Christs Prayer even in respect of those who shall beleeve is because They were given to him by the Father as appeareth vers 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me Seeing therefore the Foundation of Christs Intercession is because they were given by Election to Christ as a people to be saved through him it 's plain that Christ praied not because he foresaw that they would beleeve but because they were Elected It 's true the Arminians do in a most violent and strange manner wrest that phrase of being given to Christ They understand it not of an action of the Father but of the disposition of the Subject Hence it is they speak so much of a probum ingenium or a docilis indoles as if it were some towardly disposition in man that fitted him for grace but thus it would be rather who have given themselves to Christ rather then that the Father had given them and indeed this is such a thorn in their sides that they cannot pull out if by such who shall beleeve were to be understood those that upon Gods foresight were known to improve the means of Faith better then others then all the difference from others and the utmost resolution of salvation yea and Election would be unto a mans self when yet the Apostle doth expresly stop such mouths What hast thou that thou hast not received and who made thee to differ from another 1 Cor. 4.7 The Text thus vindicated and explained I gather this Observation That Christ died not and so we were not Elected because we will beleeve but our beleef is the effect and fruit of Christs death and our Election Our Faith is not a condition upon which our Election or Christs Death stands suspended and indeterminate but these do make us infallibly and effectually to beleeve in time There are two common Opinions The one holding That God from all Eternity knew who would beleeve in time and persevere therein and thereupon they were Elected and Christ died for us This way go Arminians and others But 2. The Orthodox they affirm that God did from all Eternity choose some out of the corrupt masse to Eternall glory and for this end to give them Faith and holinesse as the means thereunto So that God did not elect us because we did or would beleeve but that we might beleeve we beleeve because we are Elected not Elected because we beleeve This Doctrine is very useful because it tends to humble and debase man and wholly to exalt the grace of God and therefore the more diligently to be confirmed because of late so greatly opposed And before we bring Scripture-Arguments Let us Consider some few things that will clear the state of the Question As 1. There is a difference of those who hold our Election and so Christs Death to be upon the foresight of something in us Some are more grosse then others For there are some that hold a man is Elected to glory upon the foresight of his cooperation with the grace of God as a true merit deserving this Election so that with them God did behold who by his free will would improve the offer of grace and for this as a meritorious cause they say God did Elect them unto Eternal Glory But this is so highly injurious to the Grace of God that though some Papists have maintained it yet Bellarmine Valentia and other Jesuites wholly disclaim it at least in words making no other cause of predestination in respect of all the effects of it but the sole and meer good pleasure of God 2. There are others and they say the foresight of the good or better use of our free-will then others is not a meritorious but a moving cause with God of our Election to Happinesse So that our Faith and Holinesse though they were not a meriting Cause yet were a moving Cause of our predestination but this is also too grosly repugnant and contradictory to Scripture 3. There are those who refine it more subtlely and that is That God did foresee who would beleeve and persevere therein to Death and such are peremptorily chosen to Eternall Life not that their Faith or Perseverance is any merit or moving Cause but a Conditio sine quâ non without which God would not choose such to happinesse so that say they it 's not for any intrinsecall Dignity or excellent worth in Faith but because of the many possible waies and means to Salvation God appoints this way of beleeving rather then another and thus the Arminians Only they acknowledge Holinesse of Life and Obedience to God to be thus a Condition foreseen as well as Faith though they would seem utterly to deny it 4. There are the Lutherans and they indeed hold Faith fore-seen as a Condition in our Election Only they say It 's not considered as a merit or a Cause no nor as a work but as an Instrument apprehending Christs merits and therefore make Election to be by Faith in the same sence as we are justified by Faith Hence they deny Holinesse or Obedience to be a condition ingredient to Election because Christ is not laid hold upon by that as by Faith although herein they contradict themselves because they acknowledge not Faith singly as so but Perseverance in Faith to be the Condition and that must be necessarily looked upon as a work not as an Instrument receiving Christ But the Orthodox they affirm consonantly to Scripture and sutably to the Glory of Gods Grace That God did from all Eternity choose some men out of that corrupt masse in which all were to Eternall Glory and by the same Act did prepare and appoint all those means which would effectually produce the same So that this Election is the Originall and Fountain of all Spirituall mercies because Elected Christ is appointed a Mediatour Because Elected they are called and enabled to beleeve in time So that we deny there are two Elections One to Glory another to Grace But God by the same single Act doth will both and therefore that there is not the same Reason of Election and of Justification or Salvation for these being Acts done in time do require Faith and Holinesse as antecedent but Election being an Act of God from all Eternity cannot presuppose any thing in us Now the Arguments to confirm us in this Truth they are these following First Because the Scripture when it speaketh of this great and wonderfull work of Election it doth still resolve all into the Counsell of his will not into any thing fore seen in a man Ephes 8. Roman 8. Roman 9. and in many other places it is still said He hath chosen us according to his Will according to his purpose Now if so be it were for any thing foreseen in us it would be rather according to the Counsell of our will and according to our purpose There cannot any rationall Answer be given unto this Argument for according to the Adversaries
God doth not Elect or choose any untill he foresee what every man will do and if he do well and persevere in this then he is predestinated but this doth at once dash out all the Prepositions Prae and turn them into Post it is not prae-destination but post-destination not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this administers a second Argument Secondly If so be that God did Elect and choose to Eternall Life because he did fore-see our Faith then the whole difference of one Beleever from another would be attributed solely to mans Power For to say That this is Gods Decree and his Appointment that whosoever shall beleeve shall be saved doth not in the least work upon any person no more then that Decree of God Whosoever shall do this shall live doth suppose any that will exactly keep the Law so that no man in the world may beleeve for all this Decree And thus when Christ prayed for those who shall beleeve he might have praied for a Non ens a thing which might never have been Therefore all the Question is How come some to beleeve and not others How is it that of many who live under the same means of Grace some are called effectually and others grow more wicked and sinnefull Certainly the Scripture doth not give this unto mans Will but to Gods free-grace and Love as Matthew 13. To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and unto others not Thus Christ also Matthew 11. solemnly blessed and thanked God That he had hid these things of Heaven from the wise and prudent ones of the world and that he had revealed them unto Babes And the Apostle expresly Who hath made thee to differ from another 1 Corinth 4.7 Therefore it 's horribly injurious unto the Grace and goodnesse of God to say That under the same Means of Grace I made my Self to beleeve to repent rather than another Certainly such an Opinion as this is so grosse and absurd that well may Arminianism be said not only to be repugnant to many places of Scripture but even to the common sence and experience of all beleevers They have a witnesse within their own breasts That they were as unwilling as froward as opposite to the work of Grace as any That it was God that made them of unwilling willing Even as there were many others that heard Paul yet God is said to open the heart of Lydia rather then others Thirdly Faith and all holinesse is the Effect and Fruit of our Election and also of the Death of Christ and therefore it cannot be an antecedent Condition That is plain that the same thing cannot be an Effect and Consequent of Election and yet an antecedent Condition at least in the same Respects for then it should be considered as before and after at the same time which is a plain Contradiction Now that Faith is a Consequent and an Effect of Election and that we are Elected to Faith and Holinesse not because we have Faith and Holinesse is clear by severall Texts of Scripture as Act. 13.48 They beleeved as many as were ordained to Eternall Life Here is plainly set down the Effect and the Cause They beleeved and why Because ordained to Eternall Life As for that Cavill to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intransitively as if it were no more than dispositi and so did imply some inherent probity that is not worth the answering For how were the Gentiles disposed to beleeve who were said to be dead in sinnes and plunged into all manner of impiety untill Grace had converted them Besides this disposednesse to beleeve whence doth it arise Either from our selves and so all Glory is due to us or from the Grace of God And if so How cometh it to passe that some have it and not others but because of Election And it is further to be added That it is not said in the Text They beleeved that were ordained Or as they say disposed to beleeve but to Eternall Life which doth necessarily suppose an Action of God in whose power alone it is to dispose of Eternall Life Thus also Ephes 1. There are very emphaticall Expressions to shew that we are Elected to be holy and unblameable in the sight and presence of God And whereas they would referre this to our glorious Estate in Heaven that cannot be because unblameable doth properly relate to our being here upon the Earth It is true we will readily grant That both Faith and Holinesse they doe enter into the Decree of Election taken terminatively as it ends in Everlasting Happinesse Therefore it is a meer Calumny to say We hold such an absolute Election to Glory and Happinesse as hath no respect to Christ or to Faith For although we deny that Christ was the meritorious Cause of our Election yet it 's plain by Scripture we are chosen in him as the Head and so the Cause of all the Benefits that come by Election And God had respect unto Faith He chose Beleevers to Salvation onely this Faith was not looked upon as an antecedent Condition in us but as a qualification which God by Election doth work in the hearts of those that shall be saved We say God hath Elected such to Salvation whom in time he will by that Decree make Beleevers For he that wils an end doth thereby will the means that tendeth thereunto only we deny they were supposed Beleevers first and then God Elected them Fourthly God doth not Elect upon the fore-sight of Perseverance in Faith Because the Scripture every where makes Election to be the Originaâ—l and Causall Fountain or Womb of all other Benefits That Ninth Chapter to the Romanes is pregnant to this purpose where Election is made to be that which bringeth about all blessed Effâ—cts in time Election hath obtained and it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Whereas Austin of old urged by the Adversaries Opinion replied We might as well say according to them it is not of him that calleth but of him that willeth And Rom. 8. The Apostle maketh predestination the cause of Vocation Justification and Glorification not Vocation the Cause of Predestination Fifthly If the humane Nature of Christ was not chosen to the personall Union for any fore-seen merit much lesse may any meer man be Elected to Glory because of any supposed worth This was an Argument urged of old by Austin and is very strong By what Grace that particular man was made Christ by that we are made Christians Now the Apostle saith expresly that Christ 1 Peter 1.20 he was fore-ordained and appointed before the Foundation of the world and all will readily grant that this was not for any fore-seen worth and Excellency in the Humane Nature of Christ Lastly Not to mention all that may be brought If we are Elected upon Faith fore-seen and Perseverance therein then none are Elected until they come to die and
prayed to Christ they said Master we will But seeing this prayer of Christs is from him as a Mediator we may well acknowledge that there is more then a meer humble supplication such as meer men make but some powerfull declaration of his will that he will have it so For to this purpose he speaks Joh. 12.26 Where I am there also shall my servant be Christ by his own power and authority will cause it to be From whence I shall touch only on this Doctrine That Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them I will saith Christ that they be where I am Though we may many times doubt of the efficacy and successe of our own prayers yet there is no cause at all to question the successe of Christs Intercession and the grounds are these 1. Because he hath merited and purchased at Gods hands those benefits he prayeth for Therefore though whatsoever God doth to us be of grace in respect of us yet it is of justice and right to him so that it can no more be that Christs prayer for us should not speed then that God should be unjust and that not in respect of promise only to Christ for he hath likewise promised to us but of justice So that now Christ may well say Father I will their glory and happiness because I have purchased it at so dear a rate 2. Christs prayer must needs be effectual because it lieth in his power also to do that and accomplish for us which he doth desire Though therefore as man he prayeth yet as God he can fulfill and bring about what we stand in need of If therefore Christ saith Father I will that they be sanctified that they be glorified who shall withstand this 3. Christs prayer will alwayes take effect because his will and the will of the Father are the same So that as Christ argued None could take his sheep out of his hand because he and the Father are one So also it followeth Christs will in prayer cannot be gainsaid or hindred by any because the Father and he are one if indeed the Father had one will and Christ a contrary will to it then we might justly doubt of the successe of it but it is not as Christ wils the Sanctification and glorification of his people so doth the Father also So that all our confidence is to be in Christs prayer and not ours Vse 1 Vse of Consolation and comfort to the children of God who mourn under the sinfull imperfections of their prayers yea are ready to cry out that God shutteth out their prayers Oh let them remember what a glorious treasure is here laid up for them Though their own prayers are weak yet Christs are not Look therefore again and again see the things Christ hath prayed for and then doubt not but they will be accomplished in thee Oh let not thy heart sink and be troubled within thee when thou seest such a remedy provided for thee Urge Christs name urge Christs prayer Vse 2 Vse 2. Of Terrour to wicked men who have no interest in Christs prayer or intercession If it were so terrible a judgement not to have Samuel or Jeremiah pray for some persons it argued their incurable condition how much more may it strike horrour and amazement into the hearts of all wicked men as Christ minded thee not in his death so neither in his prayer I pray not for the world But into the hardned and impenitent heart no terrible woe can enter SERMON CXXXVI Of the State of Glory Shewing what it is to behold Christs Glory in Heaven JOH 17.24 That they may behold the glory that thou hast given me IN these words is contained the final cause or end of our Saviours Petition in behalf of his Disciples He praieth that they may be with him in Heaven and why That they may behold the glory which the Father hath given him In which words take notice of the Act the Object and the Cause of it The act is that they may behold ut videant saith Austin non ut credant because Eternal vision in Heaven is the reward of faith here on earth Here it 's believing in Heaven it's beholding Although there are some that limit the sence to this life as if here they were by the experience of Faith to behold the glory and majesty of Christ as Mediatour but the context doth principally relate to the enjoying of glory in Heaven Others they observe Non dixit ut habeant sed ut videant he did not say That they might have but that they might behold for Christs glory is incommunicable but the word is not to be limited for it comprehends 1. To behold and see and that immediatly opposite to the way of faith and knowledge which we have of God in this life which is but darkly 2. It denoteth fruition and enjoyment of this glory for we shall be glorified with Christ and thus the word videre is often used for frui To see life is to live To see death is to die To see the Kingdom of Heaven is to enjoy it So that the godly shall not be meer idle Spectators of this Glory but they shall be taken into fellowship with it 3. It denoteth all the effects and consequents of such a beholding of this Glory which are infinite delight and joy Immortality and Eternity So that there shall never be any end of it all this is comprehended in seeing but the greater Question is about the glory that is mentioned What is understood by that and some relate it to that infinite and incomprehensible Glory which he hath as God but generally it 's understood of that Glory which he hath as Mediatour for so the Father after his sufferings did infinitely exalt him and give him a name above all names So that Christ as Mediatour is glorified in a transcendent manner by God So that Christ hath his essential glory as God and his Mediatory glory as Mediatour Now these two kindes of glory do not differ really but only in several waies of administration for he that is Mediator must needs also be God Obs That the great end of our being in Heaven is to behold and enjoy the Glory of Christ As the Queen of Sheba took a long journey to behold the glory of Solomon which did so ravish her that her spirit even fainted within her which yet was but a temporall fading and earthly glory how much more transcendent and ravishing will that heavenly Glory be to us when we shall behold the Majesty and Greatnesse that Christ shall then be in sitting upon his throne at the right hand of God To behold and to be ravished with this glory of Christ is the great work we have to do to all Eternity for our Saviours will to have us where he is is not for any want or necessity that he had of us Christs glory would have been admired by Angels though we should never be
favour they are to be ashamed that this is an effect of their being given to Christ as you heard Joh. 18.6 To be given unto Christ is indeed a secret Mystery transacted in heaven but to come unto Christ that is the sure effect of those that are given to him and those that come to Christ he will in no wise cast out So that the grieved contrite spirit ought to be so far from having any trouble herein that he ought exceedingly to rejoyce at it for the efficacy of all the promises will be to such They are blessed that hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse Mat. 5. These things premised let us consider what admirable treasures are bound up in this Truth that God the Father hath given and betrusted some with Christ that he should be their Mediatour and some things are considerable from the Father and some things from Christ From the Father First That the Original and Fountain of all the good and happinesse Gods People partake of is from the Father This primary and first Root was so farre from being merited by Christ that Christ himself is a fruit thereof God so loved the world that he gave his only Sonne that he that beleeveth in him should have eternal life Joh. 3.16 Howsoever therefore Christ be the meritorious cause of all the fruits of Election conversion justification and salvation yet of Election it self or that will of God to bestow eternall life on some and for this purpose to send his Son this is only from the Father The impulsive cause was the only good pleasure and counsell of God yet this love you must know was not a Law of reconciliation or amor amicitiae for so God is reconciled with us only in Christ but benevolentiae or beneficentiae a will to doe good and for that end to ordain efficacious means thereunto so then if we go to the Spring and root out of all those glorious priviledges Beleevers partake of it will be found the meer good-will and pleasure of God and certainly this should greatly enlarge us in thankfulnesse that when we could not have any thoughts concerning our selves when we could not so much as desire yea when we lay in the womb of nothing that God had a gracious purpose to us yea before the world was made Gods thoughts were upon thee The Apostle doth often mention this Secondly This doth imply that God the Father hath chosen some from others and given them as a charge or trust to Christ so that he doth expect their Salvation and happinesse by Christs means They are called Gods Jewels They are called his hidden ones all the other part of mankinde is but as refuse drosse these are his Pearls These are his Stars his peculiar people Though all the earth be his and all the men in the world under his dominion yet these have a peculiar interest No marvel then if God make such comfortable promises to them if all Angels must be their guardians If all things shall work to their good for God hath set his seal on them Oh the transcendent happinesse of those that are thus dignified Thirdly Hence it is that there is no cause of doubt to be made by the people of God whether God the Father will accept of Christs Mediation for them for it is as amongst men as if he should offer to lay down a sufficient prize to redeem such a captive considering that all this agreement came originally from the Father So that Christ saith The Father gave him these to he a Mediatour to them yea that the Father loveth him because he laid down his life for his Sheep This followeth unquestionably that whom Christ presents to his Father the Father will not refuse Oh then stand and admire at the felicity which the Scripture hath assured thee of Those whom Christ brings to the Father it was his will and antecedent purpose that Christ should mediate and is there any doubt then whether God the Father will embrace thee or no Fourthly Those whom the Father giveth to Christ that they may know this mercy by the effects of it shall assuredly one time or other finde this glorious work upon them that they shall come to Christ Though their temptations be never so great their oppositions never so many Though of all men in the world you would think such were the farthest off from Christ yet Joh. 6. They shall come to him God will so wonderfully change their hearts mollifie and soften them he will so overcome and conquer all contrary resolutions that of unwilling they shall be made willing Oh that is a commanding expression He shall come unto me and lest we doubt of it again it is said None can come unto me unlosse my Father draw him So the Father will draw him to Christ that is he will certainly and surely so overpower his heart that he will not he cannot withstand any longer the motions of grace upon his soul Lastly In that God the Father giveth some to Christ and not other we see all works all merits any supposed good or worth in us fals to the ground No wonder then if the Scripture doth so diligently exclude all the works that we have done giving all to grace for you see the great businesse of our salvation was accomplished between the Father and our Mediatour before we had any being or knowledge of it O that even such pestilentiall doctrines full of pride and haughtinesse should ever get footing in Christs Church for though the Scripture pleads the necessity of works yet wholly excludeth the causality of them In respect of Christ the Mediator There is observable 1. The transcendent love of Christ who did willingly undergoe this charge For when the Father gave them to Christ it was on those hard terms that he should live so meanly and die so ignominiously for their salvation This was a bitter cup for him to drink which made him pray If possibly it might passe away Mat. 26.42 howsoever he submited to his Fathers will What is man or the salvation of man to Christ that he should so prize it Could their salvation have been as easily obtained as Christ made all things by a word it had been something but it cost him many agonies He became a curse for us he seemed to be forsaken both of God and man so then stand and admire the terms upon which these are given to Christ God the Father saith thus to him I will that thou procure the salvation of these men but it can be no otherwise then by thy own bloud whatsoever curses justice would have inflicted on them thou must undergo Oh the tongue of men and Angels is not able to expresse this Were we not such cold clods of earth this love of Christ would set our hearts all on fire who would not part with his lusts with his sins for Christ who hath thus loved us to the death of the Crosse Shall
p 532. l. 35. r. antequam p 543. l. 32. adde of them p. 554. l. 30. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 579. l. 35. r. sapiens p. 581. l. 19. r. room p. 590. l. 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 600. l 40. r. Abailardus l. 53. r. Noveris p. 615. l. 21. r. darkness p. 617. l. 20 r. diligent p. 64â— l. 23. r. be loved p 644. l. 17 dele dayes of his suffering p 646. l. 39. r when p. 670. l. 19. adde nature p. 682. l. 17. r. shine l. 30. r. them p. 688. l. 5. r. Obadiah p. 690. l. 53. r. ancient p. 690. l. 53. dele we are THE CONTENTS SERM. I. JOHN 17.1 These words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee THe Necessity of adding Prayer to Preaching for its good effect Shewing also what kinde of Cause the Word is of Conversion and what are the requisites of Heavenly and Spirituall Prayer SERM. II. The transcendent excellency and efficacy of Christs Prayer in respect of the matter and nature thereof as being Mediatory his person and Relation c. held forth as a ground of unspeakable Comfort to Believers SERM. III. Sheweth how prevalent the Prayers are that are poured out to God as a Father and what disposition and frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every one that doth fervently pray to God SERM. IV. Of Gods appointing an hour a set time for the dispensing his Mercies and Judgements in reference to particular persons and his Church and Churches Enemies SERM. V. Of the Nature and Manifestations of that Glory which Christ prayed for and is invested with And how comfortable it is to all his Members SERM. VI. Of Heavenly-mindedness Shewing that we should seek both earthly and heavenly Blessings chiefly for this end viz. That God may be Glorified SERM. VII JOHN 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him The Text vindicated from Arians Ubiquitarians and Papists and the power and dominion of Christ observed and applied to the Comfort of his Disciples and Terrour of his Enemies SERM. VIII The Effects and Appearances of the Kingly power and dominion of Christ SERM. IX Christ under the notion of a Head applyed to the Terrour of his Enemies and Comfort of his Members SERM. X. Of Predestination or Gods giving some of mankinde to Christ not all for him to Redeem and what unspeakable grounds of Comfort to Gods people flow from thence SERM. XI Treateth of Eternall Life in the Nature and Properties of it SERM. XII A Consideration of Eternall Life compared with this present Life and with its contrary viz. Eternall Death SERM. XIII Weighty Considerations upon Eternity SERM. XIV JOHN 17.3 And this is 〈◊〉 â—ternall that they might know thee the â—ly true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent The Necessity of Divine Knowledge and arraignment of Ignorance SERM. XV. More Reasons of the Necessity of Divine Knowledge and the Causes of Ignorance SERM. XVI Sheweth what saving Knowledge is in its Concomitants and Effects SERM. XVII Of the Knowledge and Worship of the One true God and the contrary thereto viz. Idolatry SERM. XVIII The Necessity of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus as well as of God the Father SERM. XIX JOHN 17.4 I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Sheweth how a Godly life though it merit no good is a ground of comfort at the hour of Death SERM. XX. Sheweth who they are that cannot at the close of their daies take comfort in this That they have finished the work God gave them to do As also what things if not avoided will much diminish the comfort of the Godly ones at that day SERM. XXI Of Gods being Glorified by mans Salvation Christs chief end in what he did for man was the Glory of God which bespeaks both our imitation and unspeakable Consolation SERM. XXII Of Christs Finishing the work he undertook with the end and properties of it and the great Comfort of iâ— to Beleevers SERM. XXIII JOHN 17.5 And now O Father Glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was Of a holy working life the Excellency Equity and Necessity thereof in order to Glory SERM. XXIV Of vain Tautology in Prayer and what Repetitions in Prayer are such and what not shewing also what things are absolutely necessary to a good Prayer SERM. XXV Of the Promises and of Prayer SERM. XXVI Of heavenly Glory as opposed to earthly and how the hopes thereof earnestly sought and prayed for will comfort a man against the fear and in the midst of all trials and afflictions SERM. XXVII The Eternall Deity of Christ proved and whence it comes to pass that there are any so vile as to deny it shewing also what sins do much provoke God to give men up to such Blasphemy SERM. XXVIII Proveth That the world was not from Eternity but had its beginning in time and reduceth that Consideration into Practice SERM. XXIX JOHN 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the men which then gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word Of Divine Knowledge its Excellency and Rarity Shewing that God is truly and properly known only by the Godly and wherein their Knowledge of God differs from the knowledge that others have of him SERM. XXX The great End of the Ministry and what should be the End of both Ministers and people in their Preaching and Hearing SERM. XXXI That Gods people are not of though in this world Wherein is also shewed the vast difference between them and the men of the world SERM. XXXII Of the peculiar propriety Gods people have in Him and He in them SERM. XXXIII The truly Godly man only is obedient to Gods Word Or the great Character of a Christian SERM. XXXIV JOHN 17.7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee Of Growth in Grace the Duty Necessity and Glory of it SERM. XXXV Of Faith in Christ the Mediatour with the Ingredients or Concomitant acts of it SERM. XXXVI JOHN 17.8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me Of Obedience to all the Commandments of God shewing That that only is truly Obedience and the property of a Godly man SERM. XXXVII Sheweth That Gods people are ready and willing in Obedience Whence it is that they are so Tending to rouse men up from dulness and formality in Gods service SERM. XXXVIII Of the Excellency and Necessity of Beleeving in Christ as a Mediatour That it 's acceptable to God as well as Obedience to
a Command yet withall sheweth the difficulty of it and whence it doth come to pass that the children of God sensible of their sins are so hardly brought to Beleeve As also why ungodly men think it so easie a thing SERM. XXXIX Further sheweth how acceptable it is to God to beleeve in Christ the Mediatour and setteth forth the dangerous nature of Trusting in our own Righteousness SERM. XL. Further setteth forth the Excellency and Necessity of pressing the Doctrine of Faith in Christ the Mediatour and of our being affected with it and invites the greatest sinners to come unto him for Salvation SERM. XLI JOHN 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Of praying both for the Godly and the wicked with the Reasons and Motives thereof SERM. XLII The Excellency and Efficacy of Christs Mediatory prayer set forth in many Aggravations of it for the Consolation of the Godly SERM. XLIII Of the Extent of Christs Mediatory Prayer and of his Death That he praied and died not for all and every one of mankinde but only for the Elect and that the Scripture expressions of Christs dying for all are to be understood indefinitely and not universally SERM. XLIV Reasons why the Scripture speaks thus universally about Christs death when yet but some were intended Also what Benefits Reprobates have by Christ with some Arguments further proving the point of Christs dying not for every man but some SERM. XLV The Application of the former Subject setting forth the Necessity of Faith and Repentance as to the interesting us in Christ The Freeness of Gods Love The Qualifications of those to whom Christs death is made advantagious and also their priviledges above all others SERM. XLVI Of Free-Grace opposite to Arminianism tending to raise the hearts of those that are Godly to Joy and Thankfulness SERM. XLVII Of Gods Propriety in his people as the ground of all the good that accrueth to them SERM. XLVIII JOHN 17.10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them The Deity of Jesus Christ cleared and defended against the Socinians SERM. XLIX Of mans glorifying of Christ and how many waies that is done SERM. L. JOHN 17.11 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are Of Christs tender care of all his people in the greatest of their care and afflictions SERM. LI. Of the great danger of Gods peoples being in the world chiefly from its tempting and seducing to sin SERM. LII Of the danger Gods people are in in the world in respect of its hating and opposing of them with Reasons why the Lord makes the world such a disquieting place such a valley of tears unto his own people SERM. LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the Joy of all Beleevers SERM. LIV. That all Civil Governours as well as Ecclesiasticall from the meanest Master of a Family to the greatest Monarch have from Christ a spirituall charge of those that are under them and are above all things to endeavour the good of their souls SERM. LV. The great Lord-keeper of Israel from inevitable Ruine both of body and soul extolled SERM. LVI That it 's not enough to be put into a state of Grace unless by Gods power we are kept therein How farre men may acknowledge Gods help and yet with the Pelagians Arminians and Papists not give him his due Glory And also sheweth how many waies the power of God keepeth his people SERM. LVII Reasons proving the Necessity of Gods preserving his children in Grace That God keeps them by Faith Also why and how Faith keeps them rather then other Graces SERM. LVIII The greatness of the mercy of being kept sound in the Truth and the damnableness of Errour demonstrated SERM. LIX That it 's a speciall Mercy for the Ministers of the Gospel to agree in one Wherein their unity should be and the Reasons of the differences that are among them SERM. LX. The great Pattern of Unity the Nature and Property of the Unity that is between God the Father and the Sonne against the Socinians That the Ministers of God should endeavour after a perfect Unity even to be one as the Father and Sonne are Also some Rules guiding thereunto SERM. LXI JOHN 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled The great changes that even a Godly man is subject unto in respect of the having and losing those sensible supports both outward and inward which God at sometimes vouchsafeth to them Also what those sensible injoyments are and why God doth so change the condition of his people SERM. LXII Sheweth how prone men are for to know Christ after the flesh and wherein it appears SERM. LXIII Of the Saints Lord-keeper shewing how safe the Godly are kept to Salvation by Christ as a trust committed to him SERM. LXIV Of the manner of Christs keeping those that are his Of a four fold principle that is operative to the preservation of Beleevers And of the excellent effects of the Lively Meditation of this Doctrine of being kept by Christ to Salvation SERM. LXV Of the Perseverance of the Saints The Question stated SERM. LXVI Of the Perseverance of the Saints SERM. LXVII Arguments proving that every one that is in the state of Grace shall be preserved to Eternall Life SERM. LXVIII Of the sonne of perdition Shewing that some persons are wilfully set for to damn themselves though they have never so many excellent Remedies and Means to the contrary And what are the Causes that move them thereunto and Characters of such persons SERM. LXIX Of the son of perdition Shewing more Causes and Symptoms of such wretched persons that are desperately bent to damn themselves SERM. LXX Of the sonne of perdition Sheweth from the example of Judas that men may be eminent for a while in the Church of God and afterwards prove desperate Apostates SERM. LXXI Of the sonne of Perdition SERM. LXXII Of the sonne of Perdition SERM. LXXIII The great stumbling-blocks of Religion removed SERM. LXXIV Of the Scripture SERM. LXXV Of the truth of Scripture-prophesies and against Judiciall Astrology and Witchcraft shewing the vanity and wickedness thereof and of seeking to them SERM. LXXVI John 17.13 And now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves The Joy of Saints handled both as a duty and priviledge as being one great end of Christs Prayer Command Promises and Ministry SERM. LXXVII Of Joy and Comfort shewing how many waies the Spirit of God works it in the hearts of his people SERM. LXXVIII The severall
sorts of Joy and the Nature of Spirituall Joy shewing also how farre it transcends and differs from worldly joy SERM. LXXIX The excellent effects of Christian Joy SERM. LXXX John 17.14 I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world That the Word of God preached and received doth inrage the wicked world and Reasons thereof SERM. LXXXI Of suffering for Christs Cause and how it ingageth God for to take care of such as so suffer also the duty of Ministers about preaching Gods truth SERM. LXXXII Of wicked mens hating the Godly the Causes Effects and Properties of it SERM. LXXXIII The Application of the foregoing Observation both to the godly and the wicked tending to encourage and rejoyce the one under all their sufferings and deterre and reclaim the other from all oppositions SERM. LXXXIV Of Conformity to Christ in not being of the world and in his sufferings SERM. LXXXV John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil Sheweth why God continueth his children in this world of sinne and sorrow and doth not take them immediatly to Heaven and also how farre 't is lawfull for a man to pray for or desire to be taken out of this world SERM. LXXXVI That 't is a greater mercy to be kept from sinne and all evil in our afflictions and troubles than from the afflictions themselves SERM. LXXXVII That God hath determined a precise time to every particular man in the world how long he shall live SERM. LXXXVIII JOHN 17.16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world The Heavenly man much improved by much considering that he is not of this world SERM. LXXXIX JOHN 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth Of Growth in Grace Shewing that and how many waies a Godly man may be sanctified SERM. XC The Contraries of Growth in Grace A Comfortable Advertisement to such as mourn under their sense of not Growing with Reasons of the Necessity of Growing in Grace SERM. XCI Of the Causes of Sanctification and in particular of God as the Instrumentall Cause SERM. XCII Of the Truth of the Scriptures SERM. XCIII The transcendent Properties of the Scripture SERM. XCIV JOHN 17.18 As thou hast sent me into the world even so have I sent them into the world How requisite a sound minde and a holy life are to a Minister of the Gospel and Christs peculiar love to and care of such SERM. XCV Of Christs Mission to the Office of a Mediatour SERM. XCVI Of the publick Office of the Ministry some distinctions concerning it and the Necessity of a lawfull Call thereunto Also shewing wherein private Christians should exercise their Gifts both ordinarily and in extraordinary Cases SERM. XCVII That the Scripture appoints a distinct Office of the Ministry Sheweth wherein the Call to the Ministry consists and that none may enter into that Office without an Authoritative Mission also what the Ministry of Preaching is and whether Reading be Preaching SERM. XCVIII JOHN 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the Truth Of Christs sanctifying himself to be a Mediatour Shewing what is implied in it how pure willing and fit he was for that Great undertaking SERM. XCIX Sheweth further what is implied in that phrase of our Saviour I sanctifie my Self Handling chiefly the Priestly Office of Christ in opposition to the Socinians and for the Comfort and Direction of Penitent sinners SERM. C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest Sacrifice and Altar The Properties of that Sacrifice The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification SERM. CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs death shewing that no man truly beleeveth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification SERM. CII JOHN 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeve in me through their word Sheweth why Christ who could do all things yet puts up prayers What difference there is between his prayers and ours and the great advantage Beleevers have by Christs praying for them SERM. CIII In what respects the Benefits of Christs mediation extends to all Beleevers alike and in what not for the comfort of weak Christians and such of them as are most contemptible in the eyes of the world SERM. CIV That in some particulars the poor weak Christian hath more respect from Christ then the strong one SERM. CV Of Christs love and care of every one of his before they had a being SERM. CVI. Of both the moving causes and effects of Election and of Christs prayer and death Against Arminians and others SERM. CVII Of Faith the severall kindes of it and especially of Justifying Faith its object and seat c. SERM. CVIII Of Justifying Faith shewing what things are necessary thereunto and how or in what method the Spirit of God inableth the humble soul to Beleeve SERM. CIX Of Justifying Faith SERM. CX Of Justifying Faith that it is a fiduciall Recumbency in Christ SERM. CXI That a Gospel Ministry is to continue to the end of the world and for what ends SERM. CXII JOHN 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me Of Unity among Gods people the Nature of it SERM. CXIII Of Unity among Christians the Benefits and Necessity of it and the mischief of Divisions SERM. CXIV Of Unity among the Godly More particulars setting forth the excellency of it and mischief of Division Answering this Objection viz. Seeing God hath promised one heart and way and Christ prayed for it How comes it to pass that there should be so many breaches amongst the Godly SERM. CXV Of Unity among Beleevers Cautions about it Also setting forth some good uniting Principles with a censure of some bad ones SERM. CXVI Of Christian Unity setting forth some Rules for Unity in Doctrine Church-order and Affection for the preventing of Errour Schism and Wrath. SERM. CXVII Of the distinction of Persons and Unity of Essence in the Deity against the Socinians SERM. CXVIII The Glorious mystery of the Saints Union with Christ and with the Father by him opened SERM. CXIX Sheweth what a speciall means Unity among Beleevers is to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ and yet notwithstanding that Unity without true Doctrine is no Infallible Mark of the true Church against the Papists SERM. CXX A Consideration of Faith in its Generall nature as Dogmaticall or Historicall carried out to Scripture-Truths because of Divine Authority SERM. CXXI Of Dogmaticall Faith the Properties of and Contraries to it SERM. CXXII JOHN 17.22 And the Glory which thou gavest me I gave them that they may be one even as we are one Of the Glory which Christ communicates
if the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.5 say of every creature for nourishment it is sanctified by Praier when yet the creatures have in themselves a naturall strength to nourish how much more is this to be seen in the means of grace which work not by inherent but instituted efficacy altogether If therefore we would have our preaching and your hearing doe any good be powerfull to an heavenly alteration and change then look up with your eyes to heaven It 's from God that this must do me good It 's from God that this must teach my heart In vain is a Teacher without if there be not also a Teacher within 1 Cor. 3. You see the Apostle there taking beleevers off from all Ministers and Instruments and to rest on Jesus Christ They are necessary but as Ministers by whom we do beleeve not as authours of our faith Let us consider Why Praier is thus necessary in the use of all other means And First From God in these respects 1. He is the sole author and fountain of all grace It 's not the gifts or parts of Men and Angels that remove the stone of the heart that can make the withered dry bones to live again unlesse the Spirit of God breathe upon us Jam. 1. Every good and perfect gift is said to come from above That as the naturall Philosophers say The Sun and Stars are the cause of all the life and perfection which is in these things below insomuch that without them all things would be destroyed This is much more true in heavenly and supernaturall effects therefore he is called the God of all grace and the God of all consolations 2 Cor. 1.3 There is no godlinesse no comfort can stream in the heart but from this Fountain we lie like so many lumps of earth like so many noisome Lazarusses in the grave till God bid us Come forth So then to have any doctrine or truth enter into thy heart to have the Ministry effectuall and powerful to thee is of greater consequence then thou art aware of There must be much strugling and striving with God ere thou canst behold him in his glory in the Ordinances Thou must be Jacob ere thou canst be Israel as an Ancient said Wonder not if you see men living in the same lusts and roving in their former excesse of riot though the clouds drop upon them daily yet they are a barren wildernesse Alas all the rain in the world would not make the Earth spring forth and encrease had not God at first commanded the earth to doe so and certainly if God can by his Word make the dull dead earth so glorious that Solomon is in his greatest state not like the glory thereof how much rather can he make a heavy dull earthly carnall people glorious and admirable in variety of graces he can make them a Paradise who were a parched heath Praier therefore is necessary because God onely hath the command over all Ordinances to blesse as he pleaseth 2. On Gods part we are therefore to pray that so all the glory and praise in every thing may redound to him so 1 Cor. 1. that he who glorieth may glory in God only Hence it is that as in the Old Testament we reade of many good women and they were most of them barren to humble them and that they might see it was not their goodnesse but Gods glory and power to give them children So it is here God many times causeth not the best and choicest Ministers to be fruitfull in conversion of others to be able to say Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me that hereby all the glory may be attributed to God onely 3. Therefore after all doctrinall Instructions is Praier to be used because God in anger many times for mens sins doth blast the Word to them doth not give them a tender and an understanding heart Oh then how much is he to be sought to that hath the key of all mens hearts that openeth and none can shut that shutteth and none can open Rev. 3.7 Observe that expression it denoteth Gods absolute Soveraignty that all the devils in hell and all the wicked Instruments in the world are not able to hinder the good effect that God hath appointed such a Sermon or such a Ministry to produce What then though we sow all the day long though we exhort entreat and beseech yet if God be angry with thee and will let thee alone in thy sins thou shalt die and be damned in thy obstinacy and unbelief Though Solomon with all his wisedom were here to perswade thee thou wouldst be wilful in thy iniquities The seeing eye and the hearing ear are both said to be the gift of God Pro. 20.12 and what a terrible expression is that to the Israelites where after all the miracles and wonderfull works that God had done before them it 's said God had not given them an heart to understand till that day Deut. 19.4 and famous is that place Isa 6. thrice repeated in the New Testament of blinding their eyes and hardening their hearts lest they should understand and be converted Who then is there but must necessarily conclude that God is earnestly to be praied unto lest he be left to a spirit of slumber and giddinesse lest God sware in his wrath that no preaching shall ever do thee good How did Paul rejoice to be at Ephesus because an effectual and large door was opened to him 1 Cor. 16 9 It was opened by God the Ministers themselves nor the people had not ability to doe it Thus on Gods part we have cause to pray Secondly If we consider the nature of all Preaching and what kinde of cause the Word is of conversion that will also compell to Praier It 's disputed among Divines what kinde of causality the Preaching of the Word hath in regenerating of men I shall not now lanch into that deep Ocean but two waies are wholly to be denied 1. The Preaching of the Word doth not convert necessarily as the Fire doth necessarily burn the Sun doth necessarily shine No for then wheresoever the Word is preached all their eyes would be opened all their hearts softened that hear it but experience doth wofully confute this We see Christ who preached as one having authority and no man ever spake like him yet he threw in his Net and catched few fish yea we doe not reade of so many converted by his Ministry as by some of the Apostles 2. As it doth not work necessarily so neither as a natural cause that hath inward power to produce its effects As the fire hath an inherent strength to burn the Earth an inherent power to bring forth fruit or as a two edged Sword pierceth For though the Word be compared to it yet 3. This efficacy is only by Institution according to the command and good pleasure of God Of it self it worketh no more then Exhortations to a
a devil Joh 6.10 So that there was a twofold giving of some to Christ The one of Justification to eternal life the other of office and service and that this is meant here is plain because he is called the Sonne of perdition implying the reason why though he was given to him yet he was not saved because he was never so given but he remained a Son of perdition still Thus it is answered by some but the full discussion of it will be when we come to that verse Let us explain the doctrine And first we see here that God the Father hath power to appoint and determine concerning the everlasting salvation and damnation of men It 's plain for you see it is as the Father wils whom he chooseth he giveth to Christ and others they are left by him Rom. 8 19 20 You see there the Apostle purposely pleading this Soveraign power of God and withall checking these bold and curious cavils that men may make against it Hence Eph. 1. and in other places Election of some to Eternal life is attributed unto him before the foundation of the world and this was not for any good thing foreseen in us but according to the counsell of his good will which expression is often used otherwise as Austin observed a notable Patron of the Truth against Pelagians as the Apostle said It is not of him that willeth or runneth but of him that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 He might have said the contrary It 's not of him that sheweth mercy but of him that willeth and runneth This disparity of Gods grace choosing some and leaving others is plainly asserted by Scripture Mat. 11. where Christ maketh a solemn acknowledging of it Yea we see the means of grace denied to those of Tyre and Sidon who would have repented in sackcloth and ashes yet vouchsafed to those of Chorazin who abused and contemned this This is dreadful to consider of But Austin and after him others do excellently curb this bold Interrogation Why God the Father draweth this man and not the other do not say they search curiously if thou wilt climbe higher caveat precipitium And again if this Answer of the Apostle Who art thou O man that repliest against God will not satisfie Quaerat doctiorem sed caveat ne inveniat presumptiorem Take we then this Truth for a foundation it is in the soveraign power of God to choose whom he pleaseth to Salvation and to leave the rest in their damnable estate Neither is this any cruelty or injustice in God for he might have forsaken all mankinde and not recovered one of them why then should we so wickedly murmure at Gods secret but righteous dispensation of these things and not rather admire the grace of God that any are saved 2. This Truth although it be not wholly to be buried yet it ought to be preached with much sobriety and circumspection that so no just offence be given It ought to be preached though there are those that would have this light under the bushell For we see the Apostle Eph. 1. and in many other places doth greatly encourage and comfort the godly with that mercy of God in choosing of them before the Foundation of the world Certainly if this be not known we cannot set forth the riches of his glory and grace as the Apostle implieth The godly are hindred from much of their duty and much of their comfort while they do not attend to this yet because this is not milk but strong meat we must regard the auditory and subject to whom it is preached It 's Nazianzens excellent Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two or three qualifications as so many battlements he must build to this roof lest men fall down as 1. That notwithstanding this predestination the Fathers giving of some to Christ yet as every man is saved by the grace of God so every man is damned from his own proper fault and demerit So that we see the Scripture is clear in these three things that God from all Eternity did choose some to eternal salvation which cannot be frustrated and that these he will in time effectually call and change their hearts nothing shall prohibit or hinder their conversion and 3. Those who die and are damned have cause to blame none but themselves Thy destruction is of thy self Death and hell is alwaies made the Wages of sinne Now if you say how can Gods Election and converting grace in time be reconciled with the use of means this is clear the Scripture asserts one and commands the other and if we could not untie this knot it were our weaknesse not any disparagement to the Truth Therefore 2. This is so to be preached as that all diligence and care is to be used in the means For we cannot think that the Scripture speaks contradiction so notoriously For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the beginning of the first Chapter is to describe this great work of God from all Eternity yet in the latter part he exhorts them to put off all sinne and to be diligent in all their relation graces and at another time Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it's God that worketh in you Yea Paul who was so ashamed of his Election and that the Arminians grant he had an absolute Election yet he kept down his body that he might not be a Reprobate 1 Cor. 9.27 This indeed is the difficulty how to reconcile these that absolute Election is not opposed to the means nor the use of means contradict an absolute Election is affirmed by the Orthodox several waies have been attempted by the Learned for the concord of them but suppose we could not be so comprehensive as Cajetan and some of the Schoolmen confesse it an unsearchable Mystery and therefore adviseth Preachers to teach their people to submit to it as to the Mystery of the Trinity yet seeing the Scripture affirmeth one and commands the other it 's plain they are consistent and compossible one with another though we could not finde out the manner how 3. Nor to dwell at this time long on this Subject which is but obliquely touched on Gods giving of some only to Christ is so to be preached that it doth not discourage any humble Penitent or troubled man for sinne that seeks and thirsteth after the grace of God The weaknesse of this Doctrine lieth here as it is thought Therefore the adversaries thereof do continually batter at this place As if like Pharaoh we demanded bricks and gave no straw commanded duty when at the same time they are excluded by God Therefore say they this casteth into the bottom of despair for the troubled heart may think I am none of those that are given to Christ though I pray and seek for pardon yet I may be a dog and not a childe and so none of the Childrens bread belongs to me To this we easily answer that all those who thus repent of sinne and seek after Gods
worshippeth that which others doe where he liveth but whether it be God or an Idol that he understands not The Athenians had an Altar dedicated To the unknown God Act. 17.23 and Paul with much zeal doth reprove this their superstition and Idolatry telling them they were out of the way to heaven yea the more devout and zealous a man is for that worship he understandeth not the more swift he runneth in the way to hell so then where ignorance is It 's all one whether Christ or Mahomet be worshiped whether an Image or the true God So truly doth Seneca observe of the common people Eunt qua itur non qua eundem est They do and go not whither they ought but whither they see others before them yea by this means men come to worship the devil in stead of God Oh terrible and heavy aggravation Thou that thinkest thou dost worship God yet by thy ignorance going on in Idolatry dost worship the devils Thus Jeroboam is said to set up calves to the devil 2 Chron. 11.15 the people little thought so and so those that would be at the Idolaters Feasts they did partake of the cup of the Lord and of deuils 1 Cor. 10. Now although it be true that thou art brought up in that Religion where the true God is worshiped yet this is all one to thee who hath no knowledge of God or Christ for if it had been to Moloch to Baal or Ashtaroth had it been to Mahomet or to Images and Idols in every high way thou wouldst have done that as well as this for any true knowledge or understanding thou hast O pray then that God would give thee true knowledge As it is thus for the generality of Gods worship so in more special manner ignorance doth wholly overthrow praier unto God which is more necessary then food or raiment and is a duty to be performed to God every day Now saith the Apostle Heb. 11.1 He that cometh to God must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him but how can this be when a man by ignorance is in a confused chaos Oh that ignorant people would attend to this They say they pray yea they hope to be saved by their good praiers when alas thou that knowest nothing of God or Christ canst not pray at all Thou never didst pray acceptably to God all thy life time If a Parrot be taught to say the Lords Praier shall that be accounted a praier and is there not many that pray Gods Name may be hallowed his Kingdom may come and yet understand not at all the sence of their praier Thus in Popery they do sinfully nourish people in their ignorant praiers for seeing their praiers are in Latine it 's all one whether they pray good matter or blasphemy The Apostle 1 Cor. 14. doth expresly argue against praying in an unknown tongue saying for himself He will pray in the spirit and with understanding also What terrour then doth this proclaim ignorant people pray they cannot they do not no not when they pray If that Question should be put to them which Philip put to the Eunuch Vnderstandest thou what thou readest So Understandest thou what thou praiest Were they able to say one word of knowledge to you We may cry out Be astonished O Heavens and the Earth at the ignorance and blindenesse of many people and yet nothing will provoke them to get knowledge 3. We cannot do that great and necessary duty which is the substance of all Gods command viz. to love him with all our heart with all our soul and might neither the consequents of this love which is to desire after him to delight and rejoyce in the light of his countenance without knowledge for what a man knoweth not he cannot love Ignota nulla cupido Let ignorant people by this see the great gulf that is between them and heaven Thou canst not love God nor desire him as long as thou dost not know him so neither can you fear God if you know not his infinite Majesty the greatnesse of his power and his hatred against sinne What makes men so desperately wicked to commit sinne without any fear or trembling They know not God Hence is that frequent expression in Scripture when God saith he will bring such and such punishments Then they shall know that I am God 4. Those that serve God ought to be full of fervency and zeal For all duties without zeal are like a Sacrifice without fire a Bird without wings a Messenger without feet Now all zeal without knowledge is refused by God They have a zeal but not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 Ignorant people may be very zealous as those that offered their children to Moloch That did cut and lance themselves in calling upon Baal but this fire of zeal was like that of hell calidus and not lucidus hot but not light Vse If Eternal life be to know God then this is eternal death not to know God This is eternal damnation to be ignorant of him It was Gods promise that all should know him from the greatest to the least Jer. 31.34 but how few finde the fruit of this promise How many Families how many persons are there who do all they do to the unknown God yet these hope to be saved yet these say They have a good heart when nothing can be good while ignorance is predominate neither a good faith or good love or good duties or a good heart and as ignorance is damnable of it self so much more when it is where the means of knowledge are where the Sun shineth where the Ministry is instructing Oh what wo and woe again will befall such men SERMON XV. More Reasons of the Necessity of Divine Knowledge And the Causes of Ignorance JOH 17.3 And this is Eternal Life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent THe Doctrine observed was that without the knowledge of God and Christ there cannot be any eternal life obtained The first ground or reason of this was from those several duties that are required of us towards God which without some knowledge could never be acceptably performed The second ground shall be from those duties we owe to Christ And herein damnable ignorance will farre sooner possesse us then in the former for there are some common notions and dictates about a god which made Tertullian cry out O animam naturaliter Christianam But in respect of Christ we have not the least implanted notion about him so that the doctrine of Christ is far more supernatural then that about God for the hoti quod si Deus is I discovered by natural light but who he is and how to be worshiped this is meerly supernatural but concerning Christ both the quod sit and the quid sit That there is a Christ and what he is are both by divine manifestation So that whatsoever we have of Christ it must only be
these things Hence when Israel did see her vanity by false confidences in the creatures see what God saith of her Hos 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour beside me and Hos 8.2 Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee Though therefore knowledge be better then the greatest duties performed out of ignorant devotion the same Hosea 6 6. God there desireth knowledge more then burnt offerings yet this is but a lame imperfect knowledge if it breed not dependance on God as on our heavenly and gracious Father The other branch of dependance is on Christ for Justification and Salvation that is the beleeving on him which our Saviour so often promiseth eternall life to Oh when our knowledge of Christ and the fulnesse and sufficiency of a Mediator makes us to cast all our burden on him and to have free accesse to the Throne of Grace by his bloud this is precious knowledge This is that excellency of knowledge Paul Phil. 3. counted all things dung unto comparatively See then what trust and dependance doth the knowledge of God cause in thee for all thy knowledge art thou not as full of cares distractions and diffidence as if God did not rule as if Christ were not the Mediatour as if there were no promises in Gods Word 6. Then is our knowledge saving when it makes us glorifie God as God giving the praise of all things to him Rom. 1. This the Apostle taxeth the Gentiles withall that though they had a knowledge of God by the creatures yet they did not glorifie him according to this knowledge but they made sensible Images of him and worshipped wood and stone the work of mens hands They did not glorifie him as God there is a great deal in that To glorifie God as God is so to honour him as to give him the best and the supremacy in all things When our hearts are as much upon the creature as God or when we would serve God and Mamon this is not to glorifie God as God When we do any thing not principally and chiefly for God we do not honour him as a God These are the inward effects of knowledge Now there are outward effects which will necessarily follow true and saving knowledge even as the beams of the Sunne do the Sunne though they are not called externall as opposite to internall no they both go together for they that know God know him to be a Spirit and that he must be worshipped in Spirit and truth that all outward duties done without the heart are but a meer hypocrisie so that these outward effects are to be taken as streams coming from a full and precious fountain within and they are such as these 1. The true knowledge of God doth make a man effectually purge himself from all filthy and noisome lusts To say we know God and yet give our selves to sin is a lye and it argueth no truth in us 1· John 3.6 He that commits sin hath not known or seen God which is the reason why the Prophets attribute all the ungodlinesse in a Land to the not knowing of God So our Saviour tels the Pharisees that all their wickednesse was because they did not know him and his Father and in this Chapter Christ saith The world hath not known thee but these have known thee Ephes 4. If ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus and ye have not so learned Christ What is this when we have so learned Christ as to put off the old man with the lusts thereof Never then boast of thy knowledge and thy parts what mortification of sinne what cleansing from thy filth doth it cause in thee if thy Christian knowledge doth not work a Christian life but thou art bruitish and dissolute in thy life tremble at thy estate for thou art out of the way to heaven 1 Pet. 2.20 some are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of God yet these did it externally only They were swine though washed not sheep but thou dost not come thus farre though thou hast the knowledge of God yet thou wallowest in thy mire and lickest up thy vomit Thy condemnation will be the greater because thou knowest thy Masters will and dost it not What sentence then shall we passe upon all the carnall and wicked waies of most men they know well enough they understand well enough but because this knowledge hath no efficacy upon their lives therefore they go in the broad way to hell 2. Saving knowledge as it causeth an avoiding of sinne so a ready and willing obedience unto the commands of God And for this sake all disobedient and rebellious sinners are said in the Scripture not to know God They are excellently put together 1 Thess 1.8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God nor obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ What obedience then and conformity to Gods Law doth thy knowledge work in thee this God looketh at he careth not for thy head or thy tongue if he have not thy heart thy hands and thy whole life If so be the Apostle say that he which doubteth whether such a thing be sinne he is damned if he do it Rom. 14. how damnable is that mans condition who knoweth and is assured that he sinneth and yet wilfully persists in it So that our knowledge is not to be carried only to truths to what is to be beleeved and there to sit down No but Rom. 12.2 we are to be transformed in our minde that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God We are to consider what is that which is acceptable and well-pleasing to God and when we know it we must readily fullfill it Oh that men of knowledge and parts would think of these things Dost thou that which is well-pleasing to God Doth God accept of such a life as thine Is there not a plain contrariety and opposition between Gods will and thy lusts A man of great knowledge and also great impiety were he not puffed up with self-flattery would easily see the opposition between his life and Gods Word the one is strict his life is dissolute the one calleth to avoid not only sinne but the appearance of it but thy life plungeth thee both into sinne and the occasions of it Oh consider all thy knowledge and understanding helps thee no more then the devils knowledge doth them they are not able to love or delight in God and his will 3. The knowledge of God will make a man keep a good conscience in all things it will make him take heed of sinne in secret as well as publique it will make him do duties in secret as well as openly for whosoever is not afraid to sinne in secret whosoever neglects private duties and holinesse this man knoweth not God he doth not understand that he is omnipresent that his eye is every where beholding all things that
spoken oppositely to his divine nature so that to deny the humane nature of Christ though we should affirm he was God yet this is not to know Christ Therefore the Marcionists and some Anabaptists who said he had not a true reall body that he was only in the appearance of a man They do not know Christ 3. To know Jesus Christ implieth also that we have some understanding of his Offices Of his anointing with all sufficiency and fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us He that saith he knows Christ and doth not acknowledge him anointed by God with all fulnesse to be a Mediatour for us saith he knoweth not what Now the ignorance of Christs Office and his fulnesse therein doth wonderfully abound in Popery The devil in former times opposed the natures of Christ when he could no longer succeed that way then he opposeth the Offices of Christ all those doctrines of merits indulgencies and satisfactions do oppose the Offices of Christ for if Christ be the Messiah if he be the full Mediatour to what purpose are all these Although therefore in Popery there is the true doctrine retained about Christs Natures he is acknowledged to be God and man yet in respect of his Offices there is a total burying of him in silence Angels and Saints merits and indulgencies have even almost put out the very Name of Christ amongst them so then all acknowledging that Christ is not enough it must be a Scripture-confessing of him We must give him his full due not make him half a Mediatour half a Saviour and joyn ' our selves or others in this great work 4. To know Christ implieth also that we acknowledge the great love of the Father in sending his only Son thus to mediate for us Therefore it 's added whom thou hast sent and for this reason it 's said he that knoweth and honoureth the Son must know and honour the Father also Joh. 5.23 For from the Father comes the Spring of all this love He so loved the world that he gave his only Son Joh. 3. and certainly this is of great consequence to know the Father sent Christ into the world for hereby we may be assured that all the obedience and sufferings of Christ shall be accepted of by the Father We need not fear it or doubt of it for the Father did make the first motion as it were to the Sonne Though the Sonne also did readily and voluntarily undertake it Now how great a matter was this for God the Father to do Was not Christ the only begotten and beloved of the Father Did he not come out of his Fathers bosome to the Crosse and shall not this make us return all thankfulnesse and obedience unto him Lastly This must necessarily imply a knowledge of our misery and damnable condition by sinne For if we were not lost what need had we of a Saviour If we were not sinners what need of a Mediatour So that the acknowledging of a Christ sent into the world to be a Mediatour is the beleeving also of man by nature to be the childe of wrath the Enemy of God one who may not come into his presence or expect the least hope of mercy till an Advocate and Intercessour come and pleade his cause so that this Knowledge of a Christ should be accompanied with great affections and workings of heart it should breed shame fear and confusion in us it should breed an hungring and thirsting after Christ an esteem of him as the only Remedy In Christ only is our fulnesse our sins would undo us were it not for his righteousnesse our iniquities would overthrow us Did not be intercede blessed art thou then when this Knowledge is like fire in thy bosome kindling holy flames within thee Now here may be some Questions made 1. Doth not this exclude all that lived under the Old Testament dispensation from Salvation For howsoever they might know the true God yet was there any discovery or Knowledge of Christ in those daies This is so great a matter that some have looked upon all the Jews as knowing only temporall promises That they knew nothing of heaven but an earthly Canaan was their heaven That they had no Knowledge of Christ but thought by the bloud of Sacrifices to appease God But to answer this 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ and therefore rested in their Sacrifices and the knowledge of the Law as the only thing that made them acceptable This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these externall services that they thought themselves beloved of God though abounding in all wickednesse And no wonder they did so for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties and have no faith in Christ But 2. Those that were holy and godly they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ It was Christs bloud they put confidence in The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shews that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices and that the bloud of Rams and Goats could never clense away sinne as this was Gods meaning so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people and sometimes they have clear promises of a Saviour a Messias to come to them who shall be a Prince of Peace and shall bear their sinnes for them as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witnesse of Christ Abraham he saw Christs day and rejoyced Act. 10.43 Now all the godly have the same faith Abraham had therefore he is made the Father of the Faithfull so that what was covered in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Christ they had and Mediation they had though the Knowledge of it was more obscure Hence the Gospel is said to rise like the Light of the Sun 2. It may be demanded why the Knowledge of the holy Ghost is not there said to be Eternal Life as well as of the Father and the Son for without the Spirit of God efficiently enabling us we cannot do any holy duty as well as without Christs merits we cannot be accepted Christ is the meritorious cause and the Spirit of God the applying cause To this we may say that the Knowledge of the Spirit is necessarily implied in the Knowledge of Christ For he was in respect of his humane nature conceived by the holy Ghost when he was to leave his Apostles bodily he promiseth his Spirit to supply his presence So that none can know Christ as a Mediatour that doth not also know the holy Ghost Hence be is called the Spirit of Christ And in the 2d place we may say it 's not necessary that this Text should speak of all things necessary to Salvation It 's enough that other places doe sufficiently testifie it Now that the knowledge of the holy
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet easie death without pangs and torment but this is the easiest the comfortablest the best dying Oh that we should preferre any thing before that Oh that thou shouldst not cry out of every sin This will trouble me when I am dying 4. It 's a blessed thing to go out of the world having done Gods work because we are immediatly to appear before him No sooner is thy soul gone out of the body but it appeareth before God he either for thy sinne adjudgeth it to hell or because thou art a member of Christ appoints thee to eternall glory oh then when there is but such distance between God and thy soul how comfortable is it to have been all thy life time glorifying God Thou hast been glorifying God and God comes now to glorifie thee Thou hast been doing his work and now he is giving thee the good things promised Oh Beloved how should this prevail with you there is but a step between my soul and God how will God look on me who can endure his frowns and displeasures Doth not the Apostle say It 's a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.3 And now I am falling into Gods hands either the hands of a merciful Father or provoked enemy Well then while thou art in these conflicts and agonies what support is it to have this sure evidence O Lord in my life time I lived for thee and to thee now I come to live with thee O Lord In my life time I knew thee I did thy work but I was at a vast distance now I come to the immediate injoying of thee Reas 5 5. It s a blessed thing to have this evidence because it 's of that good which will be eternall Canst thou truly say thus then it 's an immortall Crown of Glory that is laid up for thee no more deaths no more changes no more fears or tears thou art made for ever But of this heretofore Vse of Admonition Let every one attend and give all diligence to get this evidence Oh the terrour and horrour that must take hold on thee if thou hast been dishonouring of God all thy life long if thou hast been doing the work that sinne and Satan tempted thee to why art thou so devoid of all understanding will thy health and strength alwaies hold Art thou exempted from the stroke of death Is not thy time running on sit down then and consider what thoughts will at thy death possesse thee What testimony have I that I have done the work of the Lord Oh doth not thy life accuse thee Is it not all over bloody Canst thou think of what thou hast been with any content Is thy life at present such that thou canst say O Lord I am doing thy work Oh the amazement and astonishment that should take hold on such men SERMON XX. Sheweth who they are that cannot at the close of their daies take comfort in this That they have finished the work God gave them to do As also what things if not avoided will much diminish the comfort of the Godly ones at that day JOH 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth c. THe Doctrine observed was That it is a most blessed and happy thing in the close of our daies to be able to say upon good grounds We have finished the work God gave us to do You have heard particulars illustrating it and the grounds of the point I shall now amplifie this and in the first place shew Who they are that cannot with any comfort or very little be able to say thus For although this truth in the general be very terrible yet in the particular it loseth its edge because every man is a self-flatterer Every one is apt to think I have done Gods work and therefore it will be well with me If therefore it be possible my endeavour shall be that this arrow of Gods truth may enter in at the joynts of thy armour seeing it cannot any where else Consider then who they are that may say they are dogs and not children so that this bread doth not belong to them And first All those who daily and constantly are doing the clean contrary work to what God requireth such whose conversation is a perpetuall reproach and dishonour to God these do not at all glorifie God These have cause to tremble and quake when death approaches and their accounts must be made and is not this the condition of most Look generally upon mens lives are they not doing the devils works are they not dishonouring God all the day long by their ungodly conversation If there be any that are tender and consciencious are they not like gleanings after a Vintage here a man and there a woman otherwise for most men you would think they thought hell and the day of judgement to be but fables and such a truth as this to be a meer bugbear But God will not be mocked neither can mans greatnesse or atheism or prophane scoffings put off these things Oh then be at last perswaded that that life thou livest will be little comfort to thee one day Oh how speechlesse and confounded wilt thou be when God shall enquire into all thy words into all thy actions and there is nothing but sinne appeareth when every thing will be turned into blood as the Egyptian punishment was into the bloud of thy soul When God looked over all his works he had done he saw them exceeding good and so blessed the seventh day but thou wilt look over all thou hast done and finde it exceeding evil and curse both the day of thy birth and the day of thy death Oh that men would be wise that they would consider their later end What wilt thou do when God when thy conscience when the law when devils will accuse thee Where wilt thou hide thy self Remember Jacob Gen. 32.13 when his brother Esau was to meet him who was enraged and provoked against him how carefull he was by Presents and humble deprecations to mitigate his anger Remember the unjust Steward Luke 16.8 who knowing he must be called to account taketh all the subtill waies he can to make himself friends when he shall be cast out of his office our Saviour speaks that parable to this purpose That when God shall say to every one of us Thou shalt be no long or steward in this relation in that condition I will have an account of all that then we manage all things so that we may be able to have some comfortable refuge 2. Those have nothing of this texts comfort who though they do not contrary work yet do different non-required work It 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though they do not male yet they do aliud agere a servant though he do not contrary to his Masters work yet if he do not the same he is commanded he is obnoxious to his Masters wrath And this is
Such a man this world adoreth But if a man be never so wise so excellent yet if powerfully godly will not conform to the evil waies of the world this marreth all This makes him envied and hated Who art thou then that hast some desires to walk in the way to heaven but the opposition the hatred and violence that is used against that way makes thee draw back Oh foolish and deluded wretch was it not thus with Christ with his Apostles Were they not told they should be hated of all men for his Names sake There cannot be a more comfortable sign of thy grace then to have all the wicked men where thou livest either thy hypocritical Friends or thy open enemies Jerome thanked God that he was worthy to be such an one whom the world would hate The Serpents Seed cannot love the Womans Ismaell will persecute Isaac glory therefore and boast in this if the malicious wicked man hath his mouth alwaies open against thee If he be alwaies censuring and backbiting For if thou wouldest be prophane dissolute if thou wouldst be a Minister to prostitute the Ordinances of God to every prophane man thou wouldst be as good as any in the world but now it 's not for thy infirmities but thy graces they malice thee Sixthly They are not of this world because they are members of Christ and incorporated into him Now Christ himself was not of this world nor was his Kingdom of this world Joh. 18.36 he came not with any earthly worldly advantages Now the godly they are to be wholly conformed unto Christ As Christ was so are they They bear the Image of the heavenly so that what life what actions were by Christ the same they are exercised in so that if we would follow the example of Christ make him our patern as our Christianity obligeth us then should we overcome the world not only in the persecuting part of it but the inticing part of it The heart that is united to Christ findes more excellency and sweetnesse in him then in all the pleasures of the world as we see by Paul Lastly They are discovered not to be of the world because their life is a life of faith The Just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 We walk by faith and not by sence 2 Cor. 5.7 Now a worldly life is only by sence and carnal reason It moveth only upon sensible grounds coming as far short of faith as a beast doth of reason but the godly man he looketh into the Word of God he seeth the promises and embraceth them This life of faith is a mystery it is a Riddle yea it 's a madnesse to the world To part with all present advantages upon faith for eternal that are to come this is to them extreme folly and truly herein a godly man is discovered exceedingly Doth he not live by his sensible props but by the Promises Doth he overlook all creatures and fix his heart upon God this is more then the world doth If you ask the grounds why the people of God are out of the world though in it There are three pregnant Reasons in one verse Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world Observe first it 's an evil wicked world The whole world lieth in wickednesse saith John 1 Joh. 5.19 There is nothing but the works of sin and the devil in it therefore the devil is called the Prince of this world Joh. 16.11 because he reigneth in every mans heart Now how can those whose natures are made holy who will and love what God wils and loveth come to agree with sin how can they who are sanctified by the Spirit of God be where the devil ruleth 2. It 's the present world It 's but for the present the profits are present profits the pleasures are present pleasures whereas the godly man looketh to Eternity Dâ—mas cleaveth to the present world 2 Tim. 4.10 but Paul to the eternal world the world to come 2. Christ died that we might be delivered from it This is a pregnant reason one main reason of the death of Christ was that thou shouldst not be as the world is if the shortnesse and vanity of these things and their fading nature do not move thee let the bloud and death of Christ prevail with thee He was crucified that thou shouldst be crucified to the world he died that thou shouldst be dead to the world Vse of Exhortation To come out of the world in respect of your affections and conversations you cannot abide there no more then Lot in Sodom and be saved yet are not the greatest part of men of the Church thus of the world Oh how unworthy is this that whereas thy Christianity thy Religion engageth thee not to be of the world thy conversation proveth thou art Well as thou art of this world so shalt thou perish with the judgements of the world That lieth in darknesse and will be cast in utter darknesse this will be thy Portion and know thou must go out of the place of the world though thou wilt not out of the wickednesse of the world the world cannot will not hold thee alwaies SERMON XXXII Of the peculiar Propriety Gods People have in him and he in them JOH 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word THE former part of this Verse related Christs care and work to his Disciple This latter part giveth a description of them and all particulars therein are very argumentative to prevail that God should hear praier for them Now here is a threefold description of them wherein indeed is laid down divinely the Cause of mans Salvation with the effects flowing from it The two Causes are these 1. The Eternal Election and absolute purpose of God to save such Thine they were 2. The meritorious cause in and by which all the mercies they are elected to are obtained and that is Christ Thou hast given them me viz. as a Mediatour 3. The blessed effects of these causes that are hidden or at least every one may pretend to them but this is a discovering sign that excludeth many They have kept thy Word At this time I shall treat only of the first cause which indeed may be called causa causae the cause of all causes of our Salvation and that is Gods Election or gracious purpose to take some out of mankinde and to make them his in a peculiar manner For a people may be said to be Gods divers waies 1. By right of Creation and dominion which he hath thereby and so all things are his Psa 69.11 Both the reprobate and the godly are his in this sence it 's impossible but that every creature should be his because he cannot alienate his dominion and property 2. A people may be said to be his by an outward dispensation of the Covenant of grace Thus the people of the Jews are all of them called his people
Election that supposeth mans fall and that we are all in a corrupt lump and masse and hereby the grace and free favour of God is made more illustrious Hence the Apostle to the Ephesians is large to shew what they are by nature and how corrupt of themselves that so the grace of God may be made more manifest Such thorns as we are cannot bear any grapes Such polluted Fountains as we are cannot send forth sweet streams Reasons 4 4. Our Election must needs be free and gracious because all the good we are able to do and all the holinesse we have is the fruit and effect of Election He hath chosen us to be holy and unblameable Eph. 1.4 So some beleeved because they were ordained to Eternal Life to be holy not because we were holy They were not ordained to Eternal life because they beleeved but they beleeved because they were ordained to Eternal life Thus you see that godlinesse being the effect of our Election it cannot be the cause and therefore the godly have cause to cry out oh the depths and unsearchable riches of grace Lastly If we consider Election comparatively so it must be wholly of Gods meer gift That is why God chooseth some and not others yea why sometimes the vilest and worst of sinners are taken and others more civill and better moraliz'd are left The Apostle 1 Cor. 2. aggravateth this Not many wise not many noble hath God chosen but the foolish things of the world to confound the wise And thus our Saviour Mat. 11. Thou hast hidden them from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes And it must needs be thus amongst men for so it was with the Angels The Scripture speaks of Elect Angels Now why did some Angels fall and others are confirmed in their eternall happy abode it cannot be any other cause but their Election Therefore when all things are duely considered we must say with the Apostle Eph. 1. That we are predestinated before the foundation of the world that we should be to the praise of his glorious grace The second step of that Ladder whereby the grace of God descends upon us is Vocation and Regeneration That whereby the Lord doth graciously repair his lost image in us and of dead in sinne makes us live a spiritual life Now that this also is wholly of grace appeareth Reasons 1 1. From that original sin defiling the whole man with all the cursed effects thereof for we are not meerly deprived of all good but positively inclined to all evil and filled with a cursed opposition to what is holy The Scripture is very plentiful and emphatical in describing this sinful misery of ours We are brambles and briars in the Wildernesse till he plant us goodly plants in his Garden We are compared to all manner of beasts for the sinful qualities in us till he make us Sons of God so that we would wonder to see the presumption and arrogancy of those Doctrines that would make man free to do good Whereas our Saviour said Then are we free when the Son hath made us free Joh. 8.36 Tunc arbitrium est liberum quando liberatum Reasons 2 2. It 's all of grace because the Scripture attributeth this work solely to God That famous promise I will take away an heart of stone Eze. 11.19 I will give an heart of flesh I will write my Law in their hearts do argue he must be wilfully blinde that will not acknowledge this to be Gods work alone Now then if it be Gods work it cannot be ours also unlesse subjectively not causally Hence it 's called the New Creature because God immediatly gives us such a being and indeed the experience of the godly soul doth evidently witnesse this How long should I have wallowed in my lusts how unwillng to leave them till God changed my heart If God had staied for my consent and cooperation I had still been in the gall of bitternesse It 's God then and not man who laieth the first stone in this spiritual building Doth not the heart of a godly man inform him of more Orthodoxy in this Point then most Books will do Didst thou not keep thy lusts with all might Didst thou not wage open war against God Didst thou yield thy self by agreement or not rather by full conquest Lastly That our vocation and conversion is wholly of grace appeareth if we consider many persons who are thus called as many prophane and wicked persons Men in league with divers temptations to sin such as Paul Mary Magdalene Matthew the Publican What condignity or congruity which the Papists speak of so much could be in these men And therefore observe how Paul upon all occasions doth willingly enlarge himself to speak of the grace of God to him the chiefest of all sinners Austin in his Confessions doâ—â— excellently acknowledge the unwillingnesse in himself to be turned from his lusts till God had overpowerd him and therefore he cals grace verticordis very emphatically The third step of these eminent gifts God giveth his people is Justification from their sinnes This is so great a matter that the Apostle makes our blessednesse to consist in it And David Psa 32. out of the sense of this mercy overlooks all temporal comforts though never so great and admireth this Now this is wholly of grace Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace The Apostle puts two words to shew that it is altogether from the meer grace of God that we partake of such a priviledge Now the Grounds why Justification and pardon of sinne must needs be of Grace is 1. Because the Justice of God is like himself infinite and so all the tears and grievances we may put our selves upon are not able to recompense God We see the damned in hell are therefore detained in those chains of darknesse to all Eternity because they are not able to satisfie the justice of God if they could pay to the last farthing then they would be set at liberty Every sin then even the least hath an infinite guilt in it in respect of Gods infinite Majesty against whom it is committed so that neither one man no nor all men or Angels are able to expunge the least blot Oh then tremble under the least sinne rhou art guilty of Little dost thou consider how insupportable the guilt of it is how impotent thy self and all the world is to cancell and wipe out this debt 2. It must needs be of grace because Christ made himself an expiatory atonement and sacrifico for our sinnes God made our iniquities to meet upon him Isa 53. yea he was made a curse for our sakes so that the doing away of our iniquities is wholly of grace to us for that was Christs work he undertook this load which would have crushed us into the lowest hell If he that was God as well as man did yet sweat drops of bloud under this Agony and cried out My God My God why hast
rejoyce in other mens gifts and abilities with that success accompanying them as if they were our own As we see John did John's Disciples came with an envious spirit against Christ and said All men runne after him This was enough to leaven and sour John's heart but see his excellent temper I must decrease and he must increase John 3.30 he was willing that Christs light and glory should be exalted though it darkned and obscured his This is a good Reconciler and the latter is a tender forbearing of one another and suffering of one anothers weaknesses and a proneness to forgive others rashness if the stones of Jerusalem were thus polished and smoothed they would lie even and firm together A third Rule is Love to the publique good of the Church if this did reign in our hearts it would compose all differences The true mothers bowels would not suffer her to have the childe divided It must be selfish revenge that shall make two enemies desire to see the ship sink in which they are rather then they will agree to preserve it What self-denial was that in Jonah to give himself up to destruction rather then have the whole ship endangered Every one ought to say If I be the Jonah cast me out Among the Romans they had a Temple dedicated Jovi depositorio because there they would go and lay aside their mutual contentions before they entred into the Senate-house What a shame is it when many Heathens have laid aside their mutual quarrels for the common good and shall not the Ministers of the Gospel much more for the Churches safety A fourth Rule is Not to charge such consequences upon one anothers doctrine that are not natural and which they do abhorre This in doctrinal disputes hath been oil to the flame The Lutherans charge upon the Calvinists Doctrines about Predestination That they make God the autheur of sinne that they make him cruel and unjust worse then Pharaoh that commanded brick but gave no straw yea cruel like Nero who having a minde to put a vestal Virgin to death caused her to be ravished and then put her to death because she was ravished But the Calvinists detest and abhorre all such consequences and if they did see such conclusions did follow necessarily from their Doctrines they would publickly abjure them some gathered from Paul's preaching of free-grace that therefore men might sinne that grace might abound but Paul crieth God forbid at this and saith The damnation of such Logicians is just Rom. 3.18 Lastly So farre as men do agree with us in the fundamentals let them retain peace and concord The Apostle thus exhorts Phil. 3.16 Whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule It hath been Gods mercy that the Protestant Churches though differing in many opinions yet do not dissent in fundamentals For as for the Socinians I do not reckon them among the Protestants yea some place them not amongst Christians but as for other they keep the same foundation though some are purer Churches then others Now it 's a special preservative of charity to imbrace one another with hearty affections So farre therefore it 's an uncharitable and peevish thing in some Lutherans that will not call the Calvinists brethren or admit of reconciliation but professe they will rather do it with the Pope whom yet they maintain to be Antichrist Vse of Exhortation to run to the God of peace for to settle peace and truth The greater the mercy is and the more the devil doth oppose it the more do thou strive for it How many Unities doth the Apostle mention Ephes 4 And why then should we be many Blessed are peace-makers for they shall be called the Sons of God Mat. 5.9 SERMON LXI The great changes that even a Godly man is subject unto in respect of the having and losing those Sensible supports both outward and inward which God at some times vouchsafeth to them Also what those sensible Enjoyments are and why God doth so change the conditions of his People JOH 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name WE have dispatched the prayer Christ put up for his Disciples We are now to consider other reasons and arguments he useth for his Petition Our Saviour expressed many before the Petition and some also after the Petition The words of the Text are brought in as a reason why he prayed for them now so solemnly and not before because formerly he had kept them in a visible manner by his corporall presence with them but now the manner of his presence being shortly to be changed he therefore commends them to God as if he should have said Holy Father ever since they became my Disciples I took a special charge of them the world was against them they could not keep themselves and I came as a Mediator appointed by thee to preserve them to eternal life which trust I have faithfully discharged and therefore seeing they have hitherto been kept let them not perish at last In this reason we may take notice 1. Of the Disciples mercy vouchsafed to them they were kept this implieth their own insufficiency and inability 2. The efficient cause of this I have kept them wherein also is implied his fidelity and diligence in that trust he took upon him as a Mediatour 3. The manner how In thy Name which mercy is illustrated from the circumstance of time While I was with â—â—em 2. Of place while I was with them in the world First of the circumstance of time and place While I was with them in the world he speaks as if for the present he were not with them but that is because his departure was immediatly at hand Now when our Saviour speaks in this manner while I was with them I kept them 1. You must not think as if Christ by his bodily leaving of them did also spiritually leave them No this would contradict that promise Mat. 28. where Christ said he would be with them to the end of the world he did not change his presence but the manner of his presence it was before corporall and visible now spirituall and invisible 2. In that Christ said While I was with them it 's necessarily inferred that Christ is not corporally present every where that his body is not every where though Christ be every where That is true of Christ in the concrete which cannot be verified of each nature As his Divine nature did not suffer so neither can his humane be every where 3. By this expression saith Austin upon the place we must not understand as if there were a vicissitude in the Fathers and Sons keeping of us as if the Son had kept them a while excluding the Father and now the Father was to keep them excluding the Sonne but the Father kept them even while Christ kept them and Christ will keep them after his departure while the Father keeps them but not in the same manner before there
is so useful must not be laid aside But then that joy in the Creatures which at another time would be lawfull is in such a season sinful It 's not lawful then to joy in Wives in Children in outward comforts but to mourn before God as those who by their sins have deserved the losse of all So then there may be a time when this outward worldly though lawful joy is to be denied and in this sence Solomon saith It 's better to go to the house of mourning then of laughter because such sad objects may be sanctified to spiritual meditations 2. Consider this That spiritual Joy may then most abound when that soul-humiliation and godly mourning is put in practise No grace of Gods Spirit is contrary to one another The same spirit that worketh joy doth also prove the spirit of Supplication and mourning on his people Now as joy and trembling may stand together Psa 2. and joy and fear Act. 9.31 So may godly sorrow and joy consist together so that it is never unlawful to rejoyce in God no more then to love or to beleeve in him Vse of Instruction To inform us of the great concernment of spiritual Joy We may say it 's the life and marrow of Religion It 's the Spurre and goad to all holinesse Therefore how deceived is the world that looketh for joy and consolation some other way Honours Wealth and Greatnesse will afford thee no true solid joy yea all these things will turn to gravell and wormwood in thy belly As the Manna that was preserved for the Sabbath day did onely last If any kept that which fell in one of the six daies above the Command it turned to pollution immediatly and thus it is here Whatsoever Joy is treasured up in reference to heaven that will alwaies abide it will never forsake thee but what is only in reference to these earthly things it will vanish Oh then say thy Beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand above all other worldly Comforts whatsoever SERMON LXXX That the Word of God preached and received doth inrage the wicked world And Reasons thereof JOHN 17.14 I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world IN this 14th verse our Saviour urgeth a special and powerfull reason why God the Father should in a peculiar manner keep them which was hinted vers 11. and that is the worlds hatred of them So that this Petition hath a great deal of equity and righteousnesse in it They will be exposed to the malice of the world and that for thy cause because they have believed in thy Word The world will be no preserver or conservator of them therefore do thou keep them In the words therefore we have 1. The Argument of the Petition The world hateth them 2 The Causes of this which are two-fold 1. Their Receiving of and Obedience unto Gods Word 2. Their Segregation or Separation from the world the life and manners of it which is amplified by the patern or example thereof Even as I am not of the world I shall take the Heads in their order And First The Cause of their hatred in the world in those words I have given them thy Word where by the antecedent is necessarily meant the consequent for Christs giving or preaching the Word of God unlesse they received and obeyed it was not enough to procure hatred Therefore they are both expressed vers 8. Christs giving them and their receiving of the Word For the Pharisees and many enemies to Christ who were of the world and the greatest part of those that did oppose did yet hear The Gospel was tendered to them though they made themselves unworthy thereof And thus when the Orthodox say That the pure preaching of the Word is a note of the Church By that they understand also a visible external accepting of it otherwise the Word may be preached to Barbarians and Heathen who may hear but scorn and reject the Gospel and therefore cannot be a Church This then being supposed we see the cause of the Apostles miseries and oppositions in the world not because they were thieves robbers or seditious persons But because they did imbrace the Doctrine of Christ all the words of this reason are emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have delivered them so that Christ herein doth faithfully discharge his duty he did not neglect it And 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Given or delivered them which implieth that the Apostles themselves could never by their own strength have found out this heavenly Doctrine There must be a revelation of â—t from above Christ must come from the bosome of the Father to give it unto them They themselves could not have invented it No though in stead of illiterate Fishermen they had been the Grandees of knowledge the Platoes and Aristotles of the world 3. I have given them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of God doth deliver Gods Word and he saith not mine but thine partly because Christ in his mediatory administration referreth all to God to the Father My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me and I come to do my Fathers will and partly hereby to engage God the Father more for being it was because of his Word and in reference to him the more was he to preserve them From the words explained observe That the Word preached and received by people doth greatly enrage the wicked of the world No other reason is here mentioned of the worlds hatred but this Who would think that the men preaching of so holy a Doctrine and such glad tidings of salvation and men obeying it not wronging injuring or troubling others yet should meet with so much opposition But thus it hath been and thus it will be In Tertullian's time To be a Christian was to be a Publicus hostis and though as that acute Father pleaded The Christians were no Albinians or Barutians such as embroyled the Civil Estate with warres yet because they were Christians this was enough The very name was a crime and this made so many Fathers make such excellent Apologies in their behalf Of this opposition from the world our Saviour informeth them when he first gave them their Commission to preach They should be hated of all men Never any went about such an unwelcome and unthankfull peece of service as they did Therefore they were as sheep amongst wolves and whereas it might be thought That the Apostles being men though greatly assisted by God might miscarry through ignorance inconsiderate passion c. We shall finde it befell even Christ himself that he in his Ministry though he wrought such wonderfull miracles that might astonish them yea though those miracles were usefull and profitable not for curiosity yet what reproaches what slanders did they cast on him calling him a wine-bibber a friend to sinners yea an Imposture one that had a devil and never ceased
retain the wicked inclination of the world minding only worldly things Now though the world be many times and it may be here taken for that Society of men that is Heathenish and doth not beleeve in Christ thus the Church and the world are opposed 1 Cor. 5.10 yet we may extend it further even to such as do outwardly professe Christ but in works do deny him as is more to be shewed 2. There is the act it self hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is in the preterperfect tense It hath hated them already though they had not much tormented it by their preaching but it would more hate them when Christ was removed and their preaching more universall It comprehends all times it hath it doth and it will hate them and hatred you heard was worse then anger being more fixed and permanent The cause of this is because They are not of the world for as love is to its like so hatred is to that which is unlike and contrary In the Scripture some Learned men say to hate is sometimes taken to love lesse not an absolute hatred but a respective love Mat. 6.24 He will love one and hate the other i. e. lesse love And for this end they bring that place Rom. 9.3 Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated where they would expound hate of a lesse love but whatever may be said of the former place this latter will admit of no such Exposition as the Context will easily evidence 3. The Scripture speaks of a good hatred Rom. 7.15 That which I hate I do So we are commanded to hate our Father and Mother to hate our own lives Luk. 14.26 Joh. 12.25 for Christs sake David also said He hated them which hated God with a perfect hatred i. e. a full complete hatred he had no love at all to them that is in respect of their wickednesse and their incurable enmity against God though in other respects he pitied and loved them Lastly There is a wicked and evil hatred of which the Text speaks Obs That the wicked men of the world have and will alwaies hate those that are godly It hath been so of old and will be so to the last wicked man that breatheth No sooner were there a wicked man and a godly but this hatred broke out into all cruelty Cain hated Abel and why because his own works were nought and his brothers good 1 Joh. 3.12 No lesse will serve then the bloud of Sheep such cruell Wolves To open this Doctrine Consider these things First That there is a twofold hatred with the Schoolmen One is called Odium inimicitiae an hatred of enmity whereby a man wils evil to him because it 's his evil Even as amor amicitiae a will of friendship wils the good to a person loved because it is his good 2. There is another kinde of hatred which the ancient Schoolmen had no Name for it but afterwards it was called Odium abominationis or offensionis When a man is offended at and hateth such an object that is evil but not the person yea we may love him dearly Thus the Childe hateth the death of his Father Odio abominationis but loveth his Father yea because he loveth him therefore he hateth his death Now that hatred whereby the world hateth godly men is Odium inimicitiae it comes from an inward irreconcilable displacency to the godly it 's terminated upon their persons because they are such and therefore they are said to be of the devil representing his nature and are the Seed of the Serpent which hath an imbred enmity against man so that though never so much evil should befall the Godly Their goods spoiled their Names blasted yet as long as they live and because they still are alive the world will hate them Secondly The cause of their hatred may be reduced to two Heads 1. The contrariety that is between the nature and actions of the Godly So that they do not love any godly man no nor such as never had any commerce with them or medling with them There is an Odium naturale which ariseth from the nature of things Such an antipathy is often mentioned by Writers the Serpent that is young though never hurt by any man yet because they know them of such a stamp they cannot love them It being natural they cannot give any Reason Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo te You do not love him why did he ever weary you Did he ever speak to you No but yet he cannot love him so that as love consists in the consonancy and conveniency of the good thing loved Thus hatred is in the dissonancy and contrariety of that to us which we hate The 2d cause of hatred is Ignorance when men know not that Excellency and worth which is in such persons and the just cause of love which if we did we should quickly lay aside our hatred and truly in a great measure the world hateth because of their ignorance They know not what Godlinesse is nor what godly men are They know not their lives their aims their ends but judge of them as hypocrites proud and minding only self-ends and therefore their hatred encreaseth Thus the Apostle saith If they had known what Christ was they would never have crucified him 1 Cor. 2.8 and so they are said to speak evil of the things they know not Jude 10. Dost thou then rail and deride at godly men It 's thy blindenesse and folly Thou knowest not their close walking with God Thou understandest not the heavenly priviledges they enjoy Thou dost not conceive of their humiliation for their infirmities judging themselves before God worse then thou canst judge them Oh if thy eyes were open thou wouldst say these are the Servants of the most high God Oh that my latter end might be like one of theirs and of such men the world is not worthy Thirdly Consider the effects of this hatred and that is in three steps and degrees 1. An inward willing of all evil that may hurt them and that because it is evil To will a man some evil for his good may be lawfull as when David praieth Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be men Psa 9.20 Thus the Church of God may pray for afflictions upon those Enemies that are curable That by their afflictions they may repent and be humbled before God but hatred hath not this goodnesse It wils evil because it is evil and for evils sake It rejoyceth in the evil that befalleth a godly man as part of its own good and happinesse Thus it is with all wicked men they rejoyce as if some great good had befallen them when some great evil hath come upon the godly 2. Their hatred breaks out into all all hard censorious and uncharitable speeches all slanders and contumelies into cruell mockings as the Apostle cals them Heb. 11.36 The hatred in the heart will soon be seen in the
be full of blemishes yet when we present Christ by Faith then there is no fault to be found Lastly The vertue of this Sacrifice is to make us like Christ himself he thinketh it not enough to be King and Priest himself but he maketh us also Kings and Priests for ever We offer up Praiers and Praises to him and by him we conquer all our spiritual Enemies The devil and our lusts are subdued Such glory have all they that are partakers of this Sacrifice Vse of Terrour to all wicked and ungodly men who by their Unbelief and Prophanesse reject this Sacrifice The Apostle Heb. 10. cals it trampling upon the bloud of Christ and accounting it a prophane thing Oh how many thousand live that have no esteem and make no account of this Sacrifice Oh remember that this is the last and ultimate Sacrifice He that rejects this hath no more hope There remaineth no more oblation for sinne There is not another Christ or another Sacrifice if thou refuse this Vse 2. Of Encouragement to the Godly Come to this Fountain that is set open for Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse in Doe not say because Christ crucified is a stumbling block and foolishnesse to wicked men that therefore thou wilt disesteem him also There is no sore but this blood will heal and cure Oh let the blood of thy soul be stanched with this blood of Christ This blood speaks good and comfortable things better then that of Abel SERMON CI. Of Sanctification as the Effect of Christs Death Shewing That no man truly believeth in Christ for Justification that doth not also for Sanctification JOH 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth WE are now come to the end of Christs Sanctification which is two-fold the finis cui and cujus We shall put them both together for so they are conjoyned in the following clause That they might be sanctified through the Truth Wherein you have 1. The final Cause 2. The Manner of accomplishing it The final Cause That they might be sanctified and from this the Socinian would argue That Sanctification in the former clause was not meant of an oblation by way of Sacrifice because the same word is applied to the Apostles in the Text and they were not to be sacrificed for us To answer this First Some Expositours do expound it of their offering up of themselves by Martyrdom to confirm the truth for Paul professeth his willingnesse herein using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 which was used of some kinde of their Sacrifices but we need not runne to that it 's no new thing in Scripture to use the same word in one verse in different significations and it 's a Rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur à subjectis The Apostles then needing not such a Sanctification as Christ applied to himself but that for which he prayed in the former verse We must understand it in the same sense as there It 's true by Sanctification some also will have Justification comprehended and so speak of an imputed Sanctification but we need not stretch the word violently but understand it first Of making inwardly holy and then consequently A setting apart and dedicating our selves wholly unto God by living unto him and thence observe That Christ died not only for our Justification but Sanctification also He made himself a Sacrifice not onely to remove the guilt of sinne but to remove and subdue the power of it not onely to make us happy but also holy Let us consider What is implied in this That Sanctification comes by Christs death And First We are to know that Christ is the Cause of our Sanctification several wayes partly efficiently for not only the Father and the Spirit but Christ himself also is the cause of all the holinesse we have and therefore he is called the life because he gives all supernatural life unto his and is compared to the vine Joh. 15. because as the branch separated from the Vine can bring forth no fruit so neither is a man able without Christ to do the least holy action he is also called the Head and John 1. Of his fulnesse we are all said to receive Thus as God in the course of nature is the authour of every natural gift therefore it 's said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 So in the way of grace Christ is the authour and finisher as of our faith so of every holy work in us The Author Heb. 12.2 and therefore we cannot so much as begin or meet Christ he must prevent us and the finisher for although we have begun yet we have not the same manutenency and powerfull preservation what we have begun to build would immediately fall to the ground Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our spiritual life 2. Christ is the meritorious cause of our Sanctification and therefore not only remission of sin but holinesse and zeal is made the consequent of Christs death And the Apostle doth not only Rom. 7.8 shew that we are justified by Christ but also that the body of sinne is mortified thereby Thus Heb. 10. what Sanctification that Apostate had is attributed to the blood of Christ Christ then hath as efficaciously merited holinesse as happinesse He died to destroy the workes of the devil now our captivity to him was not onely in respect of guilt but that bondage and slavery we were in to all lusts and therefore those two benefits are like Castor and Pollux one cannot be without the other 3. Christ is in some large and improper sense called the formal cause of the good in us an assistant form not informing that is Christ received and applied by faith doth in a most inward and intimate manner live in us and thereby strengtheneth us so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I no longer live but Christ in me Here you see Christ liveth in a godly man for by faith we are united unto him and thus Christ becomes our Head from whom we have all spiritual influx Now an head is a conjoyned and united cause made one with the body and thus is Christ and his Church and therefore is that similitude of an Head and the Body so often used 4 Christ is the final cause of our Sanctification that is we are made holy to this end both that we might shew forth the praises and glory of Christ as our Redeemer as also that we should live to him and set all our affections and desires upon him desiring with Paul To know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 Secondly In that by Christs death we are sanctified there is implied That we of our selves are very impure and unclean that we are like so many noisome dunghils For our being unsanctified doth imply 1. Our filthiness or uncleanness this is the state of every man till sanctified by Christ he is like an unclean leper his
for our comfort that every believer though yet unborn was in Christs purpose and intention when he laid down his life as if they had been existent in the land of the living In the sixth place By this intention of Christ in his prayer and death it will inevitably and immutably be brought about that they shall in time be converted they shall believe and be brought into communion and fellowship with Christ For seeing as we have heard Christ could not but be heard in what he prayed for and the Father alwayes granted his Petition therefore it cannot be but that all those who are given to Christ shall one time or other be wrought upon by the Word Thus it 's said They believed Act. 13.48 as many as were ordained to eternal life and the Apostles were to go and preach in such places because God had much people there Act. 18. and Rom. 9. the Apostle doth fully shew That Election is the cause of all mercies vouchsafed in time and those who were not elected they were hardened and given up to a spirit of slumber Oh then the admirable love of God to those that are his there shall not be one of them but the Word of grace will finde them out They that were not his people shall be made his people Joh. 10. I have other sheep saith Christ that are not of this fold and those he will bring home Hence Rom. 8. we have that golden Chain which all the Arminian subtilties can never dissolve Whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath justified and those he hath justified he hath glorified To expound calling only of vocation to afflictions and to the cross and Justification only of the vindicating of their persons and cause against the calumnies of the world is too dilute and repugnant to the scope of the Apostle in that place we may then absolutely conclude of the conversion and believing of such who belong to Christ and that the Word preached will sometimes or other be effectual upon them In the last place It 's plain from hence That Gods Election and so Christs dying for us is not conditional or upon the supposition of our believing but our belief is the true and genuine effect of Election and Christs death For whereas Christ here prayeth for those who shall believe The Question may be Whether this belief be supposed as a Condition Antecedent to Election and Christs death or as an absolute Effect of both so that Christ doth not only pray for believers but also that they may be believers There is a great Controversie between Arminians and the Orthodox for they say God elected some such persons to eternal life indeed and gave them to Christ as a Mediatour but it was upon a supposition and fore-sight that they would believe and persevere in that faith to the end But the Orthodox do more consonantly to the Scripture and to the greater exaltation of Gods grace and magnifying of Christ affirm That God by one single act of the same time did elect a man both to grace and glory both to salvation and faith So that God did not elect us because he foresaw we would believe but he did elect us to believe as well as to salvation So that faith is not a condition but the effect and fruit of our Election This is a necessary truth to be proved and therefore the next day it is to be considered for the present I take it for granted That those who shall believe are such not who by their own power shall either believe or dispose themselves to it but who by the grace of God shall be inabled thereunto For the present consider the aggravation of this love of God in Christ to us before we had a being And 1. There is remarkable freenesse in it of grace if positively and absolutely considered For what could there be in us to move God to this mercy when we could not think or cry or pray or do any thing for our good even then God set his love upon us It was nothing in us seeing we were in the womb of nothing 2. This freeness is aggravated if comparatively considered for it 's the grace of God that makes some to believe and leaveth others in their natural corruption The Apostle considered this discriminating love of God to Jacob and Esau Rom. 9. before they had done either good or evil Oh then sit and admire the depth of grace the unsearchable riches of grace for what art thou to so many learned and noble men in the world to so many of thy own kindred and family that God hath past by yet took compassion on thee Didst thou not lie equally in the same mass of corruption and bondage to all sin 3. There is the Eternity of this love it was before the beginning of the world So that we cannot imagine any moment of time wherein Gods thoughts were not upon thee Lastly The unchangeablenesse of this love for the Councels of God and his purpose are immutable There is no change or shadow of change in him and therefore if once loved alwayes loved he predestinated thee before the world called thee out of the world justifieth thee in the world and will glorifie thee after the world Vse What infinite cause of praise and glory the people of God have Well mayest thou call upon thy soul and all within thee to praise God Well may this be the burden of every Psalm For his mercy endureth for ever yea if thou hadst the hearts of all men and Angels this were not enough neither can Eternity be long enough to glorifie God in this particular SERMON CVI. Of both the Moving Cause and Effects of Election and of Christs Prayer and Death Against Arminians and others JOH 17.20 But for them also who shall beleeve in me through their Word WE come to a Second Observation from the circumstance of the future tense Who shall beleeve in me For as was intimated there may be a twofold sence of these words 1. That this future Faith is mentioned as an effect and fruit of being given to Christ as also of Christs Prayer and Death for them So that he doth not only pray for them which shall beleeve but also that they may beleeve and in this sense the Orthodox interpret it Or 2. It may be interpreted as if Faith were here supposed as a condition on our part antecedaneous both to Gods Election and also Christs Intercession and death So that the sence should be These were given to Christ and Christ he praied and died for them because it was foreseen by God that such would beleeve upon the means of grace offered and others not In this sence Meisner a Lutheran urgeth it and thus all Arminians and others must take it who hold that we were Elected from a foresight of our Faith and perseverance therein But that this cannot be the meaning of our Saviour is evident because the ground of
millions of Christians for the Christian Faith If then David did so much prize his Worthies and those who were valiant men venturing their lives for him were so indeared how much more will God highly esteem such as are couragious and venturous for him Therefore there is such encouraging promises made to such as are willing to lose for him Mat. 19.29 he shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternal life Is not this plain that God is very tender of and remunerative of such who are couragious and ready to lose any thing for his sake 3. Herein the godly manifest their love to God In this time of adversity they discover their kinde affections towards God Now love of God is abundantly rewarded with love from God What a happy exchange is this for thy poor finite creatures love which is not able to make God more blessed and happy to have the infinite effectual and unspeakable love of God towards thee If we love the inanimate creatures they do not love us again Thou lovest riches riches do not love thee again Thou lovest honours but honours cannot love thee again but if we place our love upon God then God will powr out his love abundantly upon us again love obtains love and where God loveth his love is infinite like himself and withall it 's efficacious his love while we are sinners made him send his Son to die for us much more will his love be operative since reconciled with us Lastly All such true believers who acknowledge Christ in the midst of an ungodly world they do betake themselves to Gods faithfulness and rest only upon that They take up this resolution all the world will prove malicious and ungrateful they cannot expect better measure then what Christ himself had who yet did so much good where he came Now having these expectations they fortifie themselves with Gods promise and fidelity he will not leave them nor forsake them You see how often David professeth his trust in God making him his fortresse and strong tower We see among men if any one betake himself to another mans fidelity and say he will trust on him he will depend upon him if such an one have any ingenuity or spark of goodness in him to be sure he will not fail such he will not deceive how much rather then will God abide sure and faithful to all those that depend on him Vse 1. of Exhortation not to be infected or poisoned with the common iniquity of others though others grow wicked yet let not thy love grow cold for this will be a remarkable aggravation of grace when the world was obstinate and would not know God yet thou didst Do not think that multitude of sins can be any patronage to thee at all Though thou art but one man or one Family for God in the whole Parish do not shrink at this but think that God doth the rather take notice of thee It 's a more difficult task to be godly in some places then others It will cost more there will be more sufferings but still remember never did any lose by losing for God Vse 2. of Comfort to the godly Though they have so little from the world for God he takes notice of all the hard speeches all the hard practises that ungodly men are guilty of towards them but let them know the more this Pharaoh this Egypt doth oppress them the more graciously will God at last hear all their groan and they shall enter into a Canaan that will make amends for all Think not of thy conflicts and fightings but of the Crown of glory Oh that the godly would consider who it is that looks on them while they run in this race while they are striving for an holy victory SERMON CXLIII Of Christs teaching Believers Shewing what great need the most illuminated Christians have still to be taught JOH 17.26 And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it c. OUr Saviour having in the former verse affirmed himself to be the cause of all that saving knowledge beleevers have he doth in this verse manifest that he is the conservant cause as well as the efficient that as God is both the Authour of Creation and Preservation in the order of nature So Christ is in the order of grace We have therefore in the words 1. The gracious action of Christ toward his people 2. The efficient cause 3. The Subject to whom 4. The final Cause hereof The gracious action of Christ is set down both by the Preterperfect and Future tense ushered in with the part cle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some make causal in this connâ—xion They have known thou hast sent me for I have declared thy Name unto them And thus it may very well be taken in this place and thence we may observe That the saving knowledge of Christ cometh not by our own natural strength or abilities but by the meer revelation and will of Christ But I shall not insist on that In the next place the Benefit ascribed to us is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the sixth verse he used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is sometimes used of Gods making a thing known to us Luke 2.15 Sometimes of our making a thing known to God as Phil. 4.6 Let your requests be made known to God Not that God is ignorant of any thing but as much as lieth in us we spred them in Gods presence to take notice of them Sometimes of one mans making known a thing to another as 1 Cor. 15.1 Ephes 6.21 In this place it 's attributed to Christ as the efficient cause I have declared In the next place there is the diversity of time I have and will declare it Austin referreth this to the present life and the life to come but it rather denoteth the constant and daily revelation or manifestation of Christ himself and his truth to belevers 3. There is the Object declared thy Name that is God himself 4. The Subject to whom that is not the Apostles but to all believers Now I have already handled the benefit mentioned Christs declaring the Name of God to believers I shall onely take notice of the Necessity of continuing this Benefit even to Believers though Apostles though never so eminent in gifts and graces yet Christ doth still keep up and encrease their saving knowledge Observ That believers do not only at their first conversion but in the whole progress of their life need constant illumination and teaching from God There is none can learn so much in Gods School that God himself can teach him no longer This truth will be of great use to keep the most knowing Christians very humble and low in their own eies as also to make them continually depend upon Christ in the Word and Ministry that they may grow in knowledge This truth is abundantly confirmed by that notable prayer of the Apostle for
infirmities 529 That such is Christs care to Believers that they are remembered in his prayer and death before they had a being 532 This truth is full of consolations ib. The aggravation of the love of Christ to Believers 535 God the Father loveth Believers even as he loveth Christ Vide Loveth 642 It is an indearing respect of Believers to God that they do own him and cleave to him when the whole world goeth quite contrary 685 Propositions clearing the point 686 Believing The Believing of Christ being sent into the world is the foundation of our conversion to God 595 Distinctions premised about Believing 596 Blessed It 's a Blessed thing truly to say at death I have glorified God and finished the work I was to do 103 Introductory particulars about Blessednesse 103 104 The Grounds of this Blessednesse 105 Bloud Christs Bloud washeth away not only the guilt of sin but the filth of it 512 C Call A Lawfull Call in those that preach is necessary and profitable both in respect of Minister and people 494 Children Children of God are of two sorts 226 Christ How Christ being God could pray 8 All the godly are under Christs Mediatory prayer 8 The matter of Christs prayer in four things 9 The nature of Christs praier by way of Mediation 10 The dignity of Christs person praying ib. His relation to God the Father ib. Q. Whether Christ was heard in every thing he prayed for or no 11 Qualifications of Christs prayer ib. The condition of Christs prayer ib. Christs prayer sanctifieth our prayers 12 How Christ who is God can be glorified 24 Christ hath power over all men 36 Six particulars to clear the nature of Christs prayer ib. The dominion of Christ appears in nine particulars 38 c. Christ compar'd to many things 45 Six practical inferences from Christs power 47 48 Three Consolations thence 49 Christ had that glory he pray'd for with the Father before the world was 149 Christ had an eternal being proved by three Arguments 150 151 Whence it is that any deny Christ to be eternal 152 Christ hath all things the Father hath 262 This appeareth in seven particulars 262 263 How all Christ hath is the Fathers 264 Christs protection and preservation to eternal life is to be improved 344 This Doctrine is opened in a fourfold principle ibid The effects of this preservation 346 Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father 519 Vpon what grounds Christ who was God as well as man did pray 520 The difference between Christs prayer and ours 521 What advantages believers have by Christs prayers 521 Christ is said to be in believers several waies 620 That Christ is in believers and believers are in him ibid. How Christ lives in believers 621 How Christ is in his people more particularly 624 The fruits and effects of Christs being in his people 626 As Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us ib. How the Father is in Christ ib. How the Father and Christ can be in believers and yet they have such great remainders of sin in them 630 Christs prayer for his people will certainly and infallibly prevail for them 660 Christ is the original and fontal cause of all the knowledge that believers have 681 Propositions about the point 682 Church Christ is the head of his Church 45 Four things implied therein 46 c. There is a great difference between a Church under persecution and not constituted and a Church constituted 495 Church-office Christ hath a peculiar love of those that are in Church-office according to his rule and way 485 In what particulars this love is shew'd ib. The Grounds of this particular love 486 Comfort The Comfort of being like Christ in suffering 438 Condition Reasons why God sometimes changes his peoples Condition from better to worse 332 It is a very sad thing to fall into such a Condition that draws out our peculiar corruptions we are most prone unto 383 This is opened in several considerations 383 c. Try your Conditions 384 Conformity There is a two-fold Conformity to Christ 437 Conscience Often rebelling against the light of Conscience 368 Conversion Conversion is a greater wonder then a miracle 41 Corporal There is no Corporal improvement of Christ 334 Wherein mens proneness appeareth to know Christ after a Corporal manner 335 D Damn THat there are some men that are wilfull set to destroy and Damn themselves c. 364 The inward Causes that move men to Damn themselves 365 The outward Causes 371 Damnation The everlasting Damnation of men is determined 51 Dangers The greater the Dangers are Christs people are in the greater is Christs care of them 272 This is opened in four particulars 272 273 The godly mans life is full of spiritual Dangers 277 This is explained in eight particulars 278 c. Day Day of grace is to be improved 24 Day of Judgement The Day of Judgement is the greatest day that ever was or shall be ib Death Christs Death is in it self sufficient for all yet he gave himself a ransome for some only 241 Four grounds for it 242 Christ by Death went to his Father 289 The particulars implied in the point 290 Whether it be lawfull to pray for Death 442 Vide Blessed Delusions vid. Sins Depend Depend on Gods gracious power only in the way to heaven 313 Devils Devils are in subjection to Christ 3â— The Devil may foretell some things to come 395 Divisions Divisions are the fruit of the flesh 570 Remedies for preventing and healing Divisions in the Church 575 What those proper sins are that Divisions among the godly are apt to breed in the world 393 Doctrines Free-will and merit are dangerous Doctrines 125 Dying Why the expressions of Christ Dying for All is to be taken indefinitely and not universally 235 236 E Elected THat none of those that are Elected shall perish 349 Introductory Propositions to clear the same ibid. Election Election is the gift of God 250 Four Reasons of it 251 End What things do diminish the comforts of the gody at the End of their day 109 c. The End Christ propounded in his doing and suffering 116 Errours Men are prone to be lead aside to Errors 318 Errors of judgement are damnable 318 Eternal Death Eternal Death 65 Wherein it consisteth 65 66 The difference between Eternal Death and eternal life 66 It is Eternal Death not to know God 77 Eternal Life Christ gives it to those that are his 56 What it is 57 It consists in three things 57 58 It hath six properties 57 60 Eternal Life compared with this present life 63 Conclusions upon this subject 67 68 Helps to be affected with Eternal Life 70 Examples We are not to live by Examples but by precept 379 F Faith FAith in Christ as Mediator is acceptable to God 211 Why Faith is called the work of God ibid. Five Grounds why Faith in a Mediatour should be pressed 223
self-justifying man to call God Father yet take the afflicted mourner for sinne who is sensible of the great dishonour he puts upon God it 's the hardest thing in the world to think God is a Father to him because therefore it is so great a work God sends his Spirit into our hearts that enableth us to cry boldly vehemently and notwithstanding all opposition Abba Father Where then we would use this compellation with power and life with successe and heavenly advantage there the Spirit of God must inflame the heart there all our servile fears and tormenting doubts must be removed Now who but the Spirit of God can command these windes and waves to be still There are groans and crys great commotions of spirit ere the soul can be perswaded of Gods fatherly love These things premised let us consider in the next place what disposition and frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every one that doth fervently pray to God And 1. It cannot but raise up the heart to great confidence and hope to speed Indeed if we look to our selves to our sinnes there is nothing but matter of despair Who can think of himself and not expect that answer Depart I know you not But then when we consider this gracious relation God putteth upon himself to be a Father what humbled sinner may then be afraid O Lord thou art not only a Lord a mighty and great God but a Father also and upon this Title I pleade Fathers use to lay up for children if it were an earthly Father Mat. 7. when the childe asketh bread he would not give him a stone and thou art an heavenly Father how long then shall I ask for such consolation pray against such corruptions and meet with the contrary Is not this to give a stone for bread If then God be a Father if thou maist conclude on this then expect every thing else Now this is a great sinne in the children of God they doe not improve this relation They do not think with themselves behold I am a Father I am a Mother will my bowels let me deny my poor children if afflicted any thing that I can give them why then shall I have such low thoughts of God He that giveth the father bowels shall not he much more have bowels If it be thus with a drop shall it not be much more with the Fountain 2. The meditation of this relation will cause fervency and zeal in our Petitions The more confidence to speed the more earnestnesse as on the other side where there is no hope there is fainting and languishing he said Qui timidè rogat docet negare we may say Qui tepidè It 's the fervent praier of a righteous man that prevaileth much and confidence quickens up to fervency As men that are pulling any weight the more they feel it coming the more earnest they are in pulling This divine hope puts wings to the soul addeth legges to its journey Indeed a bold presumption that God will vouchsafe him the matter of our requests is carelesse of praier because that looketh for the end without the means but an holy confidence that God will give us the good things we want but by earnest and fervent praier that makes the godly soul more zealous and active when we are sure our labour is not in vain As the Apostle encourageth to sufferings to wait and endure patiently because in due time they shall receive a recompence if they faint not Gal. 6.9 Oh then be afraid of those cold and lukewarm formall duties thou art so often in These argue no faith no hope in thee It 's a sign thou dost not much matter or regard the issue of thy Praiers whether God grant them or not 3. This Title in the lively improvement of it will cause a filiall reverence and humility even as the childe doth his Father as you heard If I be a Father where is my honour The good ingenious childe doth not abuse his Fathers kindenesse doth not contemne his favours but consider the great distance that is between him and his Father that he is never able to satisfie his Father for Aristotle saith There cannot be any justice between a father and son seeing therefore he hath all from him he is in a reverentiall fear and honour of his father Thus it is with those who have the Spitit of Adoption their fear is accompanied with their confidence Their boldnesse and hope doth not degenerate into security and contempt of God and if at any time they grow wanton under his mercies then as God is a Father to provide for us so he is a Father to chasten as the Scripture speaks often Do not then give way to thy corruptions do not eat too much of this honey till thou surfet lest God give Physick lest he chasten thee and seem as if he were no Father David upon security and other neglects into what sad darknesse is he cast He knoweth not how to call God Father he thinketh on God and is troubled as he saith Ps 77.5 God will deal with thee upon thy rebellion as David with Absalom Command thee out of his sight and this will work upon thee as it did with Absalom who desired to die rather then to be alwaies under such displeasure and herein the people of God upon their sinnes have a greater wound and deeper gash then the wicked have It 's against a Father they have sinned so mercifull and so gracious a Father this paineth them at the very heart 4. The Meditation of this Title will breed tranquillity and quietnesse of spirit free from all sinful cares and distrustful thoughts I have a Father in heaven and it is not my care my counsell my labour can provide for me but his goodnesse meerly Mat. 5.25 26. Our Saviour doth there at large give heavenly Physick to kill these worms these moths of cares that are ready to eat into us and devour us and amongst other helps this is one Your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of As we see our little Children then eat and drink and take no care for their raiment for their food but go to their Parents such a quiet and composed frame of soul would God have all his Children have If you call me Father why do ye not commit all to my wisedom to my love Can a childe order his affairs better for himself then his Father Is it not well for the childe that it is not his wisedom and care but his Father that he must trust to How quickly would he undoe all Thus may God our heavenly Father say Cast your care and burden upon me how quickly would you undo your selves ruine your selves if all were left to you your happinesse lieth in my wisedome and love to you Oh what a chearfull quiet heart would the due meditation of this cause in us It 's my Father in heaven that doth all things that governeth the whole that dispenseth all
things It 's my Father in heaven that giveth life and motion to every thing and therefore I need not be afraid Know then that all those gnawing worms of unbelief and fears upon thee whereby thou makest thy self an hell to thy self they come from want of this consideration 5. This Relation if rightly considered will put us upon holinesse and an earnest endeavour to resemble and to be like him A good childe loveth to imitate and conform to all those lovely perfections that are in his Father his endeavour is that in him his Father may live even while he is dead Now the Scripture sets forth Gods holinesse as our Copy to write after Be ye holy as I am holy and that ye may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 and He that hath this hope viz. to be a Sonne of God purifieth himself even as God is pure Oh then let those vile and leprous sinners stand aloof off They call God Father where is thy Image or likenesse of him upon thee Art thou pure as he is pure holy as he is holy Is thy will conformable to his will To love and delight in those things that God loveth and commands The Scripture telleth us the godly are born of God that his Image is restored in them That they are partakers of the divine nature Now let every one see upon what grounds he cals God Father Is it not a meer lye and mockery Dost thou not delude thy own self If God be thy Father wherein art thou like him Art thou holy as he is pure as he is Certainly even in the godly this should raise up their spirits to higher exercise of holinesse They should consider who is their Father It is for them to shew better breeding then to be proud passionate earthly and carnall They are to be as Ignatius was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that bear God about with them you may see the resemblance of God in their lives So then this Title and relation doth not only vouchsafe comfort but engage to much duty None should be so cheerful and yet so holy and pure as they are 6. This Relation of a Father will put us upon zeal for his glory and honour a desire to exalt and set him up every where an holy impatiency to have his Name blasphemed and his commands broken What childe can endure to hear his Father spoken against to have his name defamed You see in Christ himself the zeal of his Fathers house did eat him up he could not endure to see the corruption and defilement of his Fathers worship and thus it is with the Children of God his honour is dear unto them To see and hear the wickednesse and prophanenesse of others torments his righteous soul This is against my Father I have no patience when you thus dishonour my Father Oh this is an excellent signe you look upon God as your Father when you are thus affected for his glory for his truth and worship It 's a known story of that dumb Sonne that never spake before yet when he saw one going to kill his Father cried out and forbad it Thou that feelest no anger or grief within thee when God is dishonoured doe thou doubt of thy childe-like disposition Lastly The Meditation of God as a Father may wonderfully support under all afflictions They are the corrections of a Father not the punishments of a Judge and the Apostle argueth the great reasonablenesse of bearing Gods afflictions seeing we endure the chastisement of our Fathers according to the flesh Heb. 12.9 10. where the Apostle shews that a good childe though chastened by his Father giveth reverence to him why then should not we rather obey God who is the Father of spirits and that from the end of God he afflicts for our profit and we live by these chastisements Hence it 's the devils great temptation to imbitter this cup of affliction as much as he can To let them think God is not their Father and if he were a Father he would never lay such a load upon them and all this to stirre up impatience and discontent within them Thus you see what mighty effects this consideration of God as a Father should produce in us In the next place consider Why this doth so prevail with God And 1. Because it 's not a bare Title but accompanied with the reall love and bowels of a Father God is not only called so but is indeed a Father yea a Father above all earthly Fathers yea or mothers too he takes more tendernesse upon him then they can have Isa 49.15 when Zion sadly complained The Lord had forsaken her he tels her Though a woman should forget her sucking childe yet he would not So then love is infinitely in God his kindenesse is like himself beyond all thoughts and expressions and if among men it be so unnaturall for a Father not to love his childe can we think God will not love his He that hath commanded us to love our enemies and to forgive them seventy times seven in a day will not he pardon his Children Children are part of the Father and therefore God visiteth the sinnes of Fathers sometimes upon their Children because they are as one with the Father and Christ praieth that the godly and his Father may be one 2. It 's for the glory and honour of God to hear them when they pray What priviledges and mercies children have tends to the honour of a Father Doth it not disgrace a Father when he is able and yet letteth his Children be almost famished and be contemned in filthy rags Oh we say he doth not go like such an ones Sonne it 's a disgrace to his Father so it is here should not the people of God be holy comfortable heavenly and accepted of this would be as if God did not own them Vse of Instruction Concerning the happy estate of the godly and the contrary of the wicked That which is a comforting fire to one is a consuming fire to the other The godly have alwaies the Scepter held out to them They may go to God as a Father and are sure to be heard either ad voluntatem or ad sanitatem They may say O Lord if I did come to thee as an angry Judge if I did draw nigh to thee as one provoked as one whose sins made a division between me and thee then I might be sent comfortlesse away but I come to thee as a Father a relation thou art not ashamed off and which thou wilt fullfill though as yet the glory of God is not fully manifested but as for the wicked what a thunderbolt is this to them God is not their Father Though they may call him so a thousand times over yet he is not he is thy enemy thy adversary what good things thou hast cometh from him as the governour of the world not as a Father SERMON IV. Of Gods appointing an hour a set time