The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ The Holy Ghost we received which is the earnest of our inheritance and whereby we are sealed against the day of Redemption and having Christ's spirit we are sure to be his this spirit makes us call God our Father which is no lye for it is the Spirit of Truth it is the Spirit of Adoption which assures us that we are the children of God and consequently heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven which Christ is gone before to take possession of in his name and for us and if we may so speak after the manner of Men God the Father trusted the Son for the satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice till the time appointed to do 't was come in hope of the Resurrection of the Body the Souls of the redeemed were before Christ's death received into Abraham's bosom So for the possession of the purchase made by Christ's death namely eternal life if I may so say the Son doth trust the Father till the time of the whole and full purchased possession be come Yet this ought to be taken notice of how God not only hath promised but also for our Comfort and Assurance hath given us his holy spirit for earnest of performance of his promises And this holy spirit is given us not only as security but as a guide to direct and (a) Joh 16.13 lead us as our Saviour saith into all truth which he doth 1. with Illumination and shewing us the way 2. In his giving us strength and courage to go thorough Dark and Thorny ways 3. In removing obstructions and difficulties 4. In continuing his help to improve grace 5. In bringing us at last into eternal life Which truths the Soul of the Elect being convinced of they suffer themselves wholly and only to be guided by him with an absolute resignation unto his directions whereby we learn not to trust our selves to the guidance of our own natural reason or of our heart for in spiritual things our Light is but Darkness And (b) Prov. 28.26 he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool for neither our Reason nor our Heart can shew us a way to be delivered from sin and to give a satisfaction to God there being none but the righteousness of Christ which the holy spirit doth perswade us of and through Faith applies it to us to which end (c) Joh. 14.16 he doth abide with us for ever He is not come afterwards to leave us but saith our Saviour Ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Vers 17 'T is upon the presence of this Holy and Blessed Spirit and the knowledge we have of him that we do ground the certitude of our Election which to deny is as much as in one lies to deprive the believing Soul of the sweetest comfort in this life and 't is that consideration that makes me insist so long upon this point wherein we do but follow St. Paul's steps in those Quotations we had of him just before out of those several verses of his 8. chap. to the Romans than the which nothing can be more fuâ—l and to the purpose to work an assurance and a study how in our lives and conversations to behave our selves as becometh the children of God to which for greater confirmation of this we shall add the three last verses of that Chapter where after he hath said before by way of defiance no body can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect nor condemn them nor nothing in this World part them from God's love in Christ he concludeth in these words (a) Rom. 8.37 38 39. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. After this he who will believe Scripture must believe there is a certitude of Election though in a different degree every true Believer hath assurance though every one hath not a full assurance (b) 1 Joh. 3.3 Yea every man that hath this hope of glory in him purifieth him self even as he God is pure Yet for all the clear Evidences of this Truth the Adversaries thereof will not be mute but better for them to say nothing than what they say First they corrupt a place of Scripture which Papists made use of against us upon the very same account (c) Eccl. 9.1 2 A man cannot tell whether he deserves love or hatred so he cannot be sure but according to the Original 't is thus No man knoweth what either love or hatred by all that is before them That is he knoweth not the causes of the things which in this world happen unto men for this he speaks of vers 2. as followeth All things come alike to all men there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean c. As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath So that hath no relation to his Eternal State or his Election and though Man cannot tell the reason of the several dispensations of God's Providence it doth not hinder but he may know his own Eternal State and Condition They object the saying of (d) Prov. 27.1 Solomon Boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Which Text forbiddeth an over confident boasting of good successes in this Life and 't is not to the purpose of Election or Eternal Life As to that of St. Paul (a) Rom. 11 2â— thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear There the Apostle speaketh against carnal Security and a confidence in ones own strength Many say our Adversaries who think to be in favour with God deceive themselves consequently cannot be sure of their Election we own there are such ones but they have nothing of true Piety only an outward profession a vain name and only in appearance So they cannot be sure of that which is not But those who are elected indeed do attain to the certitude of it In time of temptation this assurance is shaken and somewhat disturbed but when through grace we have overcome the temptation the certainty is renewed and strengthned for in the temptation or out of it 't is never utterly lost We do not wonder some deny it to be had till the last breath if at all because the ordinary means of certitude as justifying Faith Justification Sanctification c. which are only the Childrens Bread they make common to Believers and Reprobates Thus much of Election now we must speak of Reprobation Of REPROBATION
in the Prayer in time of War and Tumult amongst the Thanksgivings that we may in Heart and Mind ascend into the Heavens Surely 't is to deny those Prayers if one denieth the effectual Power of God on the Will of Man In another place Almighty God c. whose power no Creature is able to resist in Spirituals as in Temporals But I must not much longer stand upon this for the Stream runs strong that way only few places more I shall quote as that wherein we own (k) Collect on 4th Sunday after Trinity God to be our Ruler and Guide and beseech him to be so In another we say (l) Collect on 6th Sunday after Trinity and Collect on 7th Sunday after Trinity Pour into our Hearts such Love towards thee And we pray (m) Collect on 14th Sunday after Trinity for increase of Faith Hope and Charity And almost in every Collect we pray to God to rule our Hearts and in one place to work upon and move our Wills in these Words (n) Collect on 25th Sunday Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the Wills of thy People They are not free nay they are asleep and dead to every good thing except thou be pleased to stir them up The Question is about the Will and here the Will is named God may well rule the Heart for (o) 2d Collect on Good Friday by his Spirit the whole Body of the Church is governed In the church-Church-Prayers we own he ruleth the Hearts of Kings (p) 1st and 2d Collect on the Communnion Rule the Heart of thy Servant the King The Hearts of Kings are in thy Rule and Governance and thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly Wisdom We humbly beseech thee to dispose and govern the Heart of thy Servant our King that in all his Thoughts Words and Works he may ever seek thy Honour and Glory If Men have free-Will and Power to do those things as to purifie themselves why do we pray for them 'T is in vain for us to pray to God to do for us that which we can do our selves But if therein we want his Assistance then we must need want that Power I shall conclude with two or three places out of the Litany where 't is prayed for the King That his Heart may be ruled in the Faith Fear and Love of God In another place That the Church may be called and universally governed in the right way and That God would bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived Here the Church doth plainly acknowledge the Efficacy of God's Grace on the Wills and Hearts of Men for when we pray that God's Grace may work such Effects 't is owned such Effects to be the proper Works of God's Grace One thing more I shall take notice of and it is this In a Prayer are these Words We beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them Hence we see how Men cannot of themselves know God's Ways but it is God that makes them known unto them therefore we therein beseech God to do it Which if it were not proper for God alone the Prayer would be in vain Hence we also learn the Sense of the Church as to the signification of the word all used in Scripture as it ought to be the Object of our Prayers and then by a consequence apply it to those for whom Christ died against an universal Redemption in their way for in the Collect it is not said for every single and individual Man but for all sorts and conditions of Men. Now to proceed We should bring something out of the Book of Homilies and of the authorised Catechism of Edward the 6th As to the first take notice of the following places out of the Edition quoted in the Margin London 1623. Part. 1. pag. 8. Ephes 2. St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our own Colours calling us the Children of the Wrath of God when we were born Saying also that we cannot think a good Thought of our selves much less can we we say or do well of our selves c. And we be of our selves of such Earth Pag. 10. as can bring forth nothing but Weeds Nettles Brambles Bryars Cockle and Darnel we have neither Faith Charity Hope Patience Chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these Vertues are called there the Fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the Fruits of Man In another place Of our selves and by our selves we have no Goodness part 1. p. 11. and Part 2. p. 181 182 183. Help nor Salvation but contrariwise Sin Damnation and Death everlasting Our Salvation comes only by Christ We are all become unclean but are not able to cleanse our selves nor to make one another of us clean We are by nature Children of God's Wrath but we are not able to make our selves the Children and Inheritors of God's Glory c. He is the God who of his own Mercy saveth us and setteth out his Charity and exceeding Love towards us in that of his own voluntary Goodness when we perished he saved us and provided an everlasting Kingdom for us And all these Heavenly Treasures are given us not for our Desert Merit or good Deeds which of our selves we have none but of his meer Mercy freely Doth not this wholly and only attribute our Salvation to the free Grace of God in Christ and consequently excludeth any thing in or from us to move God to be so gracious to us As to the great point of our Justification before God in the Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind by only Christ our Saviour from Sin and Death everlasting are these Words But our Justification doth come freely by the Mercy of God of so great and free Mercy that whereas all the World was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their Ransom it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite Mercy without any our Deserts to prepare for us the most precious Jewels of Christ's Body and Blood c. And further to shew there is nothing of ours Part 2. p. 172. it is said elsewhere It is of the free Grace and Mercy of God by the Mediation of the Blood of his Son Jesus Christ without Merit or Deserving on our part Part 2. p. 81 82. that our Sins are forgiven us that we are reconciled and brought again into his Favour and made Heirs of his Heavenly Kingdom And as to the Certainty and Immutability of our Election it is said in another place Let us by such Virtues as ought to spring out of Faith shew our Election to be sure and stable Part 1. p. 28.29 c. And elsewhere we read this The holy Man Simon saith Part 2. p. 152. that Christ is set forth for the fall and rising again of many in Israel As Christ
and eternal life are called the Kingdom by way of Excellency which Kingdom is not any purchase of ours but the gift of God to give you to the Elect to the little Flock and to no others upon no other motive than God's Will and meer Good-pleasure for it is your fathers good-pleasure 't is not said your God which is also true but your Father is a more tender word to express love for in a special manner he is Father to the Elect whom God hath chosen and adopted in Christ Jesus our Lord who himself is the Author of these words and did speak them upon sure grounds and out of his certain knowledge thus he saith elsewhere I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luke 22 29. All done by way of preordination and fore-appointment But before I conclude this matter of our Election I must speak of the Effects and Consequences thereof which are the means whereby to attain unto the end for as we said before the most wise God hath not ordained us to Glory and everlasting Happiness and left us to seek how to come there but also he hath appointed the way that every thing belonging to Salvation the grounds and beginning the progress and end may all be of his own so that we may be sure of it to the praise of the riches of his Grace Hence it is that our Blessed Saviour is called not only (a) Heb. 2.10 Chap. 5.9 the captain of our Salvation and the author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him but also the author and finisher of our Faith which is the way and means conducing to it The most Holy and Blessed Trinity did purpose and resolve it In the execution Christ is the Captain and Leader and he will finish it for he will never give over till (b) Joh. 17.24.11 those whom the Father hath given him his elect be with him where he is that they may behold his glory and that they may be one as the Father and he are Now the means appointed for the execution in time of the Decree of Election are our Vocation to and in the Church thorough the ministry of the Word our Conversion Regeneration Faith in Christ Justification Sanctification which are all grounded upon our Lord and Mediator Jesus Christ These means that are between our Election and Glorification are as the Chain that links it together and spoken of by St. Paul in the place already quoted (c) Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified No danger of breaking or miscarrying it is so sure that he speaketh of it not as a thing to come but as passed and already done The Consideration of these means is part of the Decree of Election as well as Glory and Salvation for 't is but one single and individual act of Election to Glory by the means of Grace for neither Glory was decreed without relation to Grace nor Grace without relation to Glory Another fruit and effect of our Election is the certainty we have of it within us whereby (a) This affirmed in Rogers Analysis Pag. 76. we know and are sure we are elected to everlasting life This certitude ariseth out of the sence and feeling we have of the means appointed to execute Election every Elect after his Conversion having faith in Christ may certainly know whether he be elected If upon examination of himself he may say I by the word of God am called to the Church and to eternal life I have the gift of Faith in Jesus Christ that is I believe my sins are forgiven me for the merits of Christ the Mediator God and Man Furthermore with a real and sincere desire and endeavour I worship God according to the rule of his word and I love my Neighbour out of this he may conclude I am elected to life everlasting All this depends upon a true examination and the Consequence is drawn à posteriori where are fruits there is a Tree when we find heat and motion in a Man we safely conclude there is Life Now all this examination is grounded upon that Text of Rom. 8.30 which I quoted but a little before but the calling is inward proper to Believers that answer and obey the call which our Saviour speaks of (b) John 5.25 the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for they were dead in their sins the call is inward and spiritual whereby the blind mind is enlightened by the Word applyed by the Spirit and the obstinate and perverse will is brought under to obedience they who make Faith and Justification common to Believers and Reprobates cannot have this certitude of Election but others can according to St. Paul (c) 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing brethren beloved your election of God Hence we conclude it may be known This certitude and assurance of Election and so of Salvation for if I can but make my Election sure then I am sure of my Salvation is no motive to softness neglect and carelessness he who is sure of Salvation is sure to perform the Condition Salvation is the end of Election and Repentance Faith Holiness perseverance are the effects thereof Grace is the way to Glory God promising to save the Elect promised also to preserve them in that without which is no Salvation and when sometimes Believers do so much forget and are so senseless to themselves as to sin offend and leave Gods ways God wants no Scourges or other means to bring them in again This certitude of our unchangeable Election doth not as our Adversaries would have it breed in us Prophaneness and carnal Security on the contrary as we already said 't is the greatest motive and incentive we have to Piety for which St. Peter is my Witness (a) 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall If it were not possible to attain unto it it were in vain for the Apostle to exhort us thereunto When once Men have that assurance they will endeavour to answer it in the study and practice of holiness and become worthy of it with their upright walking knowing they are elected and called thereunto For (b) Tit. 3.8 they which have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works And they will take care of their ways so that they can never fall finally For (c) Psal 37.24 God upholdeth them with his hand St. Paul saith the same with St. Peter For (d) Rom. 8.14 15 16 17. as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father