to a great pitch in grace hee thought that of all Arguments in the world that should indear him to
and contents of youth this will become an heavy burden and bitter vexation in old age Beloved the more evil you run out into in your youthful daies the greater and deeper foundation of disquietnesse and sorrow you lay in your souls in your latter daies though you should be called by Jesus Christ 4. If the Devil suggest that you are too young to imbrace the invitation of Christ consider That Jesus Christ will take it most kindly at your hands if while you are young you will give intertainment to his call Jer. 2.2 I remember thee saith the Lord and the kindness of thy youth that thou wouldst follow me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown Mark how the Lord speaks and how kindly he takes it that they would in their youth follow God the Lord will remember it and take it acceptably from you if while you are young while the Marrow is in your bones and strength in your joynts you will imbrace the wayes of Jesus Christ It is an observation that some have concerning the beloved Disciple John John 20. He is called the Disciple whom Christ loved and that leaned upon his brest of all the other eleven Disciples Christ did love John above the rest and Divines give this reason of it John was the youngest of all the Disciples he was converted and called by Christ when he was a young man and Christ seeing a young man follow him took this very kindly at his hands and cals him his beloved Disciple As you that are Parents you let your little Children sit in your lap when your great ones shall not so John he being a young man Christ would let him lean upon his brest and lie in his bosome expressing his kindnesse to him Now O how should this beat off this temptation that you are too young to follow Christ because Christ takes it so kindly at your hands if you imbrace his call in time nay Christ doth take it so kindly that he doth love bare Morality and Civility in young men and therefore it is said in Matthew when Christ saw the young man and he told him Matt. 19.20 I have observed these things from my youth Christ look'd upon him and loved him Christ shewed a general love to the young man that was but a Moral man from his youth and if Christ love Morality he will much more love Piety and true Sincerity It is observed of Timothy that of one particular man Paul expressed more love to Timothy then any other Read over all the book of God you shall never find Paul expresse so much love to any as to Timothy he cals him Timothy my son Timothy who serveth me as a child and Timothy my dearly beloved and why was all this Why the reason is because Timothy from a child was converted and knew the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.6 He was from a child converted and called by the Ministery of the word in Paul's mouth and this did more indear the heart of Paul unto him You read in the book of Leviticus that when God did require a Sacrifice he would not have an old Sheep but a young Lamb a Lamb of a year old and a Kid of the yongest of the Flook And it was significative in this not only to shew that Christ our Sacrifice should die and suffer for our sins in the flower of his age but also to shew that Jesus Christ looks upon that as an abominable Sacrifice when you will not be of his Fold while you are as young Lambs O Beloved Christ takes it wonderful kindly if in your youth you do imbrace his call Fifthly Yield not to the Devils temptation considering this that though you should be converted in your old age yet Christ cannot but take this very unkindly at your hands that you should put him off until your last end that you reserve if any part yet the worst part for his service You know when Christ stood all the night for his Spouse till his head was full of dew and his locks were wet with the drops of the night he got him gone because she came not and would stay no longer O how unkindly think you will Christ take this when he shall wait year after year and yet you not imbrace his call It is said in Isaiah All the day long have I stretched out my hand to a rebellious people yet they would not hear and Mal. 1. Offer the Lame and the Blind to thy Governour will he accept of it Christ must needs take this unkindly that you should give the Devil the flower of your age and give to Christ but the decrepit and infirm parts of your lives that the Devil should suck out the Marrow of your youth and onely give God the dry bones a palsie head a dim eye a weak body and so all your services must needs be weak also and think but how unkindly Christ will take your services thus performed Sixthly Consider this that from your Birth-day to your dying day you have time little enough to carry on the business of your salvation should you live never so long and therefore you have no cause to put off the call of Jesus Christ And thus much be spoken by way of satisfaction to take off the first temptation that you are too young to give entertainment to the call of Jesus Christ and this I do for the sake of young men that they may take heed of being insnar'd by this delusion of the Devil 2. Sug. 2. Here it may be the Devil cannot insnare you in this Gin Old men will say this concerns not me I am not taken with this temptation therefore now the Devil comes upon them with this suggestion Saith the Devil to them You cannot now give entertainment to the call of Jesus Christ for you have callings in the world to follow you have a particular calling and you must provide for Wife and Children and Familie and lay up for future times against old age and sicknesse and therefore you cannot be at leasure now to give entertainment to the call of Jesus Christ when I am more at leasure I may look after my effectual calling And this also sticks very close to a great many And to take off this suggestion of the Devil I shall lay down six particulars also by way of Answer As First God never intended that our outward calling should any way hinder us in the work of our conversion God never intended that our imployments upon earth should justle out the necessary provision for heaven But God hath so given out our callings here in the world that he hath made and ordained them to be subordinate to our general and effectual calling to the great business of Gods glory and our own salvation It is said of Noah that he walked with God Gen. 6 14 and was perfect in his generation And yet Noah was imployed by God for some time to wit for 120 years in a Handycraft-calling to build an
upon the apprehension of the interest they have in Jesus Christ Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance And Thou shalt put more gladness in mine heart c. Prov. 14.13 A good conscience is a continual feast Men are never more merrie then when they are at a feast godly men they carry clear consciences about them and that makes them as ioyous and pleasant as if they were alwaies at a great and sumptuous feast Indeed this is true they do not rejoyce with such exorbitancies of joy as wicked men do Wicked men rejoyce in sin that they cannot do wicked men rejoyce in their lusts in their drunkenness and their adulteries and waies of sin that godly men dare not do Such a rejoycing as this is the foundation of sorrow This rejoycing like the Prodigal in a riotous course of living is the foundation of sorrow and wil meet with you when you are to die Secondly Grant this should be true yet consider that this sorrow that godly people have it is such a sorrow that they shal have no cause to repent thereof but it is a foundation of future joy to them 2 Cor. 7.9 10. I rejoyce saith the Apostle in that I have made you sorrowful What rejoyce to see them a sad people Yes for the sorrow I made you sorrowful with was a sorrow never to be repented of you wil never repent of that sorrow and therefore Paul would do it Psal 126. because it was a sorrow never to be sorrowed for nay it is not only such a sorrow as is not to be repented of but it is a sorrow that laies a foundation to a great deal of future joy They that sow in tears shall reap in joy But now all the joy of wicked men is a joy to be repented of They must repent of all their jovial bouts and repent of all their merrie pastimes this wil be sadness to their remembrance wheras the sorrow of the godly is ne'er to be sorrow'd for Thirdly It is true it may be they are sorrowful but they are sorrowful for sin which you have cause to be that are uncalled as wel as they and more Now if a godly man be sorrowful for sin this wil never prejudice him Indeed Worldly sorrow brings forth death saith the Apostle but godly sorrow brings forth salvation never to be repented of Fourthly It may be they are sorrowful but how is it They are not sorrowful because they are good but they are sorrowful because they are so bad It is not profession makes them sorrowful but it is because they can profess Christ no better and profess him no more zealously this is their sorrow and this sorrow should be in all of us that we can serve God no better and bring God no more glory Fifthly They are sorrowful but it is not for themselves but for thee they are not sorry because they are good but because thou art so bad they are sorry because of thy sins because they see thee an uncalled man stil and they see thee drunk and see thee profane and see thee dishonour God and damn thy soul and this makes them more sad then they would be Lot his righteous soul was vext within him for the wickednesse of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 And Jeremiah his eyes run down with tears for the iniquity of the people he lived amongst And so Paul I told you before and now tell you weeping there are wicked livers among you that walk not according to the truth Phil. 3.17 18. Paul did not weep because he was miserable but because he saw so many wicked and abominable in their lives So David Psal 119.136 Mine eyes run down with water because men keep not thy Law Ezek. 9.4 And lastly Though you see some men sad and melancholy yet think not ill of the waies of God because this way of all other doth most invite to joy and gladness in the Lord. Rejoyce evermore and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 And John 16. These things I speak saith Christ that your joy might be full In the profession and following of Christ it is the intendment of Christ to give you more joy then ever you had before there is no such cause therefore to entertain a prejudice by the Divels temptation against the waies of Jesus Christ when he cals you to professe his Gospel And thus much be spoken to the second case of conscience in reference to wicked men There is a third case touching men uncalled and that is What delusions doth the Divell deceive hypocrites by to make them nourish presumptuous perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not And I intreat you give me your attentions a little in the dispatch of this material question I shall only lay down four Delusions whereby the Divel deceives many Delus 1. The Divel may delude men by this because they do delight to hear the word preacht therefore the Divel would egg on this perswasion surely your delighting to hear the word and your following of Sermons this must needs be an evidence of your effectual calling And here the Divel would misapply Scripture as John 8.47 He that heareth not my words saith Christ is not of God he that is of God heareth my words Now here thâ— Divel would misapply this Scripture and tel you you that hear Gods word and delight to hear Sermons this can be no other then an infallible evidence of your effectual calling Now I beseech you to follow me in the taking off this delusion and shewing you wherein and in what cases this wil prove but a broken reed unto you And I shall shew you that in five cases hearing the word of God with delight is no evidence of effectual calling but may be a meer delusion of Satan As 1. If your hearing the word be but a bare hearing and not a hearing with practice if you have not practice joyned with what you hear and know your thus hearing the word with delight is no evidence of your effectual calling Ezek. 33.31 They come before thee as my people cometh thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voyce as one that can play well upon an instrument of musick Here the Lord sets forth with what delight they heard Ezekiel preach they heard him as a man that had a very lovely voice and they heard him as a man that plaied upon an Instrument of Musick much delight they took in hearing Yet saith God they hear thy words but do them not Beloved though you take as much delight in hearing a Sermon as to hear the most melodious musick a cunning hand can make yet if you barely hear with delight not joyning practice with your hearing this is no evidence of effectual calling Hence it is James saith James 1.21 Be not hearers of the word only but doers also lest you deceive your own souls Implying that you wil deceive your souls about effectual calling
if you only hear and do not do This was the fault of the stonie ground Matth. 13.20 2. If your hearing be a partial hearing I mean thus if you hear and wil hear but part of the word or leave but some part of your sins by hearing wil pick and chuse both whom you wil hear and what you wil hear in that case your hearing with delight can be no evidence of your effectual calling If it be a partial hearing as first that you wil hear some part and wil not hear the other to hear the promising part and not the commanding part to hear with delight the commanding part and not hear the threatning part of the word in this case thus hearing wil be no evidence of your cal Mark 6.20 Herod it is said of him he heard John Baptist gladly and did many things There was his partial hearing he heard him with joy in many things but he would not do all Now if you aske wherein was Herods failing Herod heard the word with gladness yet this was no evidence of his effectual calling Wherein did he fail Why mark compare this Scripture with Luke 3.18.19 20 Herod it is true he heard John Baptist gladly while he preached of ordinarie matter but when John came to reprove him of his sins and told him he was an Adulterer then he could not endure to hear John preach ver 18. Many things in his exhortation did John preach to the people but Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by John for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils Herod had done he added yet this above all to shut up John in prison He would hear John no more then Mark how the Scripture points out a wicked man Herod heard John gladly when he preached of comfortable and general matter but when John came to reproving matter and convincing matter then he would hear him no more but added this sinne to the rest to shut up John in prison So that to be a partial hearer gladly to hear some part of the word but not all can be no evidence of effectual calling So those in Isaiah discovered this temper Isa 30.10 Prophesie to us smooth things prophesie deceits There were manymen could delight to hear smooth and comfortable preaching but they could not endure to hear a true denunciation of Gods judgments against them for their sinnes They love to hear some part of Gods wil not all the promising part not the reproving part this is no evidence of effectual calling Ezek. 13.17 18. There were some lying Prophetesses that did preach but what did they do They sowed pillows under mens elbows and the Lord charges them for it that they did hunt after their souls To preach smooth Doctrines and plausible comfortable doctrines is but to sow pillows and hunt after mens souls Now many men love to be smoothed up and flattered in their sins whereas to be a partial hearer is no sign of your effectual calling 3. Hearing the word with delight is no evidence of your effectual calling in case this be a fickle and unconstant hearing To delight to hear the word because the word comes in request because there is no danger in hearing this wicked men may delight to do when yet if times of persecution should arise they would be fickle and leave off their hearing Matth. 13.20 21. It is said of the stonie ground that the seed that fell among stones are they that receive the word with joy there is their delight to hear but not having deep root in times of persecution fell away Here the Scripture Anatomizeth a man that he may hear the word with joy sometimes when the current of the times run for Religion when the word comes in fashion among a people but if persecution should attend the word and a prison attend hearing you would then see how flag their delights would be in hearing the word and in this case you may delight to hear the word yet be no evidence of your effectual calling 4. In case your hearing be a selfish hearing As now many men may hear the word with delight why Because they may get profit by hearing and praise and vain glory by hearing the word and this may make them wonderfully delight to hear Luke 12.1 There was an innumerable companie went to hear Jesus Christ in so much the croud was so great that one trod upon another to hear him yet Christ saith of them John 6.26 They come to hear me preach but not for the word I teach or the miracles I do but for the loaves they eat of It was not love to Christs person or his ministrie but only because they saw Christ with a few fishes â—o feed so many men they seeing of this miracle this made them frequent the Ministrie and word of Jesus Christ Many men may hear the word when selfish advantage accompanies hearing to get more trading to be better thought of among their neighbours this is a selfish hearing and in this case you may hear yet not be effectually called There is a phrase in Hosea 7.14 They cried unto me and they howled upon their beds and they assembled themselves for corn and wine Here was a people that assembled together at the ordinances of God but what was their end there was a dearth and famine likely to come and here they would use duties to be a means to prevent a famine and get corn and wine together Here was a selfish end and thus men may hear yet have no evidence of their effectual call 5. If your hearing be a divided hearing and your delight a divided delight this can be no Argument of your call As thus A man may delight to hear yet if that man divide and share his delights partly to sin and partly to the Word this can be no evidence of his effectual calling In the place before quoted Hos 7. They assembled together and howled upon their beds yet they sin against me saith the Lord. There they divided their delights they would serve God in his Worship yet they would sin against him So those Isa 58.3 6 7. They took delight in drawing near to God yet in the day of their fast found pleasure in sin Now to have a divided love to delight in sin as wel as in Ordinances this can be no Argument of effectual calling and your hearing the Word in these five cases is but a meer delusion But on the contrary if your hearing be not a bare hearing but with your delight in hearing you joyn practice If it be not a partial hearing but the commanding and reproving part as welcome as any other If it be such a hearing as is not selfish Such a hearing in which you aim more at Gods glory then your own advantage if these be the qualifications then your delight in hearing the Word is an evidence of your effectual calling Delus Yea but you will urge farther Though this be not an Argument of our effectual calling yet
we can go one step higher We do not onely delight to hear the Word but we love the godly who are effectually called to grace and glory and if we love them we hope it is an Argument that we also are called and they urge that Scripture for it We know that we are translated from death to life if we love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 Now to speak to this I answer It is clear in Scripture that every kind of love to the people of God is no Argument of effectual calling but there may be a fained and a counterfeit love as wel as any other grace Hence the Apostle presses Rom. 12.9 Let your love be without dissimulation importing that men may dissemble their love as wel as any grace else 1 John 3.18 Let us not love in word and in tongue onely but in deed and in truth So 1 Pet. 1.22 Let there be unfained love to the Brethren intimating that there may be a fained and false love So that every kind of love is no evidence of effectual calling And this I shal make out by this demonstration Because there are several acts or expressions of love that men who are not effectually called may shew to godly men Now if a man uncalled may shew many expressions and acts of love to a man converted then meer shewing love to a godly man is no Argument of your effectual calling I shal reduce what I have to say unto six Heads As 1. A man may be frequently in the companie of godlie men yet not be effectually called and so Demas was a companion with Paul in the Gospel yet he not called but imbraced the world and fel away 2. They may speak wel of the people of God And this John tels us 1 John 3.18 Let us not love in word or in tongue This loving in word and tongue was to speak wel of a godlie man this a wicked man may do 3. They may write Letters of commendation in the behalf of a godlie man And so you read of Pilat's Wife which the Scripture gives as no evidence of her Conversion Mat. 27.19 She wrote a Letter to her Husband in the morning before he was to arraign Christ and told him Have nothing to do with the blood of that just man Here you see she wrote in the behalf of a good man of Jesus Christ And so we read of Claudius Lysias that he wrote a Letter in the behalf of Paul to Felix the Governor here were great acts of love yet these no evidence of their effectual calling Nay 4. They may think nothing too much to give to good men yet not be called And so did the Galathians whose calling Paul questions Gal. 4.15 They would pull out their own eyes and not think them too dear for Paul Yet at length how cold did they grow and count Paul their enemy for telling them the truth 5. They may express such love that in times of danger they may take care of the safetie of godlie men so Acts 23.27 Claudius Lysias when he heard Paul was in danger of his life he came with an Armie of men to rescue him that they should not take away his life from him and yet Claudius Lysias lived and died a Heathen for ought the Scripture mentions Lastly They may relieve the necessities of the godlie yet not be effectually called Now here are high expressions of love yet it is evident all these may be where calling is not But now its true in some cases love to the people of God may prove a good evidence of ones effectual call to wit if it have these four qualifications 1. If you love the people of God under this notion because godlie it is an evidence of your effectual call because there is good in them more then because you receive good from them Hence it is John tels us wicked men may love a godlie man because they have good from him 2 John 1. To the elect Lady whom I love in the truth for the truths sake dwelling in her John did not love the Ladie because she was a Ladie or because she was a goodlie woman but for the truths sake that dwelt in her Whereas wicked men they love a godlie man but not as godlie under that notion Therefore you shal see the difference between Johns love to a godlie person and Claudius Lysias a man unconverted Acts 23.27 Claudius Lysias tels you there that Paul was in danger of his life and with an Army I rescued him Now why was it he did so did he love Paul because a godlie man no for mark the next words With an Army I rescued him because it was told me he was a Roman He loved Paul for his Nation not for his conversion had he loved Paul as Paul Paul as a Christian this were an Argument of grace but to love Paul as a Roman because of Country and Nation sake this was no evidence of his call So Mat. 5.46 47. If ye love them that love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans so So that you see a wide difference between the love of a godlie man and of a wicked man 2. To measure your love to them by their graces that you love that man most that hath most grace that 's an Argument of effectual calling because it is grace in the man and nothing else you love 3. If your love be universal to all that are godly of what sort or condition soever they be this is an evidence of your effectual calling for then 't is evident that grace as grace is the object of your love Lastly To love a man so as to carry compassion in your brests towards him to have a sympathizing heart with him in his sufferings 1 Pet. 3.8 Sufferone with another love as Brethren This shewes your love to be true when it hath pity and compassion to attend it Delus I pass now to a third delusion which indeed is a main delufion and hath deceived many specially those that profess the Gospel to make them believe they are effectually called when they are not And that is because they discern a change in their conversation that they are not the same men they were in days past and hereby the Divel props up this perswasion that surely they must needs be effectually called and he alledges Scripture for it 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Such were some of you but yee are washed c. Now this being so universall a delusion among most men in the world that if they have hopes of Heaven it is upon this ground that they are not the same now they were in times past I shall therefore a little inlarge my selfe in speaking of this particular and shall lay downe six or seven particulars wherein I shall shew that this ground taken in generall is no infallible evidence of a mans effectuall calling First Because there are many graduall changes which do not come up or amount to a saving change or alteration
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 judgement 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 means of thy calling yet thou hast no reason to doubt of thine effectual calling First thou suspectest thy call because the meanes 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 meanes 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 onely 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 meanes to convert thy soule Secondly and more particularly that living among good people and seeing of their example both in life and worship we finde in Scripture to be a very efficacious means oftentimes to convince sometimes to convert and if you can finde out this in Scripture you may have abundance of comfort It hath been a meanes oftentimes to convince 1 Pet. 3.16 They shall be ashamed to speak evill of you while they behold your conversation in Christ When they shall see that you live in Christ and walk according to Christ they shall be ashamed ashamed of what they have done and what they have spoken it shall convince them So 1 Pet. 2.15 And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God 1 Cor. 14.24 25. If there comes an unbeliever among you he sees your order saith he he shall fall down in the midst of you he shall be convinced and shall say Of a truth God is among you Seeing this saith the Apostle godly men holy in their lives and holy in their worship though he be an unbeliever he shall fall down and say Of a truth God is among you that is by way of conviction Nay further sometimes God doth blesse the gracious lives and blamelesse example of Christians to be a means to convert some when the Gospel cannot do it and you would think this very comfortable could it be made good I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family where either husband or wife or any one in the family is godly 1 Pet. 3.1 Wives be subject to your husbands what then that your husbands who are not wonne by the Word may be wonne without the Word whilest they behold the conversation of their wives A notable text There were many wicked Husbands that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them yet the Apostle tells them that if the wife did live a godly and holy life their lives sometimes should be more efficacious to convert their Husbands then the Word should be And this Beloved doth clearly take off this first plea of yours that because you were converted by example and by living among good Christians and seeing their walkings this gained upon you this is no cause of discouragement because sometimes I say the Lord doth blesse examples of gracious lives to make them winne and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ Secondly they go yet further There is another poore soul brought home to Jesus Christ and what saith he I do misdoubt the means of my call for a Sermon never wrought upon me the first thing of all that ever gained upon me it was the reading of some Chapters in the Bible or some other holy mans book and that made me first to hate sin and love the wayes of God and look after his Word for my salvation And here I doubt not but many Christians have found the Word read the first means of gaining upon their hearts And therefore to take off this likewise I shall speak two or three things in way of Answer As First that God is not tied to any means but can work with the meanest means to bring home people to Jesus Christ If Peters conversion was by a Cock a Cock crowing and a look of Christs eye why may not Christ use the Scriptures read to be a means of a mans call If from stones God can raise up children to Abraham why cannot God do it by the Word also to make the Word read a means in his own hands to effect it God that can do all things with nothing without means can bring to passe great things by weak means Secondly and more particularly That though ordinarily preaching and hearing of the Word preached be ordained by God and crowned by him chiefly to be a means instrumental to convert souls yet God sometimes hath blessed the reading of the Word to be a means of converting souls likewise Yet Beloved I would not do as the Prelates did who would fain have brought in reading to justle out preaching Preaching is the more noble work and must be highest in our thoughts yet if God will go out in an unusual way who can controll him If God will do it by a Chapter read when not by a Sermon preached who can resist God if he will shew his power by weaker means Who shall gainsay it God sometimes honours the reading of the Word to give encouragement to reading to be a means of some mens call I have read of S. Austin that he was converted not by hearing a Sermon but by opening the Bible and reading that place Rom 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day time not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse and the reading of this verse wrought upon him I have read of Cyprian that he was converted by reading the Prophecie of Jonas hearing of Gods mercy to save such a wicked people and of Gods mercy to Jonas when he was in so pettish a mood as to be angry with God I have known likewise another famous Minister that going by a Book-binders shop he was converted by reading a Sermon of Repentance that cost but two pence hath bin a famous Minister since for the conversion of many hundreds to Jesus Christ Junius was converted by reading the first
the better know they should live for ever and everlastingly be saved Keep close to God in reading his written Word and this will be of great use Because there are Promises scattered throughout the veines of Scripture Not a Scripture almost you can read but there is a promise or support for your faith one way o◠other Thirdly Keep close to God in a constant and consciencious hearing of his Word and this is a great means to get assurance Luke 1.76 Thou shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way that is thou shalt go to prepare the peoples hearts that they may receive Jesus Christ that followes after This is spoken of John Baptist And what was the effect of hearing John preach To give knowlege of salvation to his people for the remission of their sins not onely to give them salvation but to give them knowledge and assurance of this salvation O live under the Ministery and under John Baptists Ministery that preacheth repentance and humiliation and that is the Ministery will give most assurance of your salvation Fourthly Keep in communion with God in a daily trying and examining your own hearts Gal. 6.4 If any man think himselfe to be somewhat when he is nothing he deceiveth himselfe but let every man prove his own works and then he shall have rejoycing in himselfe That is let a man examine himselfe and prove his heart and this will be a means to work joy in the heart that they shall have comfort and joy in themselves in the assurance of their happiness Beloved what 's the reason you do not keep assurance the reason is you keep not close to God in a way of communion in these duties of holinesse you keep not to God in a way of prayer and reading and examining your hearts and proving your comforts and your own estate and that 's the reason you are no more full and no more firm Secondly if you would keep your comforts keep your conscience clear from harbouring the guilt of linne Job 11.14 15. I iniquity be in thy hands put it far away if sinne be in thy conversation away with it Let not sinne be in thy heart nor in thy house then shalt thou list up thy face to God without spot thou shalt be stedfast before him and not fear This will ballance thy spirit and keep thy heart from fear and keep thee in a stedfast assurance if thou keep thy conscience clear Thirdly If thou wouldst keep assurance gather and heap together all the experiences thou hast had of God in thy heart in times past I called to remembrance the dayes of old Psal 77.7 Call to remembrance all the experiences thou hast had of God and had of Christ and of thy own grace and the fruits of Gods Spirit in thy own soul and this will wonderfully keep up thy assurance Rom. 5.4 The Apostle tels us Experience worketh hope The more experimental you are and the more you gather experience together the more you strengthen hope and the more hope is strengthened the more assurance is gained These are the particulars you must practise in case you would preserve in your brest this assurance of your effectual calling Secondly There are some things you are to avoid and take heed of in case you would perpetuate assurance in your hearts and those I shall comprize under six heads First Take heed you do not wallow in and give your selves to sensual joy and pleasure There is nothing in the world will more eat out spiritual joy and that effectual assurance in your hearts then giving your selves too much to carnal joy and sensual pleasure which takes away the heart The more your joy runnes in that channel after sensual pleasure the less it runs towards God and the comforts that are above godly sorrow is the seed plot of spiritual joy Secondly The evill of earthly mindedness take heed of that if ever you would keep your comforts There is nothing in the world will more blast your comforts then an earthly minde to be still poring upon the things of the world What the Philosophers say of the Eclipse of the Sun that it is occasioned by the intervening of the Moon between the Sun our sight is true in this case The Moon is an emblem of the world If the world get between Christ the Sun of Righteousnes and our sight it will darken our sight of Jesus Christ and bring eclipses upon our comforts and graces Those men that dig deepest into the bowels of the earth they are oftentimes choaked and stifled by damps that come from the earth So it is with Christians those that will be ever poring and digging about the things of this world it is a thousand to one if from worldly things a damp doth not arise to smother their comforts and quench their graces the world pierceth with sorrow therefore must needs damp your joys A candle though it may shine to the view of all yet put it but under ground and though there be not a puffe of winde the very damps will stifle the light of the flame Beloved though you shine like candles in your comforts yet bring them but under the earth and a clod of earth will stifle your candle will damp your comforts There is nothing laies a Christian under more losse in his assurance then worldly-mindedness Thirdly Avoid remisseness in religious duties If you slack in duties you will slack in comforts lesse duties and lesse comforts go together If a man doth let loose the tacklings of his ship and let slack the sailes that ship cannot go with so swift a motion specially if winde and tide be against it the ship must needs go backward Believers that are assured Christians they are like a ship under saile you go against winde and tide against nature and against corruption against Temptation and the devil and all now if you let slack your sailes and grow remisse in duties you will quickly slack in your comforts whatever weakens your graces and straitens your duties will impaire your assurances and eclipse your comforts and therefore take heed of remisseness in a way of duties oh do not less work when you have most encouragement Fourthly Take heed of spiritual pride If once you begin to admire your selves you then lose your selves If once you are proud of your graces it is a provocation to make God take away your comforts and to make you lose your graces I mean lose them not in the very being but in the comfort and exercise of them pride it is the great murderer of a Christians comforts Fifthly Take heed of grieving the Spirit of God Grieve not the holy Spirit saith the Apostle whereby you are sealed to the day of Redemption The Spirit of God is a sealing Spirit O grieve not this Spirit Ità nos tractat Spiritus sicut tractatur The Spirit deals with us as we deal with
There are many profitable points to be handled in the dispatch of this Doctrine I shall onely in this remnant of time prosecute a few And first I shall shew you what election is Secondly whether a man may be sure of his own election seeing election is an act from eternity How can a man be sure of that which was done in Gods counsell before we had a being Thirdly by what discoveries may a man infallibly judge that he is elected Q. 1 In the discussion of this doctrine I begin with the first What election is A. Which that you may know I shall lay down this briefe description of it Election is an eternall decree or purpose of God whereby he hath freely chosen out of the masse of mankind a small company of men and women that shall come to everlasting life and salvation by Jesus Christ This is election And here in this description there are these things to be taken notice of First I call it an eternall purpose because though a man be not justified from eternity yet he is elected from eternity God from eternity had a purpose that man should be justified and should be called and should be saved Election is from eternity though vocation justification and glorification be not so Hence you read in Scripture when it speaks of election Eph. 1.4 He hath elected us in Christ before the foundation of the world But it is never said so of Justification God had a purpose to make us happy and a purpose to call us in time and a purpose to justifie us from eternity though the acting of this purpose is in due time fulfilled Secondly I call it a purpose whereby he doth freely chuse And this I doe in opposition to that Papisticall Tenet that God doth predestinate or elect men to salvation upon the foresight of good works A most abominable opinion and takes off the freeness of this act of Gods election 2 Tim. 1.9 Not according to our works but according to his own purpose grace Eph. 1.5.11 so I say thirdly Whereby God doth freely chuse out of the masse of mankind a few to obtaine life and salvation In opposition to those that hold for universall Redemption and universall Grace As Origen and from him many more have been tainted with this errour to hold Election universall And so many of the Papists Now the Scripture tels us that many are called but few are chosen Election signifies a choice now a choice the very word imports a rejecting of some and a culling out of others The word Election imports that all shall not be saved Origen held this that all men should be saved that Election shall extend to every man Yea the very divels at the day of judgement shall be saved which is an opinion among Christians not to be named for Election belongs but to a few Fourthly I say that t is to bring them to eternall life and salvation therefore called ordination to eternall life Act. 13.48 Q. 2 Secondly Whether may a Christian in this life be assured of his eternall Election for as much as Election was done in the decree of God before ever he had a being or the world was Therefore seeing we are not privy to Gods decree and counsell how can it be said that we may know and be assured of our Eternall Election Indeed the Papists they beat down this doctrine And hence it is that in the Councell of Trent there was this Canon made that if any man should say he was bound to believe that he was of the number of them that God hath predestinate or elected to life let him be an accursed man They did endeavour to beat down assurance and held that all that a man could have must be onely a conjecturall assurance or some kinde of hopes of salvation and no other Now that you might not erre in this point see what the Scripture speaks in this case That though Election be an act of God from eternity yet a believer may firmly and fully know his own election And this I shall make good by severall places of Scripture Read Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not saith Christ to his Disciples that you have power to cast out divels that they are subject to you but rejoyce rather in this that your names are written in the book of life That is rejoyce not that you can work miracles that wicked men can doe that are not elected but rather rejoyce that your names are written in the book of life that is that in Gods decree you are elected to salvation Now how could they rejoyce unlesse they knew this So 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing brethren beloved your election of God The Apostle takes it for granted that believers did know they were elected So Ephes 1.3 4 5. The Lord hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the soundation of the world was having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Many more Scriptures I might urge but in the mouth of two or three witnesses it is enough to confirme every truth But now though the Scripture be thus cleare yet there are some objections that seemingly oppose this truth which I must satisfie The Papists as farre as I have read in their writings I finde five objections they draw from Scripture against this truth that a man may be assured of his Election for say they it was an act of Gods done before we had a being and how can we be assured of that I will therefore beloved first produce those Scriptures that they pretend wil overthrow this point and then take off what seems to make against it The first Text they urge is 1 Pet. 1.17 Passe the time of your sojourning here in feare This Scripture say they bids us passe our time in feare and if so then we cannot be assured of our election but we must feare all the daies of our life whether we are elected or no. To this I shall answer briefly You must know the feare that the holy Ghost here presseth that men should passe their time in feare is not meant of a feare about our election but it is meant of a feare of sinne that we must not sinne against God but feare God and feare to provoke God by our sinne And if you ask how this appeares I make it appeare plainly thus for vers 18. it is said Knowing beloved that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ c. Now this verse proves clearly that they knew they were redeemed by Christs bloud and so by consequence knew their election Therefore the Apostle did not presse a feare to beat down the knowledge of their election but passe your time in feare i. e. feare to offend God and feare to sinne against him Another objection they urge is this The Scripture say they doth often commend feare to us and surely feare and assurance
by election Now he that is of God God will in time make him heare his Word with delight and love but he that takes no delight therein is not elected of God 1 John 4.5 6. Fifthly The Lord will sooner or latter 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 ones 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 effectuall calling that he should have bowels of mercy towards those that are not called and that he should have loving kindnesse towards those that are called For a man that is once elected and hath the execution of that decree in effectuall calling it is proper to him to have bowels of mercy Sixtly God will sooner or latter 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 foreknowledge 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 into a course of obedience Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us What to doe that we might be conformable to the image of his Sonne 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 effects doe not extend to children who die while they are children but to men and women that are grown to yeers A child that cannot act reason as he is a child cannot have any of these particulars wrought in him at least in that way and manner men of yeeres have A child 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 yeeres have but what that is and how wrought man cannot determine In pressing of this therefore I say it doth not extend to children who die in their infancy but onely to men come to yeeres of discretion if they live and die without the having of 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 tels us Titus 3.3 In times past we were also disobedient and served divers lusts and lived in pleasure and excesse 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 doe 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 effectuall 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 doe 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 doe 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 eternall 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 eternall election And thus having finished this third Query I come now to enter upon another depending upon the former which indeed is a very dreadfull 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 deale of seriousnesse and sadnesse it being a point concerning the salvation or damnation of all the men upon earth And therfore 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 eternall 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 shall 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 feare your names are not written in the booke of life First That man that fals back from a course of profession to a course of prophanenesse 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 doe not say every backsliding and every decaying affection but a totall and finall relapse when a man falls and riseth not againe when a man runs from God and returns 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 soule 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 soule 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
that Text 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. There were false Prophets among the people like as there 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 a 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 Counsell to doe them good Sixthly Men that live and die in a continuall spurning and opposition against the Gospell and word of God powerfully preached it is a dreadfull signe they are not within the compasse of Gods election 1 John 4 5 6. You are not of God for you heare not his words So John 12. He that heareth the word is of God but you heare not his word therefore you are not of God Therefore you belong not to him But more pregnant to this purpose is that place Acts 13.46 47 48. It was necessary the word of the Lord 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 eternall 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 indure 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 Chro. 25.16 By this I know that the Lord hath purposed to destroy thee because thou hast not hearkned to my counsell Thus you see the Scripture makes it the badge of a man that doth not fall within the compasse of Gods election to bring him to life and glory to live and die in opposition to the word of God Sevently and this we may speake more confidently and positively that that man is not within the compasse of Gods election who sinnes the sinne 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 sinne 1 John 5.16 Now I know there are many men who confine this sinne onely to the Pharisees as if they onely were guilty of it There are others that say this sinne is seldome committed and so many Divines speak favourably of it but Beloved I am perswaded this sinne is oftner committed then most men in the world dream of and many men are plunged into this sinne that think well of their own soules The sinne against the holy Ghost is onely this It is a wilfull and deliberate act in a professor of Religion whereby he doth not onely fall from his profession but he runnes into a course of sinne knowingly against conscience obstinately against counsell and maliciously against Jesus Christ This is briefly a description of this sinne Now I am perswaded there are many in the world that have professed Religion that are if not in this sinne yet at the very next doore to it And if a man be gone thus farre this is called in Scripture a sinne unto death a sinne which if a man fall into he may be sure he shall be damned And thus I have in briefe 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 to salvation or no. I have now from this sad Doctrine onely a few comfortable positions to lay down and so conclude As 1. That though these particulars 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 elect man We were saith Paul sometimes disobedient deceived and served divers lusts Titus 3.3 And Ephes 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 you were children of wrath as well as others In times past before calling you may come very neere to these evils yet be within the compasse of Gods election provided you doe 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 doe 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 holinesse sin never troubles them profanenesse 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 signe 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 civill honest men and ingenious tempered men and commonly runs to men that have been scandalous loose Atheisticall profane livers before they were called Matth. 21.31 Whores and Harlots shall come to Heaven before you Manasseh that was a cruell murderer and Idolater yet election ran to him Mary Magdalen a common strumpet out of whom Christ cast seven Divels 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 vessell unto God and obtained mercy God to magnifie the riches of his free grace le ts election
places So that it is clear That he might save all or have mercy upon all It is not meant all universally but all with this limitation of Paul here all them that believe Again Another objection or Scripture they abuse is 1 Tim. 2.4 Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth This Text Origen doth grosly abuse holding hence that it is the intendment and will of God that all men should be saved Now to take off this objection We must first distinguish here of Gods will and then of this phrase All. Who will have all men to be saved First of Gods will Voluntas benâ—placiti voluntas signi and the Schoolmen give this distinction about it That there is a will of Gods good pleasure and there is Gods signifying will Now the will of Gods good pleasure is that reall purpose in God to save a man And there is no man that in this sence God wils to be saved but he must be saved but in this sence God wils not all men to be saved But secondly there is Gods significative will that is whereby in Scripture God tenders salvation to every man that will lay hold upon Jesus Christ and so Gods signifying will excludes no man from salvation but the Ministers if they preach to ten thousand people they must tender Christ universally to them all because they know not which of them are elect and which reprobate which of them shall be saved and which damned This is Gods signifying will and though God by this will tell you what Ministers must doe to tender Christ and salvation to all yet this doth no way follow that the determinate will of Gods good pleasure is involved under this as if all men should be saved Perkins in his writings hath this distinction of it That there is Gods absolute will and so he wils not all men to be saved and Gods conditionate will that in case every man did believe they should be saved for God envies no mans salvation there is grace enough in God and willingnesse enough in God to save every man in the world But secondly there may be a more distinct answer given to this place God will have all men to be saved All is taken sometimes in a distributive sence and sometimes in a collective sence In a distributive sence for every man under heaven and so God wils not all men to be saved But secondly in a collective sence for all sorts and degrees of men and so God intends to save all that is some of all sorts and of all degrees of men in the world And this appeares if you mark the context He will have all men to be saved that is some of all sorts Some Kings and some great men some rich and some poore some Princes and some beggars And therefore the Apostle bids them pray for all men Pray saith he for Kings and for them in authority for God will have all men to be saved As much as if he should say Pray for Kings because God of his grace may save Kings as well as poorer men that have lesse incumbrances and lesse imployments in the world and lesse withdrawings in their own soule then they have God will save all salvation shall come to all sorts of men and therefore you may lawfully pray for them And so Calvin judiciously expounds this place that God will have all sorts of men to obtaine salvation by Jesus Christ but is not to be extended universally as if every individuall man and woman should be saved 3. These words are to be taken with those that follow after God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Now that God will be willing to save those that come to the knowledge of the truth is unquestionable all that repent Acts 17.30 all opposition to the time of the old Testament Rom. 16.25 Vse Now is this true that election is not universall but that some men are elected and others reprobated Then to wrap up this query in a short use this should teach you all who are in the land of the living not to deceive your selves lull not your selves asleep in security for it may be you may be in Gods counsell to save it may be not Peradventure you may be in Gods thoughts for salvation peradventure you may be in his counsell for damnation and this should put you upon the work my text calls upon you for to endeavour to make your calling and election suâ—e 2. A second Query is this Whether may one that is an elect man fall away from his election and come to be a damned man or no This the Protestant Divines against the Arminians and Papists have had large controversies about but I will not handle it in a controversall way onely as it best becomes a Pulpit shew you those positive Scriptures and reasons that may cleare the truth and then answer the strongest objections they produce to the contrary Q. Whether may a man that is elected fall away and afterward perish To this I answer No. A man that is once elected by God can never perish And this I shall give Scripture and reason to plead for it Matth. 24.24 Christ tels us of errour that it came in so easily that if it were possible it would deceive the elect Intimating that it is impossible so to seduce the elect as to make them finally fall away So John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me that is all that God the Father hath decreed to save by Christ shall come unto Christ Vers 39. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all that he hath given me I should lose none This is the Fathers will and Commission to Christ that of all those that by his decree he had given to Christ to save by redemption he should lose none And saith Christ I have lost nothing So John 10.28 29. I give unto my sheep eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man take them out of my hands my Father that gave them me is greater then all and no man shall pluck them out of my Fathers hands By his Fathers hands he means his decree God by his decree intended to save so many and Christ to vindicate his Father tels us that so many as God the Father had decreed to salvation neither man nor divell should prevaile to pluck them out of his Fathers hand So Rom. 11.1 God hath not cast away his people whom he soreknew That is whom God did predestinate he casts none of them away none of them shall perish Many more Scriptures I might multiply to shew that a man once elected can never perish as 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Cor. 1.8 9. 2 Thes 3.3 But I would name reasons as well as Scriptures And First if Election were changeable then God must be changeable which to think there is nothing more absurd If
Gods decree be changeable Gods essence and nature were so also election being nothing else but God himselfe chusing for every thing in God is God And this the Scripture tels us is farre from him for there is no variablenesse or shadow of change in God Jam. 1.17 Isa 46.10 Mal. 3.6 Secondly if the elect could perish then Jesus Christ should be very unfaithfull to his father because God the father hath given this charge to Christ that whomsoever he elected Christ should preserve them safe to bring them to heaven Now should not this be accomplished Christ would be unfaithfull to his father John 6.39 This is the fathers will which hath sent me into the world that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but that I should raise them up at the last day This is the will of God to save many by Christ Now should not this be made good Christ must needs be unfaithfull to the Commission of his father Thirdly should this be true then Pauls golden chaine should be broken Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he calls whom he calls them he justifies whom he justifies them he glorifies Now should this chain break that whom he elects them he calls whom he calls them he justifies and there cease as the Papists hold and men be after damned then the great and many links would be lost that whom he justifies them he glorifies and so bring an absurdity upon the Scripture thereby Now to answer some texts of Scripture they abuse which at first view you would think very plausible to maintain that a man may be an elect man and brought into Christ yet afterward damned The first is John 6.70 Have not I chosen twelve and one of them is a divell Now say they there were twelve chosen or elected and one of them is a divel did perish intimating that men may be elected yet perish for all this To which I answer That there is a double electing First a chusing to some peculiar Office Secondly there is an electing to grace life and glory Now when Christ saith Have not I chosen you twelve it is meant of his chusing of them to an Office to the place of an Apostle to be his disciples Now it is true that man may be chosen to some peculiar office in the Church of God and yet be a perishing and damned man but this phrase hath no relation to the decree of God from eternity onely to a temporall electing of twelve men to a temporall Office to the Office of an Apostle Another Scripture they abuse is Exod. 32.32 it was Moses prayer If thou wilt not saith Moses to God forgive their sinnes then blot my name out of the book of life Now say they the book of life is Gods election and here Moses prayed that God would blot his name out of the book of life Intimating say they a man may be elected and written in that book and yet afterward blotted out and perish To which I answer That this prayer of Moses is onely a wish or supposition as Pauls was when he wisht he were accursed from Christ for his kindred in the flesh Now a man may suppose mountaines of Gold and suppose things that never were nor ever shall be in being bare suppositions put nothing in being so here that Moses makes a supposition in a patheticall prayer this doth no way argue as if his name could be blotted out of the book of life Secondly Rivet he expounds it thus that there is a double book of life The book of life being sometimes taken for the eternall counsell and decree of God as Phil. 4.3 sometimes for the speciall providence of God over men in preserving them among the living So we read Psal 139. In thy book saith David were all my members written meaning not in the book of Gods decree but onely in the book of his providence that all the members of Davids body they were all under the providence of God that none could hurt him And so Rivet with others think that by the book of life here is meant that God would blot out Moses from the book of his speciall protection and let him die as other men rather then this evil should come upon the people of Israel q. d. Destroy my name from among men and doe not protect me any longer Againe they object that in Psal 69.28 It is said Let them be blotted out of the book of life Now say they That is Gods election and to be blotted out implies that a man may be elected and yet perish To this I answer as formerly that the book of life in that place hath no reference to the decree of Gods election but onely to his book of providence that God would not protect wicked men as he doth his own people in a way of providence And other phrases in Scripture will somewhat favour this interpretation As Ezek. 13.9 They shall not be written in the writings of the house of Israel What 's that i.e. let them not any more be thought Israelites nor numbred among the people And Ainsworth I remember compares Psal 69.19 with this place in Ezek. 13.9 and he makes the sence to be one and the same that to be blotted out of the book of life is nothing else then to be out of Gods protection to be blotted out of the catalogue of the living and have ones life in danger to be brought to death And this wish David wished for those wicked men But then they object further from Revel 22.19 If any man shall take away from the words of this book God shall take away his part in the book of life Here say they by book of life is unquestionably meant Gods decree and the Scripture saith they that take any thing from this booke God will blot him out of the book of life and will undoubtedly damne him To which I answer I confesse in this place the book of life is taken for Gods decree and that a man may be said to be blotted out of this book and yet this no way follow that a man elected may be damned And here let me give you Austins words upon the place which is a very cleare and satisfactory answer That a man may be said to be blotted out of the book of life in two regards First it is equivalent to this phrase that his name shall never be written in the book of life And you have often such phrases in Scripture As it is said in Matthew He that doth evill himselfe and teacheth men so to doe he shall be least in the Kingdome of Heaven Intimating not as if he should come to heaven but that he should not come there at all To be least there is never to be there So here To be blotted out is equivalent to this that they were never in Secondly a mans name may be said to be blotted out of the book of life not as if it were there in deed and in
first that many men have had their lives free from grosse scandals and yet were men that were not elected by God to life and salvation Secondly that a mans conversation may be free from scandalous sinnes yet if this freedome from scandals proceed from a wrong principle it may be in a person not elected As I will make it appeare There may be a freedome from grosse sinnes proceeding from a threefold principle and yet a man be in a state of damnation and of reprobation As first There may be a freedome from scandals proceeding from religious education secondly from a naturall disposition and thirdly from the power of restraining grace First there may be a freedome from grosse sinnes proceeding from the power of education So the young man in the Gospell Matth. 19.18 19 20. when Christ told him what the Law was Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steale thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe thou shalt doe no murder thou shalt not beare false witnesse c. Saith the young man All these have I kept from my youth He was a Pharisee and his parents strict in their course of living and brought him up so from his youth and yet this man no elect man vers 22. Secondly a man may be free from scandalous sins arising from an ingenious naturall disposition A mans disposition may sometimes be utterly averse to some sinnes Plutarch a heathen could say this I had rather it were said there were no such man as Plutarch in the world then to say that Plutarch was unchaste Plutarch was a drunkard or Plutarch was a swearer Mans naturall temper may sometimes be free from grosse sinnes and yet he not an elect person for all this And then thirdly a man may be free from grosse sinnes as proceeding from the power of restraining grace Gen. 20.6 I also withheld Abimelech from sinning against me He was a heathen and a wicked man and yet God by the power of restraining grace did keepe Abimelech from running into that exorbitant course of sinning against him So that if a man be free from grosse sinnes and yet proceeding from false principles a man may not be an elect man for all this Unlesse your freedome from sinne proceed from a renewed nature from a sanctified heart and from the saving operation of the holy ghost unlesse it comes from these principles your freedome from grosse sinnes can be no pledge to your soules that you are elected by God to life Thirdly that a man having a good life free from scandalous sinnes if he have not a good heart that is no argument of a man that is within the compasse of Gods election Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is of the heart whose praise is not of men but of God Intimating that he is not a Christian he is not an elect Jew that was one outwardly that is that was conformable to the rites and customes of the Jewes but he was one that was one inwardly that had his sinnes mortified his nature changed and his heart cleansed he was an elect Jew So that to have a holy life if a man have not an holy heart is no sign that a man is within the compasse of Gods election Fourthly God in electing men to life doth passe by morall and civill honest men that trust and depend upon their own righteousnesse and strict living rather then any sort of men in the World Matth. 21.31 33. saith Christ John Baptist preached the Gospel of repentance but you believed not but publicans and harlots believed Those Pharisees that did depend upon their own righteousnesse their own goodnesse Christ did not call them Christ did not own them God made them not the objects of his election Hence it is said Matth. 9.13 Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance that is men depending upon their own righteousnesse and their own parts they are left out by Christ as if he came not for them but Christ came to call sinners that see their sinne and were vile in their own eyes Christ came to call such Againe 2. The second delusion whereby the divel makes men think they are elected by God is drawn from their externall vocation that they are not onely civilized and moralized ones but they finde the power of the word to call them and upon this vocation they bottom the hopes of their election And they have Scripture for it Rom. 8.30 Whom God predestinates he calls Now God hath called them by the word and they have found the word come with power upon their conscience to reforme the evils of their life And the power of vocation they deem higher as indeed it is then the power of education or naturall temper and therefore think they I having vocation this is an evidence to me of my election To this delusion I shall only say two things by way of answer First it is true indeed the Scripture saith all whom God predestinates he calls but the Scripture doth not say that all whom he calls he predestinates No man that God appoints to life but before he dies God will call him by the word but God doth not say any where that those whom he cals them he did predestinate to life Secondly many men are outwardly called by the word into a profession of Christ when they are not eternally elected by God to salvation Matth. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen Many are called but all those that are externally called by the word are not chosen nor all ordained to life A man may be called from ignorance to knowledge yet not elected Heb. 6.4 After they were enlightned and had tasted the word of God and the power of the world to come yet they fell away A man may be called from profanenesse to profession from the world into the Church as Simon Magus was yet not elected but remaine in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Thirdly A third delusion whereby men are deceived by the divell to think they are elected when they are not is this If they cannot plead their education and morall manner of living or if they cannot plead their vocation their last plea is the mercy of God they hope God is a mercifull God and God made them not all to damne them they are Gods creatures made by him and God that made them will save them and hereupon they fasten their hopes that they are in the number of Gods elect ones This is a strong delusion especially amongst ignorant people And to this I shall answer in two particulars First when as men say God is a mercifull God therefore they hope they are elected I answer It is true God is a mercifull God yet God is as just as mercifull he is mercifully just and justly mercifull his mercy cannot intrench upon his justice