example both in life and worship we finde in Scripture to be a very efficatious meanes oftentimes to convince sometimes to convert and if you can finde out this in Scripture you may have abundance of comfort It hath been a means oftentimes to convince 1 Pet. 3.16 They shall be ashamed to speak evil of you while they behold your conversation in Christ When they shall see that you live-in Christ and walk according to Christ they shall be ashaemed ashamed of what they have done and what they have spoken it shall convince them So 1 Pet. 2.15 And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God 1 Cor. 14.23.25 If there comes an unbeliever among you and he sees your order saith he he shall fall down in the midst of you he shall be convinced and shall say Of a truth God is among you Seeing this saith the Apostle godly men holy in their lives and holy in their worship though he be an unbeleiver he shall fall down and say Of a truth God is among you that is by way of conviction Nay further sometimes God doth blesse the gracious lives and blamelesse example of Christians to be a means to convert some when the Gospel cannot do it and you would think this very comfortable could it be made good I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family where either husband or wife or any one in the family is godly 1 Pet. 3.1 Wives be subject unto your husbands what then that your husbands that are not wonne by the Word may be wonne without the Word whilest they behold the conversation of their wives A notable text There were many wicked Husbands that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them yet the Apostle tells them that if the wife did live a godly and holy life their lives sometimes should be more efficatious to convert their Husbands then the Word should be And this Beloved doth clearly take off this first plea of yours that because you were converted by example and by living among good Christians and seeing their walkings this gained upon you this is no cause of discouragement because sometimes I say the Lord doth blesse examples of gracious lives to make them winne and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ Secondly they go yet further There is another poor soul brought home to Jesus Christ and what saith he I do misdoubt the means of my call for a Sermon never wrought upon me the first thing of all that ever gained upon me it was the reading some Chapters in the Bible or some other holy mans book and that made me first to hate sin and love the waies of God and look after his Word for my salvation And here I doubt not but many Christians have found the Word read the first means of gaining upon their hearts And therefore to take off this likewise I shall speak two or three things in way of Answer As First that God is not tyed to any means but can work with the meanest means to bring home people to Jesus Christ If Peters conversion was by a Cock a Cock crowing and a look of Christs eye why may not Christ use the Scriptures read to be a means of a mans call If from stones God can raise up children unto Abraham why cannot God do it by the Word also to make the Word read a means in his own hands to effect it God that can do all things with nothing without means can bring to passe great things by weak means Secondly and more particularly That though ordinarily preaching and hearing of the Word preached be ordained by God and crowned by him cheifly to be a means instrumental to convert souls yet God sometimes hath blessed the reading of the Word to be a means of converting souls likewise Yet Beloved I would not do as the Prelates did who would fain have brought in reading to justle our preaching Preaching is the more noble work and must be highest in our thoughts yet if God will go out in an unusual way who can control him If God will do it by a Chapter read when not by a Sermon preached who can resist God if he will shew his power by weaker means Who shal gainsay it God sometimes honours the reading of the Word to give encouragement to reading to be a means of some mens call I have read of S. Austine that he was converted not by hearing a Sermon but by opening the Bible and reading that place Rom. 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day time not in rioting and drunkeness not in chambering and wantounesse and the reading of this verse wrought upon him I have read of Cyprian that he was converted by reading the Prophesie of Jonas hearing of Gods mercy to save such a wicked people and of Gods mercy to Jonas when he was in so pettisâ— a mood as to be angry with God I have known likewise another famous Minister that going by a Book-binders shop he was converted by reading a Sermon of Repentance that cost but two pence and hath been a famous Minister since for the conversion of many hundreds to Jesus Christ Junius was converted by reading the first of John so the Eunuch was converted by reading Isa 53.7 Beloved God is not bound to any one way in saving man He that wrought upon Austin by a verse reading and upon another by a Sermon he can do so by thee Reading is an ordinance of God and God is not bound up but may use that as a means of thy effectual call likewise Thirdly Yea but saith another doubting soul Peradventure I was never wrought upon neither by seeing godly people among whom I lived and observing their example nor was I wrought upon by reading good books but I was first wrought upon by hearing such a Minister that I now see is run into error or a Minister that is grown loose in his practice hapily in these present times gone to joyn with the enemy against the Kingdom and become a vile liver and the Minister being bad that wrought upon me makes me question whether the work be not an unsound and bad work also and this gravels many a Christian likewise To which I answer briefly First That suppose the Minister were bad that wrought upon thee yet the badnesse of the Minister is no just ground of making us suspect our calling For then we should never be sure of our call A man may be sure of his own conversion though a man may not be sure of the conversion of him by whose means he was called Secondly Again in is clear in Scripture God may use Ministers that are wicked themselves to convert others The Ministers of the seven Churches of Asia doubtlesse some of them were bad men Paul tells you 1 Cor. 9.17 I keep under my body lest when I preach to others I my self may
love the Word of Christ that was an instrument of his calling and the Minister that preach'd that word which was the meanes by which he was called and try your selves by these Many of you haply have some good wrought as you think upon you and some change in you but truly let me tell you this if you are persons that are out of love with the word if you are out of love with those Ministers God made instrumental to convert you you have just cause to suspect your calling for you see throughout the whole course of Scripture their hearts did cleave with love to them that called them And therefore they that can slight and contemn those Ministers by whose Ministry they were brought home to Jesus Christ they have just cause of jealousie to suspect their Call Again 3. If God hath effectually called you he will by his Spirit bring you out of a state of ignorance and darkness and give you some measure of knowledge to be acquainted both with the mysteries of God and Christ and the sinfulnesse of your selves more then ever you were before This the Apostle Peter intimates 1 Pet. 2. ver 9. You are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people that you may shew forth the praise of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light i.e. out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledge And it is called a marvellous light 1. Because it is marvellous if you compare that knowledge you shal have under the Gospel with what men had under the Law 2. It is marvellous because men are astonish'd that they should after so long a night of ignorance come to so great a measure of knowledge 3. It is called marvellous because it is so contrary to that condition they were formerly in As if a man that hath lain long in a dark dungeon should be suddenly called into a glorious Palace the Palace would seem more glorious because it is so contrary to the dark Prison So this work of God when he calls you it is marvellous light because it is so contrary to the condition you were in before your calling Isa 30.26 Acts 26.18 He hath sent his word to call you from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God 4. It is a marvellous light because such as none but the Mediator could procure it Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles 5. It is a marvellous light because a light that shines out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse 6. It is a marvellous light because it hath more force then any other light 't is called the light of life John 8.12 Now this call from darkness to light hath two branches 1. A man shal have more Light to have more acquaintance with and more clearness in the mysteries of Jesus Christ And 2. more Light to know the sinfulness of himself First He shal have more Light to know the mysteries of Jesus Christ And hence it is that Paul tels us Gal. 1.16 It pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveal his Son in me implying that where God by his grace doth call a sinner he doth reveal his Son unto him Wherefore Beloved if Jesus Christ be not made known to your soules if you have no competent measure of the knowledge of Christ you may be under this conviction that you are not yet called by Jesus Christ Nay further he doth not only call you unto this Light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way but you shal have a clear light 2 Cor. 4.6 For Gâ—d who commanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts not in a dim but shining light to give us the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ that is you have a cleer light to know God in the face of Christ you cannot know God in himself but in the person of Christ you shall have light to know him This therefore is the first Branch That God will put a light into thy soul whereby thou shalt have a clear knowledge of the things appertaining to Jesus Christ Again Secondly This shall not only reveal Christ to thee but this light shal also reveal thy Selfe to thee the sinfulness of thy self It is observable of Paul that before his calling he was after the law blameless he thought himself to be a faultless man but when the word called him then he cries out I see sin to be exceeding sinfull then he saw sin to be sin and himâ—elfe to be a vile and wretched man And therefore Beloved any of you that have not this marvellous light in your souls neither to know God nor to know Jesus Christ nor the matters appertaining to him nor to know the sinfulnesse of your own hearts take it from God you are not effectually called either these passages in Scripture must be rased out or else your callâ—ng must not be sound and therefore take heed I would fain mâ—ke my Ministry searching that hypocrites may not lie lurking under it You would be better Christians if you were better acquainted with all that unsoundness and that wretchedness of heart that is in you and therefore I intreat you look about you Though I would have no godly man discouraged by this that is spoken but that you that are not yet called might have your hearts a little staggered by what is and wil be said 3. A man effectually called is cast out of himself and cleaves to and closeth with Jesus Christ with more complacencie and contentment then ever he could do in all his life before John 6.45 He that hath heard and learned of the father shal come unto mâ— he doth not say all they that hear of the father many men doe hear the word but never close in with Christ but all they that have heard and by hearing have learnt and are called come unto me and close in with me and cleave to me and take content and delight in me Beloved there are many that hear the word yet never goe out of themselves and never close in with Christ yea but all they that hear and learn that hear and are called by hearing they all come in to Jesus Christ Wherefore all you that in hearing cannot finde your hearts in love with Christ cannot finde your hearts to close in with Christ and believe in Christ you have just cause to suspect your call that your calling is not effectual 1 Cor. 1.24 The Apostle tels you there were other men counted Christ foolishness but to you that are called Christ is the power and wisdome of God that is you do acknowlâ—dge and you do conceive of Jesus Christ that he hath as much power as God hath in him and as much wisdome as God hath in him and you close in with Chrrst for that end when other men think Christ to be
God in electing a certain number of men to life and salvation did not doe it upon the foresight of any good works he saw would be in them whether Faith Repentance Sanctification or any other grace Indeed it is true the Papists many of them doe not grosly say that it was foresight of good works in general but the foresight of faith only and so the Arminians But now to overthrow this ungrounded opinion First I shall lay down Scriptures to confirm this that God in electing of men to salvation doth noâ— doe it upon foresight of good works and then lay down reasons and after that take off those objections which seem to darken this truth First for the Scriptures that confirm this we have Rom. 11.5 He hath saved a remnant according to the election of grace Intimating that the remnant that are saved it is onely of grace not of foreseen works So Eph. 1.5 11. He hath elected us according to the good pleasure of his will Gods meer good will was the impulsive cause of mans eâ—ection and nothing in man So likewise Rom. 2.11 That Gods election might stand not according to our works but according to the good pleasure of him that called us So 2 Tim. 1.9 Not of works but according to his owne purpose and grace Upon his good pleasure and his good will to mankinde upon that ground election stands But now to adde some reasons why it cannot be that God should determine in his own councel to save man upon the foresight of his works I shall name four or five Aâ— First because the inferiour priviledges that God bestowes upon his peoples as vocation and justification are not for their good works though they are in actual being therefore much lesse is election for good works onely foreseen First for Vocation 2 Tim. 1.19 We are called not according to our owne works but according to the purpose of his own grace And then for Justification we are not justified for works neither Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his grace for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Now if vocation and justification be not for works much lesse is election for works and for works foreseen not being actually in us Secondly because then it would follow that children dying in infancy could not be elected for the childe being in the mothers wombe if it hath life it hath a soule and so must either be saved or damned But a childe while it is in the wombe neither acts good or evil Now if God did elect persons to life upon foresight of works then children dying in the wombe could not be elected because there are no works God could foresee in them And then this would be a very uncomfortable doctrine for parents that have children dying young Thirdly then would man have somewhat whereof to boast before his God as if he could lay claim to salvation from him If God were bound to chuse men to salvation upon foresight of good works then man might say I thank not God but I thank my believing and thank my good works for these were the motives for which he chose me to glory and â—hus would poor man boast against his Maker Fourthly Because God hath elected the worst of men when others that have more natural worth and goodnesse are passed by 1 Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world c. and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen c. And Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Those that had the greatest worldly wisedome and natural abilities that most excelled in outward strictnesse and moral vertues are rejected when those that are but babes in understanding who many times are the worst for their moralities are elected which is a clear demonstration that election is not grounded upon faith or works foreseen for then the best had been chosen before the rest Fifthly Our works carry no proportion to what God hath elected us unto we are elected to eterâ—al glory but our works are finite imperfect no more then our duty yea not done by our own strength but by the power of Gods grace and therefore cannot be that which moveth God to elect us Sixthly because God doth not chuse men to life for the sake of Jesus Christ therfore much less for their works sake It is true and mistake me not I confesse and so all Divines that are confesse this that God saves a man for Christs sake but God elects not a man for Christs sake but meerly for his own good pleasureâ— sake God in chusing a man to life hath no reference to Christ as if Christ were the motive Christ was predestinated himselfe therefore could not be the cause of our predestination 1 Pet. 1.20 We are chosen in him its true Eph. 1.4 as the common person God elected Christ first in order and all believers in him but it is not for Christs sake but according to his own will As suppose a Kingdome to be newly set up a King is chosen and his suecessors to follow after why then all the succeeding Kings are chosen in him that was first elected so are we chosen in Christ God doth chuse a man as freely as if Christ did never die and yet God saves none but for Christs sake and this makes election on Gods part most free God doth not consider Christ nor the good works we have but t is only his own good will engages him to save some and neglect others And thus much for proving this point There are some objections now that lie in the way which must be removed God say they doth elect men upon the foresight of their good works and they alledge four Scriptures to prove this James 2.2 Hath not God châ—sed the poor of this world to be rich in faith now say they their laying out their estates for good uses and so becoming poor that is the reason why God chuseth thâ—m and neglects richer men To which I answer That poor here is onely spoken of as the quality of the persons that are chosen not as the cause wherefore they are chosen And this answer Mr. Perkins gives that poverty is not the cause why but the description of the persons that are chosen that Gods decree of election doth commonly run among the poorer sort of men the more to advance his own grace that man shall not say election is intailed upon works for if poverty should be the cause of their election then all that are poor should be elected which is false Again further they object 2 Thes 2.13 God from the beginning hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth Now say they sanctification and faith is made as the channel through which elâ—ction
thorouâ—h â— Nâ—edles eye aâ— for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God As easie for a Camel It is not meant in this sense as some expound it That there was a gate in Hierusalem called the Needles eye a little and low gate which their Camels being ladâ—â— could not go through and therefore they must unload the burden and the Camel stoop before they could enter Some â—hink Christs speech had relation to that Beza saith that instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Camel they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cable which if untwisted may be put through the eye of a Needle but the knot is not untied but cut by this Exposition But the words were a proverbial speech among the Jewes who had this proverb amongst them that when any one spake things either unlikely or unprobable they would say This can be as easily done as a Camel can goe through a Needles eye And Christ alluding to this Proverb saith that rich men that doâ—e upon their riches and cleave to their wealth and rather part with heaven and Christ and soule and all then part with their riches Christ makes it an unpossible thing for such rich men to come into heaven As I once told what Buchanan said lying upon his death-bed in a message to King James I am going to that place where few Kings come And Beloved the speech is true for not many wise not many mighty not many noble hath the Lord chosen Secondly few civil honâ—st men doe fall within the compasse of Gods choice to save Moral men that trust upon their civility and moral honesty and plain dealing few or none of these come to heaven Publicans and Harlots shall come to Heaven before you Matth. 21.32 Whores and Harlots believe in me when you do not saith Christ Thirdly That though God in his own counced hath determined or made choice but of the fewest number of men women men to life and salvation yet this doth no way intrench upon the mercy of God this doth no way lessen or impeach the mercy of God Men may think as if surely God had cast off all bowels and cast off all mercy What God make such a world of men as he hath done and save but a few of these Man might think as if God were a hard Master that delighted in the destruction of man that had forgotten to be gracious such a hard charge will they be apt to lay upon God But now Beloved that God hath elected so few a number to life this doth no way impeach the mercy of God And this I make appear thus because God was bound to save none at all therefore you cannot challenge God either with unmercifulnesse or unfaithfulnesse if he should save none It was a meer act of his bounty and good will that he would save any Nay secondly there is that in man in the best of men that might justly provoke God not to save any And therefore if God save any it is of grace And this is a certain rule that God doth shew more mercy in saving of one then he would have done rigour of Justice had he damned all As may be made plaine by this comparison Suppose forty men guilty of Rebellion were arraigned for their lives and were condemned to die by the Law if the Prince pardon foure of these forty he shewes more mercy in pardoning the foure then he doth rigour of Justice in condemning the forty Why because the Fact deserved death in all alike So it is with God Every man upon earth deserves death and damnation and if God cull out any of the mass of mankind to save them he shewes more mercy then he had done rigorous Justice should he have destroyed all because he is bound to save none at all Fourthly God in electing a certain number to life doth it without foresight of any good works which he saw would be in them Indeed the Papists and Arminians joyn their strength to maintain this God say they foresaw men would believe in Christ and would be holy in their lives and therefore God did chuse them to life This you may remember I spent some time in overthowing formerly and therefore pass it over now viz. That God did not chuse men to life with reference to any good works he foresaw in them This indead is an undoubted truth All men whom God did elect to life he foresaw they would have good works in them but Gods foreseeing of this was no the cause for which he did elect them No the motive was his own will according to the pleasure of his own grace Rom. 9.11 and Rom. 11.5 A remnant are saved according to the election of grace for if it were of works grace is no more grace Were election upon foresight of good works then it would follow that infants dying in infancy were not within the compasse of Gods election because an infant so dying could not perform any good works and so their case would be most miserable Besides we are not justified by actual works therefore not elected upon works foreseen Rom. 3.24 for there is the like reason of these two Fifthly That Gods election is so free that in chusing and electing men to life and salvation he doth not do it for the sake of Jesus Christ himself Understand this well that therein you might both give Christ his due and God the father his due for mistake me not God doth save none but by Christ but God did elect men without reference to Jesus Christ as the motive of election meerly according to the purpose of his own will All modern and latter Divines lay down this for a truth that it was the meer pleasure and good will of God to man that was the motive of Gods electing us and not Christ Christ could not be the cause because he was the effect Now what is the effect cannot be the cause Gods love in electing mankind did produce Jesus Christ to be the means of our salvation and of bringing about Gods election therefore he being the effect of election cannot be the cause The cause of election was eternal but the merits of Christ were not so Again Christ was elected himself 1 Pet. 1.20 He was preordained of God before the world was Now he that was elected himself could not be the cause of our election Besides the elect are said to be given to Christ to be saved John 17.2 therefore he was not the cause of our election It is true the Scripture tells us Eph. 1.4 We are elected in Christ i. we are elected in Christ as a common person God first chose Christ and then believers in Christ as members of his body But God elects no man for Christs sake but man is chosen meerly of Gods bounty without reference to Jesus Christ And here Divines say Gods love in electing man to life was as free as if Christ had never died and it was so free that man was not beholding to
must give you strength to doe what he commands Psal 68.28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength What then can a man therefore put forth his own strength No but the prayer followes Strengthen O God that which thou commandest us Implying that though God did command their strength they could not put it out by their own power but they would make a prayer to back the command Lord thou commandest us to be strong Lord strengthen that which thou commandest So that though God cal for your diligence cal for your strength yet cannot you put forth any strength by your own power Austine upon this consideration hath this passage when I have a will saith he to do good I have not a power and when I have power I have not a wil and herein I see my own weaknesse and that I must be beholding to Christ for strength You can as wel carry on the work of Creation as the work of Conversion by your own strength You can as wel conquer a world of armed men alone as conquer one Suggestion of the Divel by your own power Though God doth cal for your obedience and to put forth your diligence yet this supposeth not as if you could do this by your own strength but that God that Commands you diligence that God must stir it up in you 2. When God calls for your diligence in matters of soul-concernment take this Caution that you do not discharge your duty in expressing a great deal of zeal and diligence in matters of your soul unlesse you do it in a right manner and to a right end People think if they can be diligent in hearing and diligent in reading and diligent in praying and in receiving Sacraments that then they discharge their duty and answer the command of my Text to be diligent No Beloved you do not answer your duty to God in expressing diligence in that which is materially good unlesse you do it in a right manner and to a right end You have an instance in Jehu 2 Kings 10. He was a marvellous industrious man in many good matters concerning the worship of God at one time he killed the worshippers of Baal at another time he pulled downe the houses where they worshipped and broke the graven Images in pieces At another time he cals out to Jehonadab to see his zeal for the Lord of Hosts Wonderful diligent and yet all this was not done in a good manner nor to a right end Not in a good manner because it was done by halfes not throughly for though he dâ—stroyed the Images of Baal yet he worshipt the Idols at Bethel And then not to a right end because he did not shew his zeal and industry out of any supreame reference to Gods glory but only out of a politick end to establish himself in his Kingdome 2 Kingâ— 10.31 So that you may put forth such diligence in reading and hearing and in receiving and the like and yet if not done in a right manner and to a right end you do not performe the duty of my Text. For take this as a rule in Divinity that when God commands a duty all the circumstances included in â—he duty must be observed or els that duty is not done aright As when you pray you must not leave out one circumstance or quality required in a prayer if so God wil not accept your prayer So here God commands your diligence if you are not diligent in a right manner and to a right end your diligence is not right 3. Though you put forth never so much diligence in the maâ—ters of your soul all those acts you do are none of them meâ—iâ—orious you do not get heaven for praying nor get heavâ—n for reading nor get heaven for hearing though haply you get not heaven without it Good works they may be causes of salvation in this sense causes without which you cannot be saved but all your obedience and all your diligence are no causes for which you are saved or which may any way move God to save you So that though you are never so diligent this diligence is not meritorious at all Why Because to make it meritorious say Divines three things must concur First The thing must be done freely not as a debt Secondly it must be done with a mans own native and proper strength and not a borrowed power Thirdly It must be done perfectly and therefore Divines say and that upon good reason too That all our obedience and all our actings in the wayes of grace cannot be meritorious Why Because First We do them not as a free gift but as a due debt we owe God this diligence and owe him this duty and therefore cannot merit because we only pay God his due If you lend a man money wil you thank and reward him to pay you your own No it is your due he ought to repay you All duties in matters of the soul are Gods due of right belonging to him and therefore cannot be meritorious Secondly This diligence could you put it forth by your own strength you had somewhat wherein to boast but all your diligence is put forth by a borrowed strength by a strength derived from Jesuâ— Christ by a strength from the Covenant of grace it is thence you fetch power to perform all acts of obedience and spiritual diligence Thirdly It cannot merit because it is not perfect nay you are so far from meriting by your obedience that you merit nothing but hell for the defects in your obedience and the imperfections that are remaining in your best services 4. Take this Caution That though all the diligence you can put forth cannot be meritorious for God to save you yet take this for truth that the more you abound in spiritual industrie in the matters of the Soul the more likely you are to receive fuller incoms of joy and fuller increase of grace in your souls To him that hath shall be given and it shall be given him much more abundantly That is to him that hath improved his graces and used them well they shall be given more abundantly Thou hast been faithful in a little thou shalt be ruler over much The more you act and the more diligent you are in the matters of your soul the more likely you are to be eminent and increasing in grace above others It is a note that an Auâ—hor hath upon the Apostle Paul Paul was the most eminent of all the Apostles no Apostle like Paul none outstript him Now Divines ask the reason why Paul should be more eminent then the rest of the Apostles who saw Christ in the flesh whereas Paul saw him onely in a vision and no where else yet Paul was more eminent then any other Apostle and they give this reason Paul was in labours more abundant Paul was more industrious putting out his gifts and graces and God did blesse that industry with a fuller increase of the graces of Gods spirit then others had
or embrace the call of Jesus Christ unto grace and glory And in answer to this I shal lay down onely four suggestions of the Devil wherewith he entangles a man that he should not yeild to the cal of Jesus Christ And as I lay them down I shal labour to take them a way As 1. The first temptation the Devil wil suggest is to you that are young men and to you he wil suggest that you are yet too young to embrace the call of Jesus Christ 't wil be time enough hereafter and you may do it soon enough hereafter you are two young now to be abridg'd of your pleasure and to mortifie your lusts and to betake your selves unto so serious a course as Christ cals you to and by this temptation the Devil prevails with young men more especially And I remember Austine saith that this temptation of the Devil made him keep off for seven years together from embracing the cal of Jesus Christ the Devil would stil tel him in his heart thou art too young to leave thy Drunkennesse and too young to leave thy Harlots til at last he cryed out How long shal I say it is too soon Why may I not repent to day This temptation I say it hath fastened upon many before you that they were too young to come in to Jesus Christ and to this end the Devil wil suggest to you that old and false Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Whereas indeed if you are young Devils you wil be old Beelzebubs And therefore this being a suggestion prevailing witâ— many hearts I shal lay down six considerations to take off this temptation that it may not prevail with you First If the Devil tempt you that you are too young to hearken to Christs cal consider That the Devil cannot give you a Lease of your lives if the Devil could give you a Lease of your lives and tell you you should live til old age you might then with more safety harken to his temptation but your lives are not at the Devils disposal God is the Author of your life the issues of life and death are in his hands you may die in youth uncalled you may be damned as wel as dead You may be as these men Job 36.14 that shall die in their youth and their lives shall be among the unclean And therefore though the Devil tempt you that you are too young seeing he cannoâ— assure you of your lives you have no reason to hearken to his temptation Secondly Suppose the Devil could assure you you should live til old age yet take this consideration that in putting off your calling and the work of conversion from your youth this may so provoke God that he may harden your hearts in your old daies that you shal have no heart to think of and embrace the call and invitation of Jesus Christ Jer. 22.21 I spake to thee in thy prosperity but thou wouldst not hear and this hath been thy manner frâ—m thy youth Thou wouldst not obey my voyce God spake but they would not hear and it was from their youth that they did thus therefore God would never speak more God hardened their hearts that they should never receive or embrace the cal of Jesus Christ So Isa 6.9 10. Seeing the Jewes from their youth were obstinate against the word of God Go saith God make their ears heavy and their hearts fat and their eyes blind that they should not be called and converted and I should save them Let this therefore be a second consideration that the putting off your cal til your old age may so provoke God as never to give you hearts to embrace his cal Thirdly Suppose al this that you could have a Lease of your lives and you could be assured that when you come to old age your hearts should not be hardened yet consider this that the more sinful and evil the daies of your youth have been the more disquietnesse of minde and horror of conscience will this breed in you when you are old though you shal be called and converted by Jesus Christ Job 13.24.25 26. Thou â—idest thy face thou holdest me as thy Enemy Thou dost drive me as a leaf to and fro and thou dost pursue me like dry stubbâ—e Now why doth Job complain thus Mark the next words For thâ—u writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Job when he was a young man it seemâ— he was a wicked man and had many sins in his youth and this in his old age made him cry out and say that God took him for his Enemy and that God brake him like a leafe driven with the wind O beloved the sins of your youth though you should be Jobs converted yet they wil bring great disquietnesse and great horroâ— when you come to age the lusts of youth and the vanities of youth and the sensual pleasures of your youthful daies they wil lay a foundation of sorrow when you come to gray hairs to be neare your graves so Job 20.11 And therefore put the case you should repent and should be called when you are old you have no cause to put off the cal of Jesus Christ seeing sins of youth wil fill you with horror and disquietnesse of minde Hence it is that David after he was call'd by the power of the word cries out Psal 25. Lord remember not the sins of my youth that gravelled and gall'd his conscience the sins of his youth before his cal It is the speech of an Author that to look on the pleasurable vanities and contents of youth this wil become an heavy burden and bitter vexation to old age Beloved the more evil you run out into in your youthful daies the greater and deeper foundation of disquietnesse and sorrow you lay in your souls in your latter daies though you should be called by Jesus Christ 4. If the Devil suggest that you are too young to embrace the invitation of Christ consider That Jesus Christ wll take it most kindly at your hands if while you are young you wil give entertainment to his cal Jer. 2.2 I remember thee saith the Lord and the kindnesse of thy youth that thou wouldst follow me in the Wildernesse in a land that was not sown Mark how the Lord speaks and how kindly he takes it that they would in their youth follow God the Lord wil remember it and take it acceptable from you if while you are young while the Marrow is in your bones and strength in your joynts you wil embrace the waies of Jesus Christ It is an observation that some have concerning the Beloved Disciple John John 20. He is called the Disciple whom Christ loved and that leaned upon his brest of al the other eleven Disciples Christ did love John above the rest and Divines give this reason of it John was the youngest of al the Disciples he was converted and called by Christ when he was a young
to be poor in faith and to be such a beggar as not to be endowed with one dram of grace and then you are beggars indeed As we say he is a poore man that God hates He that hath not Christ and hath not the treasures of heaven in him he is exposed to worse poverty a thousand times then he can be for imbracing the cal of Jesus Christ Rev. 3.17 Yea and he is exposed to worse persecution also that for fear of persecution neglects Jesus Christ Psal 83.5 The Lord will persecute them saith David with fury and wrath speaking of wicked men All persecution from man reaches but to the body but this from God reaches to the soul 7. And then lastly This should not hinder you from following Jesus Christ considering that though you should be poor and should be persecuted yet heaven wil make you amends for all Heb. 11.35 Heaven wil make amends for povertie when you are endowed with all the riches of Christ and Heaven wil make amends for persecution when there the weary shal be at rest and there the troubled shal be at ease And thus much be spoken of the third suggestion of the Devil that if you entertain the cal of Jesus Christ you shal be exposed to much povertie and persecution here in the world SERMON VI. 2. Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE Doctrine I am yet upon is this That Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the prosecution of which I have resolved one case of conscience and am yet upon the second case namely what suggestions the Devil doth use to keep men off from imbracing the cal of Jesus Christ I have laid down and answered three already 4. Now there is one suggestion more When the Devil sees either of these wil take place then he comes in with a fourth to disswade men from imbracing the call of Christ and that is this Why saith the Devil if you wil entertain the call of Christ you wil abridge your selves of all the joy and comfort of your lives you wil never have merry daies while you live upon earth You see men that pretend to be converted and doe hear Sermons what lumpish and melancholy men they are not so jocund and jolly as others are that walk not so precisely if you follow Christ and his Gospel this wil casheer all your merry daies and this wil put you into a sad temper all your jovial daies are gone Therefore to take off this aspersion that the waies of Christ are sad and melancholy waies which hath been an aspersion that from age to age and generation to generation hath been as a Gin the Devil hath used to keep men from Christianity And I remember it is one of the greatest Engines Antichrist useth to support and uphold his Kingdom The Papists to deter men from Christianity and the Protestant Religion they would hold their Disciples in hand with this that the spirit of a Calvinist is a sad and lumpish spirit and therefore they would disswade all Nations from turning to their Religion and this the Priests were to tel in all the Churches of Rome how sad and melancholy they were that turned to the Calvinists religion and this did mightily stay the people from imbracing the truth And this aspeâ—sion hath passed from hand to hand and is many times prevalent upon the spirits of men that are of the true Religion that they must not be too forward in the practice of Religion fearing lest this should work melancholy and sad thoughts in them Now to take off this I shal onely urge four or five heads briefly First Whereas you say they are melancholy sad that are called by Christ to a profession of his waies I would answer thus That they of all people in the world have most cause of mirth gladness and they are the most truly joyful people in the world That they have most cause of rejoycing is apparent When the Disciples came triumphing that they could cast out Devils heal the diseased and work Miracles O but saith Christ Rejoyce not in this but rejoyce that your names are written in the book of life Luke 10.20 As much as if Christ should say All the endowments and extraordinary gifts of the spirit they are no such grounds of joy if you had them all but here is your joy and cause of rejoycing that your names are written in the book of Life that you are in Christ and your souls shal be saved And so Paul tels us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce The Apostle would not speak it to them with a single command but doubtless his expression to shew that they that are people that have their sins pardoned that have their souls reconciled that have a title to glory whose names are written in the book of Life these of all men in the world have most cause of joy and gladness And they have not onely most cause but they doe most truly rejoyce and have more real joy in their hearts in one day then the wicked can have all their lives 1 Pet. 1.8 They rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory What joy you have in the world the tongue is able to speak of it but the tongue is not able to speak of that inward joy that godly men have in their hearts upon the apprehension of the interest they have in Jesus Christ Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance And Thou shalt put more gladness in mine heart c. Prov. 14.13 A good conscience is a continual feast Men are never more merry then when they are at a feast godly men they carry clear consciences about them and that makes them as joyous and pleasant as if they were alwayes at a great and sumptuous feast Indeed this is true they do not rejoyce with such exorbitancies of joy as wicked men do Wicked men rejoyce in sin that they cannot do wicked men rejoyce in their lusts in their drunkenesse and their adulteries and wayes of sin that godly men dare not do Such a rejoycing as this is the foundation of sorrow This rejoycing like the Prodigal in a riotous course of living is the foundation of sorrow and will meet with you when you are to die Secondly Grant this should be true yet consider that this sorrow that godly people have it is such a sorrow that they shal have no cause to repent thereof but it is a foundation of future joy to them 2 Cor. 7.9 10. I rejoyce saith the Apostle in that I have made you sorrowful What rejoyce to see them a sad people Yes for the sorrow I made you sorrowful with was a sorrow never to be repented of you wil never repent of that sorrow and therefore Paul would do it because it was a
but Christ that liveth in me who loved me and gave himselfe for me There he had a particular assurance that Christ loved him and gave himself for him So 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded also that what I have committed to him he will keep till the last day So 2 Tim. 4.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is a Crown laid up for me Nay not onely Paul but Job also Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and I shall stand up before him at the last day he knew Jesus Christ was his Redeemer And so David also saith Thou art my God and I will praise thee Psal 118.28 and Psal 23.6 Surely the goodnesse and mercy of God shall follow me all the daâ—es of my life So that put these together God commands it it is the Spirits office to work assurance in the heart and particular servants of God have had this assurance therefore why may it not be obtained But if you say these were not ordinary servants of God these were servants of a higher rank and form but may ordinary weak Christians know this also Yes Therefore Fourthly Not onely particular Saints have had this but the people of God in General they have declared in Scripture that they have enjoyed this particular assurance of their effectual calling and safety of their condition by Christ Instance in a few Isa 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father They made no doubt of it they were so perswaded they feared it not Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Surely a word of confidence they were assured they had righteousnesse for their justification in Christ Jesus So 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God eternal in the heavens They knew that when they died they should see God in Heaven not only Paul but other godly Christians with him So Heb. 10.34 You know in your selves that God hath provided for you a better and more enduring substance They were assured within themselves that when they should die or lose their Estates here God had provided for them a more enduring substance So 1 John 3.19 Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God So ver 14. We know we are translated from death to life c. So that what can be more clearly proved then this that this assurance is to be attained in this life because God commands it it is the Spirits office to work it particular Christians have had it and the people of God in General they have enjoyed and profest this Temper Is it so then that Assurance is attainable in this life Then how much too blame are our Adversaries the Papists who hold their followers in suspense that they must live without the assurance of their own estate that their soules must hang in fears and doubts all their dayes that the most they can have is only a conjecture Oh into what a gulph of discomfoâ—ts do they plunge them Beloved the Lord in the Book of Deuteronomy chap. 29. did pronounce it as a curse that their lives should hang in suspense it 's a greater curse that mens souls should hang in suspense that men shall not know whether they shall be saveâ— or damned it 's a hell on this side hell and therefore they are much to be blamed that hold their followers in hand with a peradventure thâ—y shall be saved peradventure not when the Scripture is so clear in this thing Secondly Let not the thoughts either of the impossibility or the difficulty of attaining this assurance discourage you from looking after it It is not impossible though it is difficult indeed and the difficulty should be so far from discouraging you that it should quicken your endeavours to make your calling and election sure Thirdly Seeing assurance is attainable in this life enquire into the cause why you who are effectually called have not attained this assurance before now And this puts me upon handling of the second case of conscience seeing this assurance is attainable Therefore Secondly what is the reason that many Christians who are called effectually by Jesus Christ do live in many doubts and fears about their effectual calling In Answer to this I shall lay down these three particulars that the doubts that do arise in Christians about their calling they flow from this threefold fountain Either first from some seeming defect they apprehend in the manner of their calling Or Secondly some seeming defect they apprehend to be in the means of their calling Or eâ—se Thirdly some seeming defects they apprehend in the effâ—cts of their calling and these three grounds are the rise from whence many Christians effectually called do doubt of their call and are not assured of it First it doth arise from some seeming defect they apprehend to be in the manner of their calling They say I am not called in such a manner aâ— I see others are As thus Think they I see other men when they are converted that their humiliations are great I see that they have horrour of conscience that they are wrought upon by the terrors of the Law that they are exceedingly humbled before God Now for my part I never found this manner of Gods working in my soul I never found that I could see my sins clearly or could bâ— humbled for them greatly I never found those humiliations and legal terrors which I hear many men talk of and this makes me doubt whether I am effâ—ctually called or no. Now to take off this I shall onely speak three things by way of Answer First That it is true God doth proceed after this manner with some yet God is not tiâ—d and confinâ—d to one and the same way of working with all What if he come to you in a calm when he comes to others in a Tempest if God come to me to you in a more peaceable and peaceable and quiet way What if God do not pierce your heart as he did those 3000 in the Acts if he kindly open thy heart like Lidia's without noise God is not to be tied to one and the same way in converting all As 't is said John 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth so how it listeth also Secondly You have no cause to doubt for this because it 's Gods usual manner to proceed after this way only with such men who have been loose in their lives who have been obstinaâ—e in their wils who have been very scandalous in conversation before their conversion and call But it is not Gods usual way to work thus upon Christians who have been religiously brought up from their youth it is not Gods way to dowse them into such a pit of horror and plunge them into such a depth of fears that have been of a fair and ingenuous and moral life before their
to salvation Secondly though men have been notoriously wicked in their lives before calling yet if this notorious wickedness doth lay any engagement upon them to make them labour to be more eminent in grace after calling this is rather a sign of election then reprobation It is observable in Paul he was a notorious wicked man before his call but now this exceeding wickednesse of his before call did engage him to labour to exceed all others in goodnesse after he was converted and the more evil he was before the more holy he labours to be after As he laboured before to hale men to prison for professing Jesus Christ he is now as zealous to draw men to Jesus Christ after his call he was very industrious to do evil before his call and this made him after his call as he saith himself I was in labours more aboundant then they all And so Mary Magdalen who before her calling was a vile woman one that was a common harlot a woman out of whom Jesus Christ cast seven devils and yet this woman after her calling she laboured to be more eminent in godly sorrow then any woman before or since she washed Christs feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head The like of which you do not read of any woman in Scripture And this was a very good sign when your notoriousness in waias of sin before calling shall lay such an engagement upon you to become more eminent in grace after calling this is a very good encouragement or evidence that you are within the compasse of Gods election and therefore you have no cause to be discouraged Suppose before the word laid hold upon your conscience you were guilty of filthy sins not fit to be named in the congregation if you will the more honour God and praise God now and walk more humbly and labour to excell each other in grace now as you did in sin in times past This is a great sign that you are in the compasse of Gods Elect ones Thirdly you that have been scandalous in your lives before calling for your comfort know that God in his eternal counsel doth commonly make the profane and wicked and the worst of men the objects of his election rather then civil honest men rather then men that are of an honest and civil and moral conversation here in this world And the Lord doth it upon this ground the more to magnifie the freenesse and the riches of his own grace in electing men to life For should God only chuse moderate and civil honest men in the world men would be apt to think it is that mans morality and that mas civility that was the motice which provoked God to elect them and therefore God to overthrow these thoughts he lets electfon runne rather unto men that have been notoriously grosse and sinful in â—heir lives then other men Manasseh a notorious bloody man yet falls within the compassâ— of Gods election when many a civil man is left out Maâ—y a common harlot yet chosen when many a modest chaste woman was cast into hell Matth. 21.31 32. That Christ urgeth a parable of two men One that said he would go and follow Christ but did not and the other said he would not go but did now which of these twain did the will of Christ and they said the first And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that publicans and harlots shall go into heaven before you But you will say was this common this was onely one single time therefore mark the next words For Johâ— came to you in the way of righteousness and you believed not but the publicans and harlots believed in Christ John came preaching and you would not believe you Phrisees strict moral men that did not flie out into such scandals as other men did you would not believe saith Christ but Publicans men that were most addicted to extortion and unconscionable gain they imbraced Jesus Christ when moral men would not This therefore should be another comfort for you that many times election runns rather to the profaner sort of men then to men that are civil and righteous dealing men here in the world and this God hoth to magnifie the riches of his own grace Fourthly that it is no matter what you were before your callâ—ng if you are a repentant and holy people after your former miscarriages shall no way prejudice your future blessednesse 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Neither Fornicator nor Idolater nor Adulâ—erer nor envious nor thiefe nor covetâ—us nor reviler shall enter â—nto the Kingdome of Heaven and such were some of you c. Here you see a Catalogue of vile evils heaped together and such wâ—re some of you but now you are washed now you are sanctified â— So that no matter what you were before conversion though guilty of great sins so you are now a reformed people now a sanctified people Titus 3.3 We our selves were sometimeâ— foolish disâ—bedient decieved serving divers lusts and pleasures and living in malice and envy c. You were so but after the kindness love of God appeared to you after they were converted they were not so So that these four particulars wil clearly take off this objection that no matter what you were before conversion if you are now a repentant people and bewail your evils and reform your waies your former ill led life will be no hindrance at all to your election Indeed this I must needs say that you that have been most notorious in sin God expects this at your hands that you be most eminent in grace most deep in humiliation most eminent in godly sorrow though your former evils do no way prejudice your election Secondly if the devil cannot fasten this upon you he will come upon you with this assâ—ult viz. your frequent falling into scandalous and foul and grosse enormities after you took upon you a profession of Jesus Christ And this the devil will lay close happily sin before conversion was not so great but now since you have followed Sermons and since you have professed Jesus Christ since that time you have fallen foulely into grosse and scandalous sins and surely this is inconsistent with grace and cannot befal persons within the compasse of Gods election And I confesse this is both sad and hazardous yet I shall lay down three things to uphold thee that yet for all this thou maiest be within the compasse of Gods election As First that divers persons that were within the compasse of Gods election have fallen foulely into grosse sins after their call Lot after he was called fell to be incestuous and fell to drunkenesse David after he was called fell into Adultery Peter after he was called fell to a denial of Jesus Christ Yea you read of Solomon 1 Kings 11.9 That his heart was tuâ—ned from the Lord after the Lord had revealed himself unto him twice After God had revealed himself to Solomon and converted him