and that first wrought upon me Or saith a third It may be if it was the Word it was the Word preached by a wicked man that is now turned either erroneous in judgement or prophane in practice and this occasioneth a great deal of Jealousie The Word preacht by the mouth of a godly Minister is Gods ordinary way but I was altogether out of this way and therefore this doth make him suspect the truth of his effectual calling Now Beloved I beseech you lend me your thoughts a little for I would fain make this Doctrine as comfortable to every called one as I can I shall speak of all these in order and shew you that put case either of these have been the means of thy calling yet thou hast no reason to doubt of thine effectual calling First thou suspectest thy call because the meanes hath been sayest thou not by hearing a Sermon or the Word preacht but by living among good Christians and seeing their example and their living thou camest by this meanes to love the wayes of God and this was the first meanes that converted thee Beloved I doubt not but I speak to a great many that cannot say a Sermon ever converted them but onely that they were gained to Gods wayes to imbrace the truth this way now what shall I say to such men as these why I would say thus much that though the Lord did not use his Word preached the ordinary meanes of converting soules in calling thee yet God is not tied and bound up to his Word preacht but he may use other meanes to convert thy soule Secondly and more particularly that living among good people and seeing of their example both in life and worship we finde in Scripture to be a very efficacious means 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 meanes oftentimes to convince 1 Pet. 3.16 They shall be ashamed to speak evill 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 ashamed 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. 14.24 25. If there comes an unbeliever among you 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 unbeliever 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 to your husbands what then that your husbands who 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 efficacious 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 poore 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 of some Chapters in the Bible or some other holy mans book and that made me first to hate sin and love the wayes 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 tied 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 to 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 chiefly 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 out 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 controll 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 shall 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. Austin 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 drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse and the reading of this verse wrought upon him I have read of Cyprian that he was converted by reading the Prophecie of Jonas hearing of Gods mercy to save such a wicked people and of Gods mercy to Jonas when he was in so pettish 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 hath bin a famous Minister since for the conversion of many hundreds to Jesus Christ Junius was converted by reading the first
love Paul because Paul was the Minister that did convert him therefore he calls him 1 Tim. 1.2 Timothy his beloved son in the faith And hence it is that when the Apostle would draw love from the Corinthians to himself and the Ministers of Christ that were the means of their calling hee urgeth it upon this ground that they were the means that did beget them to Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 4. ver 1. compared with ver 15 16. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and as Stewards of the mysteries of God Why should men so account of them For ver 15. though you have ten thousand Instructors yet have you not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel Hereby he would draw out their love to him because he was the instrument that did first convert them Now then put these two together A man that is effectually called he doth both love the Word of Christ that was an instrument of his calling and the Minister that preach'd that word which was the means 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 thorowout 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 2. If God hath effectually called you he will by his Spirit bring you out of a state of ignorance and darknesse and give you some measure of knowledg 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 praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light i. e. out of ignorance into a great measure of knowledg And it is called a marvellous light 1. Because it is marvellous if you compare that knowledg you shall 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 knowledg 3. It is called marvell us 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 called 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 Sathan 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 Joh. 8.12 Now this call from darknesse to light hath two Branches 1. A man shall have more light to have more acquaintance with and more clearnesse in the mysteries of Jesus Christ And 2. more light to know the sinfulnesse of himself First He shall 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 souls if you have no competent measure of the knowledg of Christ you may be under this conviction that you are not yet called by Jesus Christ Nay further he doth not onely call you unto this light to manifest Jesus Christ to you in some dim way but you shall have a clear light 2 Cor. 4.6 For God 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 knowledg of the things appertaining to Jesus Christ Again Secondly This light shall not onely reveal Christ to thee but this light shall also reveal thy Self to thee the sinfulnesse of thy self It is observable of Paul that before his calling he was after the law blamelesse he thought himself to be a faultlesse man but when the word called him then he cryes out I see sin to be exceeding sinfull then he saw sin to be sin and himself 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 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 calling must not be sound and therefore take heed I would fain make my Ministrie searching that hypocrites may not lie lurking under it You would be better Christians if you were better acquainted with all that unsoundnesse and that wretchednesse 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 will 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 Hee that hath heard and learned of the father shall come unto me he doth not say all they that hear of the father many men do heare the word but never close in with Christ but all they that have heard and by hearing have learnt and are called come unto mee and close
unto we are elected to eternall 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 therefore much lesse 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 pleasures 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 successors 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 saxe and this makes election on Gods part most free God doth not consider Christ nor the good works we have but t is onely 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 foure Scriptures to prove this James 2.2 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith now say they their laying out their estates for good uses and so becomming poore that is the reason why God chuseth them and neglects richer men To which I answer That poore here is onely spoken of Dins elegit sideles us siâ—t non quia jam â—rant Aug. l. de praedest 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 runne 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 poore 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 beliefe of the truth Now say they sanctification and faith is made as the channel through which election must run and therefore that is the cause or motive why God did elect them To this we answer That it is true God elects men through sanctification and faith as the end God aimes at in elect persons not as the motive for which he elects them And this answer Rivet gives All elect men shall be sanctified and all elect men shall believe though it is not for this sanctification and beliefe that they are elected It is not for grace but unto grace they are chosen This distinction the Scripture gives 1 Pet. 1.2 Ye are elect according to the foreknowl dge of God through sanctification unto obedience Not for as the motive but to as the end Again Titus 1.1 it is called the faith of Gods elect Now say they it is called so because God elects them foreseeing their faith To which we answer That faith is here called the faith of Gods elect not as if God foreseeing faith did elect men but because all elect men shall believe because faith is a peculiar priviledge belonging onely to elect men therefore it is called their faith And then lastly one Scripture more they alledge 2 Tim. 2.20 If any man shall purge himself from sin he shall be a vessell of honour Now here say they purging that is sanctification and good works it is made a condition of election of being a vessell of honour God makes this condition if he forsee a man will purge himselfe and will live holily that man shall be elected shall be a vessell of honour To which we give this answer That purging and sanctification is here laid down not as the cause but as the signe of their election not as the cause why men are vessels of honour but the signe or evidence that they are so If you are purged you shall be vessels of honour that is if you are sanctified it is a sign to you that you are elected SERMON XV. 2 PETER 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe last Conclusion or Doctrine drawn from these words was this That Christians should put forth a great deale of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are eternally elected by God to life and glory In the prosecution of which I have dispatched severall queries I am now to proceed further in the dispatch of what yet remaines to be spoken concerning this subject A fourth query followes Q. Fourthly Whether the decree of election or Gods purpose to save a company of men being from eternity and being immutable whether doth not this give way to man to be secure and carelesse in the use of the means of grace that they take no care to get grace and to get heaven while they are in the world This is a very usefull point to insist upon seeing the Arminians charge us with this that if we hold election without respect to Gods foresight of workes in men then this layes open a gap for men to live as they list that they shall say If God hath determined they shall be saved they shall be saved if that they shall be damned they shall be damned whether they are holy or profane if God hath elected them to life they shall be saved let them live as they list Thus the Arminians plead This therefore is the query whether this doctrine of election doth administer any ground for such a cavill as this to be in the minds of men To answer which I shall first lay down this generall Conclusion That the decree or the purpose of God about the election of man to life and salvation doth no way administer any just ground to men to make them live as they list and to make them neglect the means of grace and salvation In the clearing of which I shall lay down three particulars to satisfie you about this matter As First that Gods decree about Civill and Temporall matters doth no way give encouragement to men to neglect the use of means and live carelesse of the accomplishment of his decree and therefore not so in
strength to maintaine 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 overthrowing 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 indeed 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 not the cause for which God 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 workes then it would follow that infants dying in infancy were not within the compasse of Gods election because an infant so dying could not performe any good works and so their case would be most miserable Besides we are not justified by actuall workes 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 doe it for the sake of Jesus Christ himselfe 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 meere 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 meanes 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 eternall but the merits of Christ were not so Again Christ was elected himselfe 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 tels 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 menbers 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 Christ for his election and yet Christs sufferings were so full as if men were not bound to God for their election Thus they are pleased to expresse it And the reason why the Scripture speakes thâ—s that we are onely chosen in Christ not for Christ is to give God the Father his due in electing men to life that God did it meerly of his own grace and therein Gods love and favour is apparent to all the world that he did elect man without Christ as the motive of his election and yet Jesus Christ being come into the world he carries on our salvation and he is the cause of it though he was not the cause of Gods first thoughts in electing man to life 6. All men that are elected by God to life and salvation shall sooner or later before they die be called into a state of conversion and believing Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life believed So that God the father in ordaining man to life hath ordained this also that before they die they shall be a converted and believing people and therfore men remaining unconverted uncalled unbelieving they are not the objects of Gods election Seventhly that God in chusing or electing men to life doth let his election runne ordinarily unto the meanest and unto the worst sort of men in the world men that have least naturall endowments lest morall excellencies least worldly gallantry ordinarily election runs that way God hath chosen the poore things of this world and things despised and things that are not hath he chosen 1 Cor. 1.27 Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world to be rich in faith Ordinarily the Lord chuseth poor and meane men that have no naturall or morall excellencies Hence it was that when Christ left the learned Pharisees and Doctors among the Jewes the ignorant and poore people they flocked after Jesus Christ they looked after Jesus Christ when the rich and great men of the world had no share in him Eighthly that a man may be an elect child of God and yet not expresse the fruit of his election in many yeeres here in the world and this is a very comfortable point An instance you have of this in Paul It is observable of Paul the Scripture tels us he was a chosen vessell Acts 9.15 and yet Paul lived many yeeres before the fruit of his election appeared in him Some Historians say Paul lived 37. the least say 30 yeers before the fruit of election appeared in him for he was converted the very yeere after Christs death and all the while before he did expresse fruit that was seemingly repugnant to an elect estate as if a man could not be an elect vessell that was so vile as he he was a blaspheme a persecuter injurious to the Church haled men to prison mad with rage against the professors of Jesus Christ Nay he was a man that had a hand in putting Steven the first Martyr to death So long he lived in a course of iniquity for 30. yeeres together and yet this man was an elect vessell then So the Thiefe upon the Crosse an elect child of God yet did not expresse the fruit of his election in repentance and conversion untill the last houre of his life So that I say a man may be an elect childe of God and yet not expresse the fruit of his election in his life for many yeeres Ninthly that God for the great love he beares to his elect that are in the world lets Reprobates and wicked men enjoy many mercies and outward deliverances for their sakes Mark 13.19 20. There shall be tribulation saith Christ such as was not from the beginning of the world nor shall be to the end thereof but for the elect sake those daies shall be shortned For his elect sake God did mitigate did shorten God did take away that trouble from them So Esa 1.9 Had
must put forth a great deal of diligence Then first in applying this Doctrine I must proceed by way of Caution and I shal lay down four Cautions that you may not run into any mistakes about this Point Caut. 1 First That though God cals for a great deal of diligence at your hands in the matters of your souls yet this doth no way presuppose as if you could draw out or put forth this diligence by your own native power but that God that commands you strength that God must give you strength to do 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 follows 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 praier to back the Command Lord thou commandst us to be strong Lord strengthen that which thou commandest So that though God call for your diligence and call 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 will and herein I see my own weaknesse and that I must be beholding to Christ for strength You can as well carrie on the work of Creation as the work of Conversion by your own strength You can as well conquer a world of armed men alone as conquer one Suggestion of the Divel by your own power Though God doth call 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 Cauti 2 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 dutie and answer the Command of my text to be diligent No Beloved you do not answer your dutie 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 kild the worshippers of Baal at another time he puld down the houses where they worshipped and broke the graven Images in pieces At another time he calls out to Jehonadab to see his zeal for the Lord of Hosts Wonderfull 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 but done by halfs not throughly for though he destroyed the Images of Baal yet he worshipt the Idols at Bethel And then not to a right end because he did not shew this zeal and industry out of any supreme reference to Gods glory but only out of a politick end to establish himself in his kingdom 2 Kings 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 doe not perform the dutie of my Text. For take this as a Rule in Divinitie that when God commands a dutie all the circumstances included in the dutie must be observed or else that dutie is not done aright As when you pray you must not leave out one circumstance or qualitie required in a prayer if so God will 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 Caut. 3 3. Though you put forth never so much diligence in the matters of your soul all those acts you do are none or them meritorious you do not get heaven for praying nor get heaven for reading nor get heaven for hearing though haply you get not heaven without it Causae sine quibus non 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 horrowed 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 dutie and therefore cannot merit because we onely pay God his due If you lend a man money will 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 Jesus 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 Caut. 4 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 income 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 wel 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 Author hath upon
a gainsaying heart thou hast a stout spirit against God thy heart is as hard as an Adamant as hard as the Rocks yet here is thy comfort all the gain-sayings of thy spirit and all the stubbornnesse of thy will it shall not be able to keep off converting mercy and shall not be able to keep off calling grace from thee When God hath an intent to call thee he will come with Power by his call and make thee do what he commands thee and make thee imbrace what he cals thee to Did not Jesus Christ use an operative call as well as a significative call no man in the world would ever be called And this is the reason that in hearing the same Sermon and following the same Preacher one man is converted the other is not The reason is this The call of the Ministry is onely a significative call of a Reprobate onely signifying what God would have him do But there is no power conveyed with the invitation to make the man able to do what Christ cals him to and therefore one is called the other is not Thus much in Answer to the first case Case 2 Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to men who are uncalled that they should not give entertainment to or embrace the call of Jesus Christ unto grace and glory And in answer to this I shall lay down onely four suggestions of the Devil wherewith he entangles a man that he should not yeeld to the call of Jesus Christ And as I lay them down I shall labour to take them away As 1. The first temptation the Devil will suggest is to you that are young men and to you he will suggest that you are yet too young to imbrace the call of Jesus Christ 't will be time enough hereafter and you may do it soon enough hereafter you are too 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 Austin saith that this temptation of the Devil made him keep off for seven years together from embracing the call of Jesus Christ the Devil would still tell him in his heart thou art too young to leave thy Drunkennesse and too young to leave thy Harlots till at last he cryed out How long shall 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 will suggest to you that old and false Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Whereas indeed if you are young Devils you will be old Beelzebubs And therefore this being a suggestion prevailing with many hearts I shall 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 yet too yong to hearken to Christs call 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 till old age you might then with more safety hearken 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 dye in youth and if you die in youth uncalled you may be damned as well as dead You may be as these men Job 36.14 That shall dye 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 cannot assure you of your lives you have no reason to hearken to his temptation Secondly Suppose the Devil could assure you you should live till 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 dayes that you shall have no heart to think of and imbrace 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 from 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 imbrace the call 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 call till your old age may so provoke God as never to give you hearts to imbrace his call Thirdly Suppose all 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 dayes of your youth have been the more disquietness of mind and horror of conscience will this breed in you when you are old though you should be called and converted by Jesus Christ Job 13.24 25 26. Thou hidest 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 stubble Now why doth Job complain thus Mark the next words For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Job when he was a young man it seems 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 leaf driven with the wind O beloved the sins of your youth though you should be Jobs converted yet they wil bring great disquietness and great horror when you come to age the lusts of youth and the vanities of youth and the sensual pleasures of your youthful dayes they will 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 call of Jesus Christ seeing sins of youth will fill you with horror and disquietness of mind Hence it is that David after he was call'd by the power of the word cryes 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 call Quae fuerunt inaenia juventut is gaudia haec sunt acerba senectutis gravamina It is the speech of an Author that to look on the pleasurable vanities
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 merrie then when they are at a feast godly men they carry clear consciences about them and that makes them as ioyous and pleasant as if they were alwaies 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 drunkenness and their adulteries and waies 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 wil 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 Psal 126. because it was a sorrow never to be sorrowed for nay it is not only such a sorrow as is not to be repented of but it is a sorrow that laies a foundation to a great deal of future joy They that sow in tears shall reap in joy But now all the joy of wicked men is a joy to be repented of They must repent of all their jovial bouts and repent of all their merrie pastimes this wil be sadness to their remembrance wheras the sorrow of the godly is ne'er to be sorrow'd for Thirdly It is true it may be they are sorrowful but they are sorrowful for sin which you have cause to be that are uncalled as wel as they and more Now if a godly man be sorrowful for sin this wil never prejudice him Indeed Worldly sorrow brings forth death saith the Apostle but godly sorrow brings forth salvation never to be repented of Fourthly It may be they are sorrowful but how is it They are not sorrowful because they are good but they are sorrowful because they are so bad It is not profession makes them sorrowful but it is because they can profess Christ no better and profess him no more zealously this is their sorrow and this sorrow should be in all of us that we can serve God no better and bring God no more glory Fifthly They are sorrowful but it is not for themselves but for thee they are not sorry because they are good but because thou art so bad they are sorry because of thy sins because they see thee an uncalled man stil and they see thee drunk and see thee profane and see thee dishonour God and damn thy soul and this makes them more sad then they would be Lot his righteous soul was vext within him for the wickednesse of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 And Jeremiah his eyes run down with tears for the iniquity of the people he lived amongst And so Paul I told you before and now tell you weeping there are wicked livers among you that walk not according to the truth Phil. 3.17 18. Paul did not weep because he was miserable but because he saw so many wicked and abominable in their lives So David Psal 119.136 Mine eyes run down with water because men keep not thy Law Ezek. 9.4 And lastly Though you see some men sad and melancholy yet think not ill of the waies of God because this way of all other doth most invite to joy and gladness in the Lord. Rejoyce evermore and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 And John 16. These things I speak saith Christ that your joy might be full In the profession and following of Christ it is the intendment of Christ to give you more joy then ever you had before there is no such cause therefore to entertain a prejudice by the Divels temptation against the waies of Jesus Christ when he cals you to professe his Gospel And thus much be spoken to the second case of conscience in reference to wicked men There is a third case touching men uncalled and that is What delusions doth the Divell deceive hypocrites by to make them nourish presumptuous perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not And I intreat you give me your attentions a little in the dispatch of this material question I shall only lay down four Delusions whereby the Divel deceives many Delus 1. The Divel may delude men by this because they do delight to hear the word preacht therefore the Divel would egg on this perswasion surely your delighting to hear the word and your following of Sermons this must needs be an evidence of your effectual calling And here the Divel would misapply Scripture as John 8.47 He that heareth not my words saith Christ is not of God he that is of God heareth my words Now here thâ— Divel would misapply this Scripture and tel you you that hear Gods word and delight to hear Sermons this can be no other then an infallible evidence of your effectual calling Now I beseech you to follow me in the taking off this delusion and shewing you wherein and in what cases this wil prove but a broken reed unto you And I shall shew you that in five cases hearing the word of God with delight is no evidence of effectual calling but may be a meer delusion of Satan As 1. If your hearing the word be but a bare hearing and not a hearing with practice if you have not practice joyned with what you hear and know your thus hearing the word with delight is no evidence of your effectual calling Ezek. 33.31 They come before thee as my people cometh thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voyce as one that can play well upon an instrument of musick Here the Lord sets forth with what delight they heard Ezekiel preach they heard him as a man that had a very lovely voice and they heard him as a man that plaied upon an Instrument of Musick much delight they took in hearing Yet saith God they hear thy words but do them not Beloved though you take as much delight in hearing a Sermon as to hear the most melodious musick a cunning hand can make yet if you barely hear with delight not joyning practice with your hearing this is no evidence of effectual calling Hence it is James saith James 1.21 Be not hearers of the word only but doers also lest you deceive your own souls Implying that you wil deceive your souls about effectual calling
impossible and therefore in that we are commanded and bound to do it it is clear that it is possible and may be made sure Secondly Because it is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work this particular assurance in the hearts of those that are effectually called that they are in the state of grace and shall be brought to glory 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 John 5.10 He that believeth he hath a witnesse in himselfe a witnesse to his own soul that he doth believe Eph. 1.13 14. There the Spirit is called a Seal you are sealed by the Spirit of Promise and verse 14. It is called the earnest of our inheritance Now a seal and earnest is to give more assurance to a Promise and here the Spirit of God is given to Believers as a Seal and earnest-Penny that as they have the first fruits in grace they shall have their harvest in glory 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit It is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to assure our hearts in this particular Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God Thirdly Particular servants of God in Scripture that have been partakers of this mercy they have had this firm assurance of their effectual calling I shall instance in three First in Paul and the Scripture tells us of him that he had a clear evidence of his effectual calling Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me who loved me and gave himself 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 merey of God shall follow me all the dayes 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 only particular Saints have had this but the people of God in General they have declared in Scripture that they have injoyed 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 induring 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 verse 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 Vse Is it so then that assurance is attainable in this life Then how much to 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 feares and doubts all their dayes that the most they can have is only a conjecture oh into what a gulph of discomforts 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 saved 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 they 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 farre from discouraging you that it should quicken your endeavours to make your calling and election sure Thirdly Seeing assurance is attainable in this life inquire 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 Answ Secondly what is the reason that many Christians who are called effectually by Jesus Christ do live in many doubts and feares about their effectual calling Doubt 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 meanes of their calling Or else Thirdly some seeming defects they apprehend in the effects 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 as 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 horror of conscience that they are wrought upon by the terrors of the law
truth but in their own opinion they thought they were elected and thought their names were written there they had strong conceits of this and though they are now deluded and mistaken yet God will make them know one day when they are in hell that their names are blotted out of the book of life Again Another Scripture they abuse is 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Now say they if it were not possible for a man elected to fall and fall finally to what end is this caution of the Apostle it were a needlesse caution were it not possible to come to passe To which I answer two things First the Apostle doth not say Let him that stands take heed lest c. but the Apostle saith Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall Intimating that men that think they are elected and think they are in a good condition they should take heed lest they miscarry to all eternity Secondly Take heed lest they fall This falling here is not meant a falling from grace finally and falling into hell and perishing but the falling here is onely a falling into sinne and so an elect man should doe An elect man though he stand firm in Gods decree yet he should take heed all the daies of his life that he fall not into sinne And if you aske me how I make that appeare I answer from the context This is a conclusion or caution the Apostle gives upon the enumeration of severall instances of the people of God that in former ages did sinne against God As some that tempted Christ and sell in one day 23000. Others that fell to fornication and provoked him in the wildernesse With many such sins reckoned up and the summe of all is this that seeing they that were Gods people fell into sinne and were punished therefore you that think you stand and think you are elected you should take heed you fall not into sinne as they did And thus I have done with resolving this second query Thirdly whether doth God elect any man to life and salvation upon foresight of his faith or good works foreseeing that this man will believe therefore I elect him to salvation and the other man doth not believe therefore I chuse him to damnation Whether I say doth God in his eternall decree elect any man to life upon foresight of works Here the Papists and Arminians joyne both together in maintaining of this The reason say they why God elects some and not others is because God did foresee from eternity that that man would be holy and would believe in Christ and therefore God elected him to salvation These are the hard imputations they lay to Gods charge And in the resolving of this I shall answer it in the Negative That 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 generall 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 not doe it upon foresight of good workes and then lay down reasons and after that take 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 own will Gods meere good will was the impulsive cause of mans election and nothing in man So likewise Rom. 9.11 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 own purpose and grace Upon his good pleasure and his good will to mankind upon that ground election stands But now to adde some reasons why it cannot be that God should determine in his own counsell to save man upon the foresight of his works I shall name three or foure As First because the inferiour priviledges that God bestows upon his people as vocation and justification though they are in actuall being are not for their good works therefore much lesse is election for good works onely foreseen First for Vocation 2 Tim. 1.19 We are called not according to our own works but according to the purpose of his own grace And then for justification we are not justified for works neither Rom. 3.34 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 in being in us Secondly because then it would follow that children dying in infancy could not be electedâ— for the child being in the mothers wombe if it hath life it hath a soule and so must either be saved or damned But a child while it is in the womb neither acts good or evill 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 claime to salvation from him If God were bound to choose 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 thus would poore man boast against his Maker Fourthly Because God hath elected the worst of men when others that have more naturall 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 weake 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 wisdome and naturall abilities that most excelled in outward strictnesse and morall 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 cleare 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
sinfull and profane in your lives so exceedingly profane vile wicked livers that certainly the divel will say such as you could not fall within the compasse of Gods purpose to save Secondly the divell will tell you that certainly you cannot be elected to life because that after your calling into Jesus Christ you have fallen so fouly into capitall and scandalous crimes and sinnes And thirdly because that God doth continually pursue his people with outward and great afflictions thence the divell will gather you are not the chosen and beloved of God These three grand temptations he doth many times fasten upon many tender consciences meerly to create a world of doubts and perplexities in the chosen vessels of mercy I begin with the first First the divell tempts you that sure you are not elected because your lives were so exceedingly profane and you were such abominable ill livers before you tooke upon you the profession of Jesus Christ this the divell layes before many a poore soule to stumble at To satisfie you in this therefore I shall lay down four particulars by way of answer First Many of the servants of God before their calling have been very lewd wicked notorious profane livers and yet have been within the compasse of Gods election to life and glory Cast your eyes upon Paul and there you shall finde what he was before his call He tels you himselfe I was a blusphemer a horrible sinne I was a persecuter I was injurious to God Church I haled men to prison for professing the name of Jesus These are great sinnes Nay further saith he I was exceeding mad against the Church of God A man enraged with malice against the people of God Now what could be morvile then these And yet you shall finde this man a chosen vessell of mercy Nay you shall finde God to strengthen the confidence of men upon their election puts a scandalous liver and election together to make men see that a scandalous life before conversion is no prejudice to a mans election Acts 9.13 14. And Ananias said Lord we have heard of this man by many speaking of Paul how much evill he hath done to thy Saints at Hierusalem We have heard by many what an evill man this is and that he hath authority from the chiefe Pâ—iests to binde all that call upon thy Name and that this man did doe it did execute his commission here was a wicked liver but now mark what the Lord saith Goe thy way for he is a chosen vessell to me Here you see Ananias laies his offence and his wickednesse before him and yet Goe thy way saith God Goe thy way for he is a chosen vessell to me The like instances we have in Manasseth and Mary Magdalen This therefore is my first answer that many of the servants of God have been men of very ill and notorious lives before conversion and yet they have been within the compasse of Gods election to salvation Secondly though men have been notoriously wicked in their lives before calling yet if this notorious wickednesse doth lay an engagement upon them to make them labour to be more eminent in grace after calling this is rather a signe 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 his call did engage him to labour to exceed all others in goodnesse after he was converted and the more evill 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 doe evill before his call and this made him after his call as he saith himselfe I was in labours more abundant 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 divels 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 signe when your notoriousnesse in waies of sinne 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 sinnes 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 sinne in times past This is a great signe that you are in the company of Gods Elect ones Thirdly you that have been scandalous in your lives before calling for your comfort know that God in his eternall counsell doth commonly make the profane and wicked and the worst of men the objects of his election rather then civill honest men rather then men that are of an honest and civill and morall 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 onely chuse moderate and civill honest men in the world men would be apt to think it is that mans morality and that mans civility that was the motive which provoked God to elect them and therefore God to overthrow these thoughts he lets election runne rather unto men that have been notoriously grosse and sinfull in their lives then other men Manasseh a notorious bloudy man yet falls within the compasse of Gods election when many a civill man is left out Mary a common harlot yet chosen when many a modest chaste woman was cast into hell Matth. 21.31 32. There 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 goe but did now which of these twaine 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 goe into heaven before you But you will say was this common this was onely one single time therefore mark the next words For John came to you in the way of righteousnesse and you believed not but the publicans and harlots believed in Christ John came preaching and you would not believe you Pharisees strict morall 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 gaine they imbraced Jesus Christ when morall men would not This therefore should be