Words in the New Testament to express this Doctrine of Election by and discovers that the very Calling that is an Efficacious saving Call of Grace in working the New Creature is but subservient to an Eternal Purpose Rom. 8.28 but that Purpose carries security in its Bosom for the Election hath always obtain'd it Rom. 11.7 They are not vain words but * Deut. 32.47 it is your Life in those words of Peter 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your †It is dangerous to tread on the highest round first and here it is impossible Culverwet The White Stone p. 167. Calling and Election sure God does not only write down the Names of his Elect in the Book of Life but he writes such a Nature or Law within their Hearts that they may at last be brought to read their Names in that other Volume of his Book I know this Mannah we are treating of doth not please every Man's Taste tho' Grace counts it pleasant Corruption calls it fulsom and the Old Man in our Flesh spits it up again Election Joh. 6.60 Election This is a hard saying who can hear it alas it savours so much of the Sovereign Grace of God that Man is too prone to rebel and fight against God We have a clear Specimen or Proof hereof from the Jews when Christ Preacht up this Subject to that untoward generation Acts 2.40 see Luk. 4. from the 25th to the 29th Verse they bore his Discourse 'till he came to Limit the Grace of God unto some Jude v. 22. making a Difference as Tho' there were many Widdows in Israel in the dayes of Elias yet unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta a City of Sidon unto a Woman that was a Widdow and many Lepers were in Israel in the time of Elizeus or Elisha the Prophet and none of them was cleansed saving Naaman the Syrian And lo now they can bear no longer but break out into a Rage and would have cut off the Preacher tho' the Prince of Life Acts 3.15 and murder'd him if they could before the time All they in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the City and led him unto the Brow of the Hill whereon their City was built that they might cast him down headlong They grew outragious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were filled with a Stomachful wind and would have let out That and the Blood of our Lord at the Brow of the Hill together Their Fury was precipitant and would have Tumbled him if it had been possible into Hell for Preaching a Doctrine he brought them down from Heaven It is true 2 Cor. 12.1 that the Grace of the Gospel doth not bring the Elect to Visions and Revelations and unwritten means of knowing it v. 7. it does not exalt them above measure to carry them into the Heights and open the Book of Election immediately as it lyes before the Face of God 1 Cor. 4 6◠This is to be wise above what is written and to pretend to open what is shut up in the Purposes of Eternal Counsel For Election was first in God but 't is to be last seen of Us He began but we must end with it We are not to look only to the Purposes of Grace in God's mind from everlasting but must take in his Operative Grace as * Dr. Goodwin's Works Fol. 2d Vol. on Election p. 9. a great Man expresseth it in Calling comprehended under it The Grace of the Gospel instead of leaving us to climb up to the Throne of God carries us humbly to the Foot of Jacob's Ladder and sets us up upon the Round of Sanctification that stands next to us from which tho' our Beginnings are small Job 8.7 yet our latter End shall greatly encrease 'till it reach out from the Root-Grace in Election to the Top-stone in Glory Zech. 4.7 It carries us unto the Bible in the written Word and directs us to read the Transcript or the Hand-writing within our Heart Col. 2.14 and by the Help of this Fescue we may see whose Image and Superscription we bear Matth. 22.20 and when we discern Grace we may surely read both our Election and the Epistle of Christ together 2 Cor. 3.3 This brings in 14. The Royal Dainties of Assurance Election and Assurance are both so nigh of kin Eph. 2.15 that of twain they make up in the Point of Comfort and Satisfaction about our State one clear Evidence in the New Man From the Knowledge of our Sanctification springs the Knowledge of our Election and from the Knowledge of our Election springs up Assurance The Chain of Salvation is fastened with sure Links tho' some of the poor Saints can discern neither end of it Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did praedestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Royal Dainties of Assurance It deserves a high Name Jacob in blessing Asher his second Son by Zilpah whom she had Named the Son of her Happiness Gen. 30.13 bestows this Kingly Epithite upon his Table Gen. 49.20 Out of Asher his Bread shall be fat and he shall yield Royal Dainties Assurance is the white-stone on which the New Name Copied out of the Book of Life is written Rev. 2.17 latter part And will give him a White Stone and in the Stone a New Name written which no Man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The Holy Ghost seems to allude as * Durham Dr. J. Collings Supplement to Mr. Pool's Engl. Annotations Interpreters observe to the Judicial Custom of some Heathen Nations in their Acquitting and Condemning Malefactors as also in their Elections of men to any Trust or Honour in all which they were wont to take white and black Stones on the white Stones were written the Names of the Persons absolv'd or chosen and on the black Stones was no Name written Now he that received the Black Stone if a Malefactor was surely Cast and Executed if a Candidate or one that stood for an Election yet nigro carbone notatus he was rejected but He that had the White Stone with his Name upon it was acquitted from the Punishment or honourably Chosen into Place or Priviledge So the Assurance of the Favour of God in Electing or Accepting Grace and Love is compar'd to the Name written upon the White Stone of him that was sav'd alive or made Choice of These are the Royal Dainties of the Gospel which are made ready at this Supper of the Parable and unto some are given tho' our Father which is in Heaven doth not Carve them to every one that eats of the Childrens Bread Truth of Grace and Assurance of Grace are a Blessed Couple tho' they often dwell asunder The Apostle speaks of a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plerophory or
wise but desire only Patience under evil Censures and the Reproaches of Christ from Fools Heb. 11.26 There are some who have bless'd God already for this Foolishness of Preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 2 Cor. 11.1 and can bear with me I will not say a little but much in my Follies from the Press I confess it is God's Word and he may use it how he will he may accomplish his own Ends either at first or second Hand or Both If it therefore tends this way to preserve the Original in the Hearers it will Answer more for all the Failures of the Copy than a Thousand studied Apologies The Phraseology will be thought by many to be too mean and illiterate and the Style too loose and Popular But with me it is a very small Thing 1 Cor. 4.3 that I should be judged of such or of Man's judgment for I would choose rather to come in Plainness of Speech even to the Eyes as well as the Ears of Men than in the enticing words of Man's Wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 It is often times more difficult to be Profitable than to be Eloquent in the latter our Education qualifies and makes it easie to speak as Men but in the former Joh. 3.27 a Man cannot receive it except it be given him from above It is harder to stoop below a Man 's own Proportion to go the same height with Children than to walk our full Length with Men. As on the other Hand it is easier to Preach or Write somewhat like an Academick than like an Instructer of the Foolish Rom. 2.20 or a Teacher of Babes and to play the Orator than perform the work of a Divine It is more profitable and yet a Task of greater Burden to gather up Matter from the Holy Text than to utter it in fine words It is harder to draw the true Lineaments of the Face than to mix the Paint 'T is more laborious to dig in the Mines than to gather loose stones upon the Surface and to thresh out the Grain than refine the Heap and blow away the Chaff What a sad Case were England in if all the Books in Divinity that have been written had been publisht suppose in the Profoundest Eloquence as many of the Publishers I doubt not but could have done in reference to their Intellectual Abilities and spoken in a Scholastical Phrase consistently with their Learned Education But the vulgar may bless God for the Treatises that have been written in such a Style as Dr. Preston Sibbs Mr. Bolton Rogers Greenham Perkins Fenner Sedgwick Allein and Hundreds more The plain Truth is to publish Books for the common sort in our own Tongue Nominally and stuff them all along throughout the Body of the Discourse in other Language really savours too much of a Jesuitical Equivocation while we Condemn the Papist for if they lock up the Scriptures and take away the Key of Knowledge Luk. 11.52 those would lock up other Good Books and give the People a strange Key that was never made to open them However if Men at a Feast love to see fine Glasses at a Side-board let them look over to Margents because it is Pity they should find more than is needful among the Guests upon the Table Tho' we use Metaphors yet it is no more than the same Popular known way which Christ the best Master of Language in the World used when he taught his own Disciples We are immers'd so much in Matter while in the Body that our Instructions had need be sensible to convey spiritual Things the easier These are oftentimes more Natural and do accommodate the Expression to the Thing beyond a Phrase Sublime or Philosophical As indeed it is too laborious and impertinent to fetch Metaphors remote or un-obvious so it argues too much Scorn and Disdain to trample those under our Feet which lye next us As therefore Reader thou findest the whole likened to a Supper Eccl. 5.8 Marvel not at the matter if sometimes thou findest the Parts of it to be expressed in such Vessels as a Supper or a Feast is wont to be served in withall Let not an occasional use of some Expressions peculiar to English-men offend any English Reader because they will not bear a Translation verbatim for in this Feast we did not study to recommend it by Forreign Sauces and therefore are content to use what we find at home and do recommend it to a Christian Appetite accordingly A blunt Anglicism as we call it may upon some occasions be more affecting than a borrowed Latinism A rugged unpolisht Phrase will stick more on some minds and to better purpose than smoother Eloquence that slides off from their Thoughts very inobservably and if we herein do become barbarous to gain the Barbarous we are but in the same Point of yielding with Paul 1 Cor. 9. v. 20.22 who became all Things to all Men that he might by all means gain some to the Jews he became as a Jew that he might gain the Jews to the weak became he as weak that he might gain the weak Peradventare the frequent use of the second Person in the singular Number Thou and Thee may offend some to whom I would seriously propose this viz. That these Sermons are here publisht in the same Applicatory Form they were preacht and in Discourses of this Nature we cannot be too close and particular * Bp. Wilkins Gift of Preaching pag. 37 A great Man saith that the Design of Preaching is to bring down General Truths to particular Cases I am sure it should be so and it was so in a Greater Preacher than He and before a greater Audience than we are wont to meet with even in Nathan and David when he began with a Parable but at last spoke plainly unto himself 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the Man The Arrow doth more Execution 2 Kings 22.34 when it enters between the Joints of the Harness than when it flyes at random The greatest Blemish which perhaps may appear throughout this Work in the Eye of others may be a co-incidence of the Argument which indeed sometimes unavoidably returns and must occur that every Part might be handled duely for otherwise if we had been more sparing to avoid the giving of too much we had impair'd the Table and taken too much away I need not fly to the Writings of Great Men to find a Sanctuary from the Reader 's pursuit of me herein but to the best City of Refuge Num. 35.13.15 even one that hath Foundations Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God For the Holy Writings do abound with Parallel Instances that can never be judg'd by Pious and Sober Minds to be guilty of when they condemn vain Repetitions Matth. 6.7 I will not trouble the Reader with many Witnesses only produce Two Deut. 19.15 which is a sufficient Number for Proof to clear me if my Crime were judged to be Capital See
David's Guard to break first thrô an Host that encamps against us Psa 27.3 Joh. 4.28 This is a Well where we may leave our water-pot since when we have drank of the Water we carry a well away with us v. 14. It is the Lamb's Fountain and thou mayst wring more out of this Fleece than Gideon's a Judg. 638 Bowl full or Hagar's b Gen. 21.15 bottle or Elijah's four c 1 Kings 18.33 barrels of water This is none of the bitter water that causeth the d Num. 5 22. curse but a Blessing when it comes into the e Ps 109. â—â— Bowels like water Our other Drink is f Hos 4 1â— soâ—â—r but this is a Fountain that yieldeth sweet water g Jam. 3 11 This Precious Liquor this incomparable and true Aqua vitae was set abroach upon the Tree of the Cross when one of the Souldiers with a Spear pierc'd his side and there forthwith came out Blood and (h) Joh. 19.34 water And lo he continues still as a pure River of the water of life running plentifully down the Gospel by his Guests at the Table side In a word he is water to cleanse our Filth Rev. 22.1 and water to quench our Thirst besides 5. Flesh to eat When the mixed multitude in the Wilderness fell a lusting it was to eat Flesh Num. 11.4 insomuch that the Children of Israel wept again and said who shall give us Flesh to eat and can he provide Flesh for his People Psa 78.20 last words But lo he that commanded the Clouds rained down Flesh upon them as Dust and feathered Fowls like as the sand of the Sea v. 27. Who indeed would have looked for such a Shower for when they tempted God in the Desert one might rather have feared he should have turned them to grass with their Flocks and Herds than have rained Flesh out of the Clouds upon them Yet tho' they had provoked God in the day of Temptation in the wilderness he tells them on the morrow ye shall eat Flesh Num. 11.18 But alas what was their Flesh tho' the Flesh of Quails to the Flesh of Jesus Christ What was the Flesh he gave unto all this People in comparison of the Flesh of the Son of God which he gives the Soul to feed upon by Faith Jesus Christ yields a variety to the Faith of God's Elect Num. 21.5 and it doth not follow that their Soul like those Israelites doth loath him as light Bread because their Soul also longeth for his Flesh to eat But we may here lawfully put in that wish in Job Oh! Job 31.31 that we had of his Flesh God doth not call you to eat the Flesh of your Sons Jer. 19.9 but the Flesh of His nor the Flesh of your Friend Zech. 13 7 but the Flesh of the man that is his Fellow What strange Flesh was that which the Poor Woman in Samaria had when she boiled her own Son for meat 2 Kings 6.29 Isa 13.18 She parted with the Fruit of her Womb being stricken thrô for want of the Fruits of the Field Lam. 4.9 But 't is a more astonishing wonder that God parted with the Son of his Bosom that we might eat the Flesh of this Sacrifice And there is no fear of making our Brother to offend by eating this Flesh while the World standeth 1 Cor. 8 1â— This mysterious Delicate the Flesh of Christ contains the Benefits of the Gospel which make up this Royal Entertainment that he purchas'd by his Death and Sufferings in the Flesh when he was put to Death in the Flesh 1 Pet. 3.18 but quickned by the Spirit This Doctrine of the Flesh of Christ given for meat unto our Faith is a further Exposition of the True Bread Joh. 6.51 And the Bread that I will give is my Flesh Now God must be first manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Rom. 8.3 and in the likeness of sinful Flesh and in this Flesh of ours die to prepare meat for us for as the Creatures that have Life die that we a while in our Bodies by their Death might live so it is the very Flesh of Christ and him crucified that must give Life unto our Souls His Flesh suffer'd his Flesh was pierc'd he was hung upon that Flesh book of the Cross when God gave him to be meat unto us His Flesh was powdered in the very Grave where other Things corrupt but his Flesh did not see Corruption Acts 2.31 to be made ready as a sweet and Dainty Morsel for us The wrath of God broke forth upon the Body he had prepared Heb. 10.5 and kindled a Fire in his Anger that even boil'd him as Flesh within the Caldron Mic. 3.3 and roasted him that his Flesh might be meat indeed for us Joh. 6.55 his Flesh was bor'd thro' and thro' tho' not a Bone of him should be broken Thus was he bruised for our Iniquities Isa 53.5 or there should no Flesh be saved Hence he hath spoken Matth. 24.22 Joh. 6.57 last words He that eateth me even he shall live by me This may serve to answer either the Jew's or the unbelieving Gentile's Question Joh. 6.52 How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat it being not to be understood of a Sacramental eating as the Rhemists gloss it but a spiritual by Faith alone Oh! how may we stand amaz'd at the Provisions in Him whose Name is VVonderful Isa 9.6 This is the Fifth Dish the Flesh of Jesus Christ 6. Blood to drink Perhaps our Ignorant squeazy old man may loath it as the Egyptians did to drink of the water of the River Exod. 7.18 after it was smitten with the Rod of Moses and turned into Blood but our New-man redeemed by Blood will take great Delight in it Alas we have sinn'd our selves into such a Feavour that our own common Drink inflames we have kindled a Burning which nothing but Blood the Blood of Christ will quench if man tryes to put the Fire out by any Works of Righteousness which he hath done Tit. 3.5 the sweat of his Brows will drop in and like Oil still increase the Flame Nay it is not VVater barely separate from Blood will quench our Anguish tho' we trusted that we could Job 40.23 with the Behemoth draw up Jordan into our mouths we must still have Blood to drink Oh! it requires great Faith in the Son of God to see it for otherwise Corruption will make us too nice to be entertain'd with Blood Faith and Faith alone is kept alive by it it cannot it needs not live upon a more Generous and Sprightly Liquor than this pure Blood of the Grape Deut 32.14 last words 1 Pet. 1.2 pâ—â—t it makes every Morsel of the Banquet Savoury that 't is sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ Flesh as before and Blood now do include the whole Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat there is yet one man Micaiah the Son of Imlah by whom we may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not Prophesie good concerning me but evil God's Elijah's would take their Food 1 Kings 17.6 tho' God should send a Raven to them with it but the Prejudic'd Ahab's of the World will not meddle with Their's tho' Elijah himself brought it The Gospel is ineffectual to many by reason of Prejudice Tenthly 10 Hinderance The General Disesteem which the Gospel meets with in the World The World represents God's Morsels as they will one Day find their own Sauce sowre They account it a melancholy and uncomfortable Entertainment Religion is a Diet that will imbitter all their Portion in this Life They think the Guests that partake of this Supper i. e. Separated Holy Christians are every one of them like Him in the Book of Job Job 21.15 that dyeth in the Bitterness of his Soul and never eateth with Pleasure They cry it up and down in the Streets of Ashkelon 2 Sam. 1.20 that the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus Christ are Vessels in which is no pleasure Hos 8.8 The Fare of the Gospel is represented by them like John Baptist's in the Wilderness Mat. 3.4 as Locusts and wild Honey Thus its Provisions have got an ill Name by some and they will not be drawn by the very savour of Christ's Ointments Song 1.3 so long as this low repute it hath in the World doth cast in Dead Flies among it Eccles 10.1 Dead Flies cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour The Grace of God is not courteously received but treated ill tho' it comes with good will to Men. Luk. 2.14 The Dishes of the Gospel by an unthankful unholy World are much cryed down and therefore when served up are generally much set by Acts 28.22 As concerning this Sect we know that every where it is spoken against This Sect. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Heresie saith the Greek The World concludes it Heresie and therefore will not regard it tho' it be the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 middle pt Wicked Men will Nick-name God's Truth and then fly from the Truth for the very Name 's sake they gave it They entertain Bad Conceptions of the Truths of God and are become Judges of Evil Thoughts Jam. 2.4 and therefore reproach and trample upon good Things under them The World imagine Fish to be Serpents and then fly from them as Moses did when he cast his Rod upon the Ground Exod. 4.3 and while it became a Serpent fled from before it A vile and a scornful Generation do esteem of the Bread of Life as Stones Oh! it is a mighty Hinderance to their embracing the Gospel of Christ that when his Oxen and his Fatlings are killed Mat. 22.4 they take up these Spiritual Mysteries with no more regard than if it were but the slaying of Pharaoh's lean Kine Gen. 41.3 19. But no matter to God's Children what such insinuate 3 Joh. 10. that prate with malitious words the Children must take their Bread tho' Dogs bark and an Enemy calls it Poison I confess this saith Paul that after the way which they call Heresie Act. 24 14. so worship I the God of my Fathers Eleventhly Bad Company 11 Hinderance If a Man had some Towardly Inclinations to embrace the Gospel yet so long as he goeth in Company with the workers of Iniquity Job 34.8 he will not be able when these Sinners entice him to consent not Prov. 1.10 Certain Lewd Fellows of the baser sort do often set upon a Man that is otherwise soberly inclined even as they assaulted the House of Jason Acts 17.5 and never leave 'till they have worn out his Sober Impressions that you can read nothing at last but the Devil 's Brand upon him Exo. 23.2 When Men follow a multitude to do evil Psa 42.4 they care not to walk unto God's House in any other Company The Gospel of the only wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 signifies nothing to a Companion of Fools that shall be destroyed Prov. 13.20 Psa 119.61 The Bands of the wicked will rob thee of the Feast if thou art not one that hast no Fellowship with them Eph. 5.11 Twelfthly 12 Hinderance Garnal Relations If there were neither Adversary nor evil occurrent abroad yet if a Man's Enemies be the Men of his own House Mic. 7.6 and a Man's Foes be those of his own Houshold Matth. 10.36 there is such a Radical Enmity in the corrupt mind of Man against the Truth of God as will make their Eye Evil and their Hand severe towards their own Flesh and Blood They will violate the Bonds of Nature to fight against Grace Now this is enough without Special Grace that opens the Heart to keep the Gospel and its Provisions wholly out of Doors Men will often hearken to the Voice of their own Flesh and Blood when a Stranger they will not follow Joh. 10.5 Ahaziah hearkens to the pernicious Advice of his Mother Athaliah for his Mother Athaliah was his Counsellor to do evil 2 Chro. 22.3 Carnal Relations will sometimes be very earnest to beat off young Beginners that they may not take up with the New Man tho' perhaps assaulting them with that old Argument that none of their Kindred are called by it Luk. 1.61 There is none of thy kindred that is called by this Name You may be beaten off by such as are related to you if you be not related as Sons and Daughters to the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 Thirteenthly False Teachers 13 Hinderance A corrupt Ministry sets the World against the Truth Unsound Teachers are against Salt because they have lost its savour Mar. 9.50 Men's Lyes to make the very Truths of God of no effect with some When Sinners are beguiled and thro' the craft and sleight of cunning Men mis-led Eph. 4.14 their Minds will be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel 2 Cor. 11.3 if they hearken to such as are not Teachers of good things Tit. 2.3 they will not value the Gospel that hath all good things ready If they regard vain Talkers and Deceivers as the Apostle calls corrupt Doctors Tit. 1.10 Teaching things which they ought not v. 11. it will hinder the Advantage of Gospel-Grace provided If there be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 False Teachers among you 2 Pet. 2.1 it will greatly damage your receiving the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 These have a beguiling Artifice to lay their varnish upon the worst Complexion'd Face and for a well-favour'd Rachel bring in a Leah that is blear-ey'd Gen. 29.23 25. They wash over a little false Coin in Doctrine and then put it off to such as cannot try the Spirits