hath compassion on whom 〈◊〉 will have compassion If any ask whethâ—â— God should not have been gracious if 〈◊〉 had saved all mankind I answer Yeâ— but his grace is now more full to thoâ—â— that he saves when others are lost eveâ—â— as a Prince's grace is more full to one 〈◊〉 two Rebels whom he saves out of manâ— they being obnoxious to the Justice of thâ— Law as well as others Two things wâ—â—â— clear the meaning of this Proposition 〈◊〉 us if we duly consider them 1. That the first and last stone of thâ— building of salvation is of grace Not 〈◊〉 grace infused into us but of grace as it 〈◊〉 seated in God his free favour to the creature All the spiritual blessings which are bound up in the bundle of salvation flow from this fountain of the free and rich love and grace of God Election is of grace Rom. 11.6 There is a remnant according to the election of grace Vocation is of grace the Apostle Paul saith God called him by his grace Gal. 1.12 Justification is of grace Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace Regeneration and Adoption are of grace Eph. 1.5 Adoption is said to be according to the good pleasure of his will James 1.18 Of his own will begat he us Redemption is said to be according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 Hope and Faith are of grace We read of some who believed through grace and of good hope through grace Acts 18.8 2 Thes 2.16 Power against sin is from the same Rom 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace The New Covenant is a Covenant of grace When Adam had spent all that stock of grace he had at first it was free whether God would set him up again The giving of the Gospel is called the dispensation of the grace of God Eph. 3.2 'T is true the meritorious cause of all this was the death of Christ yet it was grace which set thy design on foot It was by the grace of God he tasted death Heb. 2.9 2. That all this Salvation is only of graâ—â— For in the Scripture grace is opposed works Rom. 4.4 To him that worketh the reward not reckoned of grace but of dâ—â— And further Rom. 11.6 he saith if it be grace speaking of Election then is iâ— more of works otherwise grace is no 〈◊〉 grace But if it be of works then is it no mâ—â— grace otherwise work is no more work Plaâ—ly setting grace and works in direct opâ—â—sition in the matters of Salvation Aâ— having said here By grace ye are saved presently adds in the next verse Not works Titus 3.5 Not by works of riâ—teousness which we have done but of 〈◊〉 mercy hath he saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 〈◊〉 hath saved us and called us not accordâ—â— to our works but according to his oâ—â— purpose and grace which he purposed Christ Jesus before the world begâ—â—â— These Scriptures give full witness to thâ— point and shew that it is only of graâ—â—â— and not of works Therefore those thâ— die in their infancy and such as repent the last hour as the Thief on the Crâ—â—â— did are saved by grace only for thâ— can do no good works If it were 〈◊〉 works it must be either of those done bâ—fore conversion or of those after it Nâ—â— of those before conversion for they 〈◊〉 but splendida peccata as some term them all a man doth in this state is not only sinful but sin it self for they are not done in faith without which it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 The Pharisees and the young man in the Gospel did very many good works yet they were not saved by their good works God accounts of fruits according to the nature of the root whence they spring A bad Tree cannot bring forth good fruit saith Christ Matth. 7.18 Nor yet of works after conversion for when converted they are in a great measure saved as you heard in the former Doctrine Good works are rather the effect of salvation for they are new created unto good works Eph. 2. v. 10. Besides that cannot be the ground of salvation which is it self imperfect as all their best works are And were they free from imperfection yet could they not merit salvation because whatever merits it must be proprium our own Indebitum that which we are not bound to do and proportionatum it must bear a proportion to the thing merited The best works of the best men are defective and wanting in all these for they are not their own but wrought in God and by the strength of Christ They are due to God even the utmost of their ability 〈◊〉 their bounden duty nor do finite work bear any proportion to an infinite rewarâ— The doings and sufferings of the be therefore can be no causes of salvation for they can never be accepted but by thâ— Righteousness of Christ and not for aâ—â— thing in them or their works meretoâ—ously He hath made us accepted in thâ— Beloved Eph. 1.6 and therefore salvation is to the praise of the glory of hâ—â— grace as it is in that verse Some wiâ—â— say salvation is promised as a rewarâ— Heb. 11.26 but not a reward of debâ— but of free bounty The gift of God is eternal life Rom. 6. ult You will say Gloâ—â— is the Crown of Righteousness but thaâ— is only in respect of God's promise anâ— Christ's purchase You will say Aâ—â— works wholly excluded from the state oâ— salvation Nothing so only excludeâ— from being the causes of salvation They are via regni not causa regnandi as some speak Some from what hath been said may grow slighty in good works and neglect them Luther is reported to complain in his time that if he commended good works to men some would do them as if they would set up a Ladder to climb to Heaven by them if he extolled the free grace of God as the grand cause of salvation and acceptance with God they would lay aside good works or be very negligent and formal in them But let us remember that though salvation be not of good works yet they ought to be done because it is the will of God we should be zealous of good works Titus 2.14 We are created in Christ unto good works which God ordained we should walk in them They that have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works Titus 3.8 Faith without works is dead Let our Light so shine before men that they may see our good works c. Mat. 5.16 Good works if neglected a man cannot be saved yet are we not saved for them they are good companions which make our journey more comfortable yet our company do not carry us And though salvation be not for them yet God rewards every man according to them and will not suffer any good work to be lost but will abundantly reward it Here I might assign Reasons why salvation is of grace I
will name but one because that is hinted at here namely to exclude boasting that no flesh may glory in God's presence Not of works lest any man should boast saith the Apostle that all men may walk humbly with God and glory in him alone and hence he saith Rom. 3.27 Boasting is excluded By what Law by the Law of works Nay but by the Law of faith The Use follows Vse 1. Is Salvation of grace and only of grace Then here we see how eviâ— and dangerous it is to seek to be saved by or for our good works No man can be saved who neglects them yet no man is saved for them they are not the cause of salvation but grace alone The Moralist will plead he hath been no drunkard no unclean person no unjust dealer the Hypocrite will attempt every good work in shew and appearance at least and the profane person purposeth to be better and to do better thus meâ— think to be saved by their works Those also that are troubled they can do nâ— more good works and not troubled for want of the knowledge of the grace of God and for want of his Spirit assisting to every good work Are you not those that may say some of you that you have found sweetness from your good works and deeds when you have been inlarged in them rather than from the sense of the rich and free grace of God When you have done them well then you are comforted but if dead and distracted in them then discouraged and cast down what do these things shew but that we seek salvation by works Some cannot endure to hear of the sinfulness of their good works of the raggedness of their own best Righteousness Thus did the Pharisees they could not endure Christ should pull up the Bridge upon which they hoped to go to Heaven these think to be saved by their good works whereas we should say We serve God because his free and rich grace invites and though imperfections cleave to our works yet we expect not salvation by them but we appeal to the rich and free love and grace of God to save us To go about to claim salvation by works is to take away the heart and life of the Gospel A man may as soon think to get over a deep River upon the shadow of a Tree that grows by it as get to Heaven by his good works This very thought mars and poisons all if thou thinkest to be saved by them it is very doubtful whether thou dost not run the very hazard of thy salvation be thy doings never so good The Gospel is a Doctrine of the utmost self-denial it draws men to good works in respect of performance and then draws them off from good works in regard of dependance O thâ—â— we could learn this great Mystery Vse 2. Suffer the word of Exhortation in a few brief particulars 1. Leâ— us learn to study the rich and free gracâ— of God more and to grow in the knowledge of it for it is by grace we are saved The right knowledge of it strike down all presumption and engageth to duty and service Men dare not sin thaâ— grace may abound or turn this grace into wantonness but will abhor it it is the presumptuous man that abuseth and despiseth grace and makes use of it to neglect a holy life and walking in good works 2. Let all be encouraged to seek salvation by grace Thou mayeâ—â— not say or think thou canst not be saved because thy sins are many and great for we read of the manifold grace of God to take away thy manifold past and present sins 1 Pet. 4.10 And where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5.20 Look for salvation in this way and here is hope for thee It is a speech unbecoming any to say The God of grace never intended any thing of grace for me Seek it humbly as Beggars that cannot compel an Alms Seek it with hope waiting patiently on the Lord and by no means say and think there is no hope for thee Grace can save whom it will it justifies the ungodly not in but from their ungodliness and what ground hast thou to conclude against thy self For a Soul to say If I were so holy I could then cast my self upon grace it destroys the nature of grace Remember that sweet promise Job 22.29 He will save the humble person Put thy self into the arms of grace and thou wilt find the sweetness of it There is no Soul here this day but for ought I know may come to be saved by this grace if the fault be not his own thinking he may live in his sin and walk after his ungodly lusts and yet rest on grace to save him Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6.1 Better it were salvation had never been offered to us than that either we be found refusers or abusers of it and so meet with the sorest destruction 3. Let all God's People know and do their duty in answer to this grace Mourn for your sins against the Lord because grace shall reign notwithstanding all your sins as the Apostle shews Rom. 5. ult Strongly desire the perfection of salvation attribute all to grace as Paul did he pressed forward towards the mark Phil. 3.14 And though he laboured more than others yeâ— he saith it was not he but the grace oâ— God which was with him 1 Cor. 15.10 Set the Crown upon the head of grace aâ— they Zech. 4.7 cried Grace grace Reâ—â— upon grace for the consummating salvation and act in some resemblance to thiâ— way of God He saves you freely do you serve him freely and do you continue to own profess and believe in this grace persevering in all those things that accompany salvation till you be fully possessed of it Doct. 3. That the Faith through which we are saved is not of our selves but is thâ— gift of God Or thus The work of Faith to Salvation is not of humane operation but oâ— divine donation Here are three things to be cleared 1. That those that are saved by grace are yet saved through faith 2. That this work of faith to salvation is not of themselves 3. That it is thâ— gift of God Of these in order Branch 1. Those that are saved bâ— grace are yet saved through faith or iâ— the way of believing The Text is express for it So the Commission runs that Christ gave his Apostles Mar. 16.15 16 He saith to them Go ye into all the world preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Whom God hath appointed to salvation as the end he hath ordained to faith as the means We are of them that believe to the saving of the Soul saith the Apostle Heb. 10.39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of faith The adversative conjunction shews that Apostacy and Faith cannot stand together
Believers are redeemed but by the precious blood of Christ. This was also laid down for Heaven and Salvation and in the name of Believers and to their use they have a present right and title to it upon that account Salvation is not a reversion men come to after so many years there are no Leases nor Reversions there but though Christ holds possession for them yet they have a right and title to it and he is entred there a forerunner for them 2. In promisso in the promise of it This is the promise that he hath promised us eternal life 1 John 2.25 Great is the difference between Divine and Humane promises Men are either unable and cannot or else unfaithful and will not perform their promises but with God tâ— promise and to perform is all one Wâ— have God's promise for it the great Chaâ—ter of Heaven and so have the thing â—â—self are as sure of it as if we were in fuâ—â— possession To him that orders his conversâ—tion aright will I shew the Salvation of Goâ— Psal 50.23 He that believeth shall be sâ—â—ved saith Christ Mark 16.16 Henâ—â— have they a firm and sure foundation 〈◊〉 hope for the actual possession Titus 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannoâ— lie hath promised And his promise is onâ— of those two immutable things in whicâ— it is impossible for him to lie Heb. 6.18 Hence the Apostle tells the Romans Thâ—â— we are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 whicâ— is by virtue of the promise the grounâ— of hope 3. In primitiis in the prelibations foretasts or first-fruits of it They have 〈◊〉 pawn or pledge or rather an earnest oâ— Salvation The Love of God Peace anâ— Joy in the Holy Ghost yea the Holy Ghost himself is an earnest to them of the full possession of glory So he is stiled 2 Cor. 1.22 And he is called the earnest of that Inheritance Eph. 1.14 They are here saved from the condemnation and dominion of sin from the power of Satan from the curse of the Law from the sting and bitterness of death as the Scripture plainly shews Yea they are infallibly preserved in a condition of safety in grace in righteousness once justified and ever so for Christs righteousness is everlasting And unto perfect glory They are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 What are these but the bunches of Figs and clusters of Grapes given the Saints from the heavenly Canaan Is not this a good Country Would you not be glad to be there You have these first-fruits of the Spirit to make you groan for the full Vintage and compleat Harvest Those first-fruits under the Law assured them of the whole crop So Believers have received these beginnings of Salvation and on that account may be said to be saved already If a man walks out early and see the morning Star he will say the day is coming the Sun will by and by appear So if we have these Stars of grace seen in our hearts we may know the day of eternal glory is not far off Qu. 3. You will say What are the reasons of this and what the grounds of it Ans 1. The first is drawn from the â—â—der and predisposition of God The eteâ—nal love and good will of God is the firâ—â— the highest link and cause of Salvation The Scripture resembles mans Salvation to a Chain on which are several Linkâ— as we may say these Links are so faâ—â—ned together that if you draw one all thâ— rest will follow such a concatenatioâ— and folding up of things together theâ— is in the matters of Salvation that graâ— one and you grant all If there be a câ—â—tain number whom God hath out of 〈◊〉 eternal Love predestinated unto Salvation it may as truly be said in the senâ—â— above mentioned that this number is aâ—ready saved because nothing on Earth 〈◊〉 in Hell can hinder it But the first is truâ—â— as is evident from what is said Rom. â—â— 29 30. Whom he foreknew he did pedesâ—â—nate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonâ— Moreover whom he did predestinate them 〈◊〉 also called whom he called them he also jâ—stified whom he justified them he also gâ—â—rified Here the Apostle useth words 〈◊〉 the preterperfect tense for things yet 〈◊〉 come Thus hath God in his purposâ—â— disposed things to shew that Predestination and Salvation are so linked together in regard of their eternal coexistenâ—â— before him in his counsels and purposes as this order of his can never be dissolved Therefore as they are said to be already foreknown already predestinated already called and already justified so they may as truly be said in the senses before expressed to be already glorified I confess if it were true some teach that the purpose of God to save men were founded upon faith and good works foreseen to be in them and done by them and that he saves them for these and their continuance in them I could not tell how this should be true that a man truly called can be said to be truly saved But it is nothing so but all is of grace as the next Doctrine will evidence and the Text fully expresseth And if their wicked works could not hinder God from calling and justifying them though he foresaw them how shall he suffer their after-sins to null and make void these blessed acts and so cut them short of Salvation Vocation Justification and Glorification are here made inseparable by the Apostle break one and you break all the Links of this golden Chain of Salvation Let none go about to pervert this blessed order of God for they shall not be able to destroy it it is established by his eternal immutable counsel and 〈◊〉 will not suffer it to fall or fail 2. The second Reason is drawn froâ— the power of the promises and from thâ— nature and effect of Faith 1. From thâ— power of the promises they are nâ—â— weak things but full of virtue and efâ—â—cacy to help us to cleanse our selves 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let 〈◊〉 cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flâ—â—â— and spirit They do not only work for 〈◊〉 but they work in us also not only as motives and incentives to holiness but a operative and influential upon us Sucâ— power do they bring with them that it is not in our power whether they shall be fulfilled or not But though they offeâ— no violence to infringe the liberty of our wills yet do they enable and sweethlâ— draw us by faith believing and hope waiting upon God to perform those conditions which bring on the execution of them We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 There is a power of God and a power of Faith laying hold on the promises of God which have a power to enable us to lay hold of Salvation 2. From the nature and effect of Faith which is to make things future and absent to be present to