Luke 8. 11 12. Isa 27. 11. Another sort of hearers He likeneth to stony places or to the rock they hear the word of the Kingdom and the glad tidings therein declared And in some measure understand it And so are not like unto the Way-side hearers for anon or immediately with joy they receive and gladly entertain it And do believe for a while what is therein reported That Christ is indeed the Saviour of the World But these have no root in themselves they suffer not the word to sink deep enough to break the stone or rock at the bottom and to effect in them an honest and good heart which it would do were it with the heart believed Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like an bammer that breaketh the rock in peices Jer. 23. 28 29. this is powerful to convert and change the Soul Psal 19. 7. But they suffer it not to take root downward but still retain some stone at the bottom some design or enterprize of theirs unbroken And though possibly in hearing this word gladly they do many things which it is effecting in them part with many things thereby reproved and do many things which are good in themselves yet there is still some one beloved iniquity or other which they will not let this good and powerful word mortifie and root up some lust or idol remains at the bottom of their hearts which hinders the seed from sinking deep enough and and so in conclusion the Word becometh unfruitful Herod knew John the Baptist was a just Man and an holy and observed him or kept him from danger and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly But when John reproved him for Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife and said it is not lawful for thee to have her he turned not at this reproof of God's instruction he suffered not the word of God to purge out and root up this iniquity but was angry with this faithful reprover and first put him in Prison and afterwards caused him to be beheaded Mark 6. 17-20 Ezekielis hearers said one to another Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord And they come unto thee saith the Lord as the People cometh and they sit before thee as My People and they hear thy words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their Covetousness And â—…e thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear thy words but they do them not For still from the least to the greatest of them every one was given to Covetousness Ezek. 33. 30-32 Jer. 6. 12. Thus it is with too many now in our days they hear the glad-tidings of good things brought to them in the Gospel of peace and by and by they receive them with gladness And they are perswaded that the word of Christ is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation And they marvel at the gracious words therein contained and wonder that every one doth not give credit thereto But still they believe in vain and though they have some love for what they hear yet they love some thing reproved thereby rather and better they hold fast a lye in their right hand while the truth is but in their left they set and keep up some stumbling block of iniquity in their hearts some intemperance or uncleanness or strife or covetousness or pride c. And by the deceitfulness of that sin which doth so easily beset them they harden their hearts like an Adamant stone so that the word sinks not deep enough into them And this is afterwards made apparent For when tribulation or persecution ariseth for the word by and by they are offended As immediatâ—…y at first they received the word of the kingdom with joy so immediately in time of trial and temptation they are offended and fall away Joh. 3. 19. 2 Thes 2. 10. Isa 44. 20. Matth. 13. 20 21. with Luke 8. 13. A third sort of hearers appear in conclusion to be like the thorny ground they are such as hear the word and receive the seed And it may seem for sometime receive it to purpose and it brings forth fruit in them These understand as the Way-side hearers do not These have some root in themselves as the Stony-ground hearers had not These bring forth fruit but afterward without any good reason or cause they go out and depart from Christ Jesus and from the mindfulness of His Grace and Gospel and abide not faithful unto the death These endure not unto the end though at first they did run well They continue not rooted and grounded in the Faith They abide not in Christ stedfast and unmoveable but forsake the Lord the fountain of living waters and wander out of the way of understanding and turn aside to their crooked pathes after they have escaped the pollutions of the world thorow the Knowledge and Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so are like Birds that wander from their Nests they are removed from him that called them into the Grace in Jesus Christ And after they have clean and indeed escaped from them that live in errour yet they sin willingly and erre from and forsake the right way in which abiding they should be saved But they go forth Luke 8. 14. and then the Thorns enter in Mark 4. 19. They were not there always they were it may seem rooted out and cast forth by the Plow of the Gospel And had they abidden in Christ they had been still preserved from them For Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not He keepeth Himself that the wicked one toucheth him not in whom the seed of God remaineth 1 Joh. 3. 6 9. with Chap 5. 18. But going out the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and lusts of other things enter in and choak the Word and it becometh unfruitful namely in conclusion they bring no fruit unto perfection none to the harvest And so none which will abide and appear on their account in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ These may endure some of them a considerable time and even almost though not altogether unto the harvest And how far soever they go or how long soever they continue yet not enduring unto the end not overcoming and keeping Christ's Works unto the end but going out and departing from Him and so persisting all their righteousness shall not be remembred but for their iniquity that they have committed they shall dye for it there is no reaping if men faint how long soever they have exercised themselves in well doing Matth. 13. 22. with Mark 4. 18 19. 2 Pet. 2. 18-20 Gal. 6. 9. Ezek. 33. 12 13. Rev. 2. 26-29 Now the just shall live by faith but if he at any time draw back Gods Soul will have no pleasure
hear the Word of Truth and to be hearty Believers and doers of it John 1. 12. 13. with Jam. 1. 18 19 22 25. John 3. 3 5 7. So in the sense before spoken of Men cannot reconcile themselves to God but it is the Work of God by Christ to reconcile us to himself And yet something is required of men Hence the Apostle saith We pray you in Christ stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. So here Though God in Christ be the first chuser and by him we are chosen yet something is required of us in the strength he gives that we may be chosen out of the world ruled by him become choice ones and be the subjects of his peculiar love c. And though we find not this command any where Be ye chosen in express words given unto us yet we have the same thing in other expressions given in commandement to us As Be ye saved Isa 45. 22. And save your selves Acts 2. 40. Whereby the same thing is intended as is foreshewn in comparing 2 Thes 2. 10 12. with verse 13. And Be ye seperate which in another Scripture is rendred and read Chosen As also hath been noted by comparing Deut. 10. 8. with Chap. 18. 5. and 21. 5. And Levit. 20. 24 26. with Deut. 14. 2 3. 2 Cor. 6. 17. And we may see this is required of men that they may be Chosen even to come to Christ in which doing they shall be made of the chosen Generation though formerly they have not so been As also hath been said before and may be seen in comparing 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. with verse 9. 10. And to the end we may come unto Christ and so be chosen and pluckt out of the world needfull it is 1. To hear the Word of Christ this is the first and one thing needfull unto the saving of the Soul Luke 10. 39 42. It is good and needfull for us to chuse this good part As God is speaking to us and opening our Ears even to hear in hearing For saith in which men are chosen cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God viz. by the Gospel of Peace and glad tydings of good things Rom. 10. 14 15 17. with 2 Thes 2. 13. It is the work of the Father by his Spirit to glorifie Christ and to bear witness of him He speaketh excellent things unto us concerning him and the opening of his lips are right things And together herewith he both gives unto men capacity of hearing and calls upon them to hear Prov. 8. 4 6 17 20. He saith Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self infatness Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live Isa 55. 1 3. Let every man be swift to hear viz. the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18 19 The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live John 5. 25. And this is the first Branch of the description of him that passeth from death to life from an Estate of wrath and misery into a state of favour and blessedness he that heareth Christs word John 5. 24. 2. Needfull also it is that we learn of the Father that we may be Chosen not onely that we hear as that is distinguished from learning But that also we heartily embrace his heavenly lesson and doctrine So after Wisdome had called upon men first of all to hear she after saith also Receive my instruction and not Silver Prov. 8. 6. 10. Indeed God teacheth many that are not taught by him and so they deprive their soules of good Isa 48. 17 18 But it is needfull to the end we may be elected that we receive the instruction of our Heavenly father even to buy the truth and not sell it even to buy it with an undervaluing and parting with and forsaking all that we have that we may be made partakers of Christ Prov. 23. 23. with Luk. 14. 33. And every one that is taught of God every one that hath heard and learned of the father cometh unto Christ Job 6. 45. with Matth. 22. 3 4 5. And so shall be chosen and a subject of Gods election And let no man be discouraged from coming unto Christ in this way because of his former vileness and wretchedness for though he be the chief of sinners that cometh yet him that cometh he will in no wise cast out but will receive such an one graciously he will chuse him and not cast him away Isay 41. 9. with Joh. 6. 35. And as the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness so as persisting in such like iniquity he will at last reject such and give them up to a reprobate mind Reprobate Silver shall men call them who after all means used yet will not come to Christ who is the rest and way to it because the Lord hath rejected them Rom. 1. 18 28. Jer. 6. 16 17 30. So also all such as hear the joyfull sound sounded forth by the Father in the Gospel and receive his instruction so as to come unto Christ Such shall find rest Mat. 11. 28 29. Their Souls shall live Isa 55. 3. And they shall have fellowship and partnership with Jesus Christ in him be chosen and after him reckoned And shall abiding in Christ inherit the Kingdom which God hath prepared for them that love him and look and wait for his coming from Heaven 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. Yea this Doctrine of Gods Election may also admonish and warn them who are in Christ Jesus not to depart from him Upon this presumption that the Elect cannot possibly be deceived For certainly it is possible for them so to be and they will certainly so be if they abide not in Christ by Faith and Love As our Saviour saith If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and they are burned John 15. 6. In which words our Saviour signifieth that such as have been ingraffed into himself who is the true Vine by his Father the Husbandman may not abide in Christ but may so depart from him as not only to be cast into the fire which a man may be and yet be plucked out again as a brand out of it Jude 23. But also be burned that is he may finally perish And to the same purpose the Apostle speaketh to the believing Romans who were in and did stand in the Root of Righteousness Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches take heed also lest he spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also
Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. What a sad thing will it be for us to sport our selves in our self-deceivings as too many do 2 Pet. 2. 13. Better it is now for us to deal faithfully with our selves then to flatter our selves or be flattered by others to our endless and eternal misery and calamity Come we then to the light of the Lord the Gospel of Christ and therein and thereby we may see our selves whether we be chosen no Even he that is an hearer of the word and not a doer is like unto a man that beholdeth his natural face in a Glass for he beholdeth himself Even as a man may see his natural face in a Glass and see whether it be clean and free from spots and pollution or no so a man that is only called by and an hearer of the word of Truth may see himself and see what manner of person he is Jam. 1. 22 23 24. He may see whether he be chosen out of the World by the Grace of God or whether he be not but still remain in or be turned back again into the World and so is at present rejected of God and not loved with peculiar manner of love As the Apostle intimateth 2 Cor. 13. 5. And if by this Glass we see we are hearers and of the called only Oh let us give no rest to our eyes not slumber to our eye-lids until we so receive and retain the Grace of God which brings Salvation to us that we may be chosen out of this miserable condition and redeemed from amongst Men that it may be well with us for ever and we may not perish with the World And if it appear that we are of the number of those who are chosen that we still abide and continue in the Doctrine of Christ that we may have both Father and Son 2 Joh. 9. Inq. But some may say how may we know whether we be of the chosen number or no declare a little more particularly how we may know it Answ Those who are indeed chosen do know that they are of God and that the whole World lieth in Wickedness as 1 Joh. 5. 19. by keeping His Commandments as the Apostle saith Hereby we know that we know Him and are in Him if we keep His Commandments 1 Joh. 2. 3-5 And he that keepeth His Commandments dwelleth in Him and He in him chap. 3. 24. that is to say in more and plainer words His Commandments are That we believe on the Name of Jesus Christ and love one another as He hath given us Commandment 1 Joh. 3. 22-24 He that hath and keepeth these hath right unto the tree of life and shall enter in thorow the gates into the City even into the new Jerusalem Rev. 22. 14. that is to say they do know they are chosen 1. By this That the Faith they have received is the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and according thereto they believe with the heart that good report the Father hath given of Christ in His Word and Sayings in which He hath testified That He sent the Son into the World not to condemn the World but that the World thorow Him might be Saved And so they believe on the Name of the Son of God Joh. 3. 16-18 they have their Faith begotten by closing with and founded on not Mens Doctrines or their own Thoughts and Imaginations which they know to be corrupt and evil But they have received and retain for their Faith nothing else then the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus which was witnessed by the holy Prophets in former times and is now revealed to us by the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so they believe on Christ as the Scripture hath said and testified of Him and not as Men in their Glosses and Interpretations speak of Him They call no meer Man whatsoever their Rabbi nor own any to have dominion over their Faith but Jesus Christ and God in Him He is their only Law-giver in this respect the Father of their Spirits the Lord of what they believe And so according to His testimony they believe Him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World the only Foundation of Faith and Hope the only Fountain of all the fulness of Grace and Truth the only Bread and Water of Life the only door of approach of God the only Lord of our Faith and Consciences the only High Priest and Mediatour between God and Men And according hereto they come unto and depend on Him in His way for bottoming all upon Him for receiving all from Him for living continually by Him and to Him for approaching to God thorow Him and expecting and waiting thorow His Spirit for His perfecting all that concerns them c. And so they hold forth this word of Life in Word and Conversation And he that thus believeth on the Son hath the Witness in Himself and gives not God the lye but hath set to His Seal that God is true in all He hath testified of His Son 1 Job 5. 10 11. Job 3. 33. And in receiving this Testimony of Jesus they receive also therewith certainly and undoubtedly the Spirit of Gods Son Gal. 3. 2-5 which Spirit beareth Witness with their Spirit with their enlightened mind and judgment that they are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 16. And hereby they know that they dwell in Him and He in them because he hath given them of His Spirit And they have seen in the light and by the evidence thereof and do restifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 Joh. 4. 13 14. with 2 Cor. 13. 5. 2. They also know they are chosen by this that this Faith worketh in them by Love Gal. 5 6. and therein is efficacious in them And so they are distinguished from and preferred before such as say they have Faith and have not its works and so believe in vain But this Testimony of Jesus being received by them not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God it worketh effectually in them From the knowledge and belief of Gods love in Christ His first love they are begotten and prevailed with to love God even to love Him withall the heart and mind and soul and strength And so to love Jesus Christ as to suffer the loss of all things and count them but dung in comparison of Him It makes them willing to part with their Sins and Idols for His sake and prefer Him before all other things which they may love with a moderate affection 1 Joh. 4. 16-19 And this love of God in Christ known and heartily believed by them begetteth them unto and effecteth in them a delightful love to those who are begotten of Him and that not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth And by this they know that they are passed out of death â—nto life because
them not to entertain or retain evil and hard thoughts of Him but to come unto Him as the Apostle Paul saith He hath committed unto us the ministry of Reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto Him not imputing their Trespasses to them Therefore we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 18-20 6. 1. Now then by how much the more the greater light and clearer revelation is now vouchsafed to Men in the Gospel as now preached and by which Men are called unto Christ by so much the more their iniquity is inexcusable and more highly displeasing unto God Hence our Saviour saith It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment then it should be for them that rejected Christ and His Gospel as it began to be Preached in the time of His Personal ministration Mat. 10. 14 15. 11. 20-24 Yea it will be more tolerable for Gods People in former times who sinned under that dark and dreadful ministration of the Law as the Apostle signifieth Therefore because God hath spoken to us in these last days by His Son we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip for if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him c. Heb. 1. 1-3 2. 1-4 And again He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be counted worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God c. Heb. 10. 28 29. 12. 15-25-29 This is the condemnation that Light is come into the World as in former times it did not and Men loved Darkness rather then Light c. Joh. 3. 19. In the times of Mens ignorance God winked at them but now when thorow the tender mercy of our God the day spring from on high hath visited us to give Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the shadow of Death He commandeth all Men every where to Repent And they who will not so do that they may believe and come to Christ that they may be chosen will be more severely proceeded against and dealt with in the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God who will render to every one according to their works and according to the means vouchsafed And so Wrath will be rendred to the Jew and so we may say to the Christian first and also and after unto the Gentile Acts 17. 30 31. Rom. 2. 4-8-12-16 Luk. 12. 47 48. 3. Their iniquity who are called by the Gospel as now preached and not chosen appears to be highly provoking and altogether inexcusable if we further consider the powerfulness of the call in and by which they are called and by which they might be chosen also Men are not only called with an outward call as we have before said but loe He sends forth His Voice therein and that a mighty Voice and speaks by His Spirit to the Spirits of Men 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. with Gen. 6. 3. And by this Voice of His He doth awaken them and cause them to hear to the end they might come unto Christ that they might be made of the Elect Generation He now speaks unto the dead Souls of Men and His Voice is to the hearts of them whose Voice all that are in the Graves shall hear and shall come forth It is the same Almighty Voice that is now sent forth for converting the Soul as will be to raise the dead out of their Graves hereafter but not put forth in such a manner I mean not irresistibly nay indeed as to the effecting the former it is called the Voice of the Son of God As to the effecting the latter it is said to be the Voice of the Son of Man Joh. 5. 25 27 28. And indeed the powerfulness of the voice of Christ in its preventing operation in the Gospel appears to be propounded by our Saviour to remove such a jealousie as might arise in Mens Hearts to their own or others discouragement as with respect to their utter importency and helplesness in themselves Hence when our Saviour had directed to the way and means how Men might now have their states altered and be made of the chosen Generation who were not so formerly in saying Verily Verily I say unto you He whoever He be that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed out of Death into Life lest any one should discouragingly say Alas herein is signified to us that Men are naturally dead and destitute of all Spiritual Life and how then should they hear To this our Saviour addeth Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now iâ— when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear as they are thus prevented shall live In which saying though He still signifies and gives us to understand that Men are in and of themselves Dead and so have no free-will or inclination to any thing that is spiritually good yet He both intimates that the Voice of the Son of God accompanieth His Word And also that it doth so not only in His Personal but also and rather more powerfully in His Spiritual Ministration to the end of the world to enable dead ones to hear that they might hear and live Joh. 5. 24 25. 7. 37-39 When persons are asleep and dead in sins and trespasses He then in and by His call in His Gospel by the Ministry of His Servants awakens them and rouzes them out of that sad condition Wherefore He saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light Eph. 5. 13 14. It is indeed certainly true That all Men are naturally helpless in themselves and can neither will nor do any thing of themselves as of themselves that is spiritually good But it is also as true That the Grace of God doth bring Salvation to them in due time And Christ lighteth every Man that cometh into the World He openeth the Eyes of the Blind in due time and unstoppeth their Ears in and by His Spirit in His Gospel and is turning Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God And then in the power and capacity given unto them by Him they might hear and see and be converted And it is Mens rebellious iniquity that it is not thus with them Tit. 2. 11. Joh. 1. 9. 5. 25. Acts 26. 18. Ezek. 12. 2 3. It is verily