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
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
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
Divel gets power over us If once you slack in diligence in this spirituall industry you doe even tempt the Divel to tempt you you lay your selves open to a world of sin and a world of snares As you know it is with water whilest the streame keeps running it keeps clear but let it stand still it breeds frogs and toads and all manner of filth So while you keep going you keep cleare but doe but once flag in your diligence and stand still and O what a puddle of filth and sin will thy heart be The Keys that you keep in your pocket and use every day are bright but keyes seldome used the very rust eats them out So it is with your graces not used with diligence they will soon grow rustie and decay the less diligent you are the more will sin and Satan fasten upon you Heb. 6.12 We desire you saith the Apostle every one of you to shew the same diligence to what that you be not slothfull As if he should say if once you slack in diligence the sin of slothfulnesse will soon grow upon you Whereas now the more diligent you are the lesse busie and operative will the suggestions of Satan and the operations of sin be in thy soul While men slept the enemy came and sowed tares Mat. 13.25 As you know it is with the body A man that is given to live a Sedentarie life a life of sitting those bodies are more exposed to ill humors And therefore the life of Schollars is a life exposed most to diseases but those whose livelihoods are in handycrast trades alwaies in motion and stirring the motion expels the ill humors that they cannot seize upon the body It is so in the soul the lesse you Act in matters of foul concernment the more spiritual diseases and spirituall infirmities will grow upon you Whereas the more active and industrious you are the lesse power will ill distempers and humors have to seize upon the soul Reas 7 7. Because the more diligent you are in matters pertaining to the soul the nearer resemblance and conformitie you carry to Jesus Christ you read of Christ that he went about alwaies doing good And when his father and mother mist him and went three daies sorrowing to seek him and having found him askt him where hast thou been Wot ye not saith Christ I was about my fathers businesse As if he should say I was not about any evill work but to glorifie my God and promote the honour of my father this was my work And elsewhere he tels us it was his meat and drink to doe the wil of his father Here was a diligent person indeed Why the more industrious you are and the more diligent you are in matters of the soul the more like you are to Jesus Christ And where can there be a better pattern for you to resemble or a better Copie for you to write by Reas 8 8. Because the more diligent you are in this imployment the more peace and the more profit will accrue to your own souls The more peace will accrue the more industrious you are 2. Pet. 3.14 Be you diligent saith the Apostle for what that you may be found of Christ in peace without spot and blameless So Isa 32.17 The work of righteousnesse is peace and the effect thereof quietnesse for ever It is not the bare habit or having of grace that is peace but it is the working of it and being industrious in it and the acting of it in your lives that brings peace to your souls And then it will not only bring peace but it brings profit also I may say as Solomon saith Prov. 10.4 The hand of the diligent maketh rich I am sure the hand of a diligent Christian that is industrious in Gods waies will make him rich in grace when those who are spirituall sluggards will come to spirituall povertie So 1 Cor. 15. last Be stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. If then you are industrious in the work of grace it shall not be in vain but you shall get by all that you do in the Lord. Reas 9 9. Because you have lost more grace in a little time then you can ever regain by all the diligence you can put forth should you live never so long You had all graces once in Adam but Adam by one morsel of forbidden fruit lost all that grace which you cannot now regain by never so much diligence Should you pray til you can speak no more and should you sigh to the breaking of your loyns should every word be a sigh and every sigh a tear and every tear a drop of blood you would never be able to recover that grace which you lost in Adam You obliterated the beautiful image of God You lost that knowledg by the commission of one sin which you cannot regain by ten thousand Sermons or doing ten thousand Duties Have not you therefore need of diligence seeing you have lost so much in so little time which by all your diligence you will never fully recover Reas 10 10. Because the best of you have lived a long time either using diligence to damn your selves or else taking no care to save your selves one or both therefore you had need now to set about the work Beloved Magna pars vita nihil agen do maxima malè tota aliud agendo clabitur Senec. I may say as Seneca did of the heathen That a great part of mans life doth pass away in doing evil the greatest part in doing nothing the whole of a mans life in doing other things then he should do And truly so I may say to you A great part of your lives hath past in sinning away your salvation in taking pains to damn your own souls and if not so gross I believe a great part hath past away in doing nothing for your salvation in not praying for salvation in not hearing for salvation in not reading for salvation in not mourning for salvation in doing nothing for heaven and if it be so that you have thus spent your time you have great cause now to put your hand to the work and to use all diligence in matters pertaining to your salvation A man going a journey that hath gone the greatest part of his time out of his way he had need mend his pace when he comes into the right way again so if we have spent the most part of our time in vain we had need give the more diligence for the time to come SERMON II. 1 PET. 2.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure HAving in the morning finish'd the Doctrinal part of this general Point I shall now only make a short Use and then pass to the particulars wherein you should be diligent Vse 1 1 Now Is this true That in all matters of soul concernment you
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
the Apostle Paul Pual 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 So that though God gives us not heaven for our growth in grace yet ordinarily God intails a greater measure and increase of gifts upon the wel using of them while we are in the world Open your mouthes wide and God will fill them The more wide we are in our desires and expectations the more we shall be filled Vse 2 2. For Reprehension Is it so that in all matters of soul concernment we should put forth a great deal of diligence then this should be a great scourge to that sluggishnesse of spirit that most men in the world are guilty of What benummedness and what sluggishnesse of spirit do most men lie under Many men are as David was 1 King 1.1 who when he grew old he was so cold no clothes could warm him There are many men that haply have been hot and zealous in profession yet in processe of time they are grown so cold that all Ordinances can not warm them And though ordinarily the words of the wise saith Solomon are as nails and goads they are as nails to fasten us in a course of profession they are as goads to put us on every Ordinance is as a goad in our side still putting us on in a course of holinesse yet O that sluggishnesse and O that deadnesse of spirit that lies upon mens hearts they go but a snails pace in the way to heaven whereas they can run as fast as a Dromedarie in the waies of sin It is the Observation of a Rabbi That the Snail above all other creatures was by God pronounced unclean because of its slow and easie pace God looks upon thee as an unclean man and an unclean woman that hast a sluggish and a slow spirit in matters of Christianity There are many men that like no life like an idle life they are never wearie so much as they are wearie of doing good and wearie of duties an hour at a Sermon a day at a Fast a little time at prayer quite tires them whereas ways of vanitie and wayes of pleasure they are never weary of It was the speech of that Epicure Marcus Lepidus O utinam loc esset laborare who lying under a shady tree upon a Sun-shine day stretching himself cryes out O would to God this were to take pains to live at ease There are many men as sottish as he they could wish I would to God to sit in a Tavern were the way to go to heaven I would to God to walk in the fields to sit at the door on the Sabbath day that this were the way to Heaven many men would be saved more easily Why how should this condemn that great sluggishness and idleness of mens spirits that they do so little in the matters of soul concernment Beloved you have cause to labour because you find many that have taken pains for Heaven that never came to Heaven Many shall strive to enter but shall not be able Luke 13. Had not you therefore need to take heed Nay Beloved suppose it is a supposition Aegidius hath Si unus tantum homo damnandus esset caeterique omnes salvandi Ego totis viribus anniterer ne essem ille solus Talis dili gentia respicit tantam rem tanta res requirit talem diligentiam though not true yet I say suppose it that all the world should be saved but one man yet saith he you have cause to take pains to be happy lest you should be that one man should perish If all the world should be saved but one man only if only one man should be damned I have cause to labour with all my might that I be not that one man Here then great cause you have not to ly under sluggishness in all matters pertaining to the soul You have a great deal of work to do and haply but a little time if you knew the greatness of your work and shortnesse of your time haply you would now set about the business of your salvation It was the speech of young King Charles of Sicily lying upon his death-bed I have scarce yet begun to live and now wo is me I am compelled to die Beloved Many of you may have cause to say thus you have scarce yet done one good action that may give you any evidence to be happie with Christ another day Happily you have not yet begun to be Christians and you may be soon called to die and what an affliction would this be to you that you have hardly begun to live a life of grace and yet you must die the life of nature This diligence is conversant about many things 1. In getting grace Here you have a great work to do to get grace Above all gettings get understanding And the difficulty of getting grace doth shew the goodness of grace As we say in nature the most vile things are most obvious to the eye and most common to be found you have stones and dirt every where but things of a more excellent nature are more hard to come by if you would have Gold you must dig into the earth if you would have Pearle you must dive into the sea things that are excellent nature hath made them hard to come by This shewes the goodness of those matters which concern the soul that they are very hard to be got Prov. 22 4. Seek for wisdome as for silver and dig for it as for hidden Treasure Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri And then 2. Diligence is required not only to get grace but to keep it and it is no less skil to keep grace then to get it theâ—e are so many temptations lie in your way And then 3. to watch the heart that doth conspire against your graces and against your soul Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life 4. In examining the heart Psal 64.6 The heart is deep and Psal 77.6 All these considered you have cause to take pains in all the matters of the soul Thus having finish'd this Doctrine I now pass to the Particulars to which this diligence is applied Give diligence to what why To make your Calling and Election sure From whence the second Observation I shal draw is this Doct. 2 That Christians that profess the Gospel ought to put forth a great deal of industry and diligence to make this sure to their
souls that they are effectually called and eternally elected Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Now I cannot handle this Doctrine in the bulk of it but must of necessitie take it into parts and handle it piece by piece that so I may give you the strength of the whole Observation in the Application of it And seeing Calling lies in the front I shall in a few Sermons treat of that And the Point from thence will be this That Doctr. Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually Called Beloved This is a very material Point I am now upon especially in this deceitful age wherein men plunge themselves into a gulph of presumption wherein many times men take faith upon trust and Christ upon trust It is meet that you that live under the Gospel should trie your Calling by the Gospel whether it be true or no there may be an external Cal when there is no inward calling by the operation of the Spirit upon your hearts In the managing of this Point I shall shew you these three things First What Effectual Calling is Secondly Why you are required to put forth a great deal of diligence to make your Calling sure to your souls Thirdly By what Characters or Discoveries you may be assured in your own hearts that you are effectually called First What Effectual Calling is You say we must make it sure therefore what is the nature of it For answer you may take this description of it Effectual Calling is the fruit of Gods Election whereby God of his free grace works a wonderful change in the heart of an Elect person by the inward operation of the Spirit accompanying the outward Ministry of the word by vertue of which the soul is brought from under the dominion of sin and Satan into a state of grace and so made meet for the enjoyment of God in glory Now I shal not take this apart but commit it to your memorie and judgment to apprehend Only in this description there are laid down four differences to distinguish effectual Calling from that ordinary or outward Calling that wicked men have by the Ministrie of the Word As 1. Effectual Calling in the description is said to be a fruit of Gods Election but outward or general Calling is a fruit only of common providence God by an over-ruling providence sends the Gospel among a people and thereby calls them to an outward compliance and conformitie but effectual Calling is a fruit of Gods Election 2. It is said in the description that Effectual Calling it changes the heart whereby God works a wonderful change in the heart but an external Calling no way reacheth the heart only worketh some kind of civil or common alteration in the life 3. It 's said Effectual Calling is wrought by the inward operation of the Spirit accompanying the outward Ministry of the word whereas an External Call is only by the word but no inward saving work of the Spirit at all 4. It s said of Effectual Calling that it is from the dominion of sin but External Calling is only from the external acts of sin Indeed by an external calling the word may have that power over a man as to restrain and keep in the visible and external actings of sin but it no way works upon the inclination to take off the affection from sin wheras this effectual Calling works upon the heart and works to the subduing and destroying of the power of sin as well as the actings of it Secondly Why doth God require that we should put forth such great diligence in making sure that we are effectually called by the Spirit of Jesus Christ in the Gospel There are three Reasons why this should be Reas 1 First Because there are many professing the Gospel that do harbour ungrounded perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not Now if many men be deceived why may not you And if many are apt to be deceived about this matter have not you great cause to be diligent lest you are deceived also The Jewes of old they boasted of their Calling and said We have Abraham to our father but Christ confutes that If you were Abrahams children saith he you would do the works of Abraham but you seek to kill me which Abraham did not But then they go higher John 8.46 they were effectually called For God is our Father No saith Christ You are of your father the Divel Thus many men run into these gross mistakes to believe they are effectually called when they are not Many are called outwardly that are not called effectually Matth. 22.14 And therefore it concerns you not to be deceived in this great business Reas 2 Secondly Because there is this natural aptness in all of us in things that are of any value concerning the bodie you wil be sure to make sure of them It may be if you have Brass and Pewter or baser Mettals your Kitchin shal serve for that but things of greater value as Pearls and Diamonds they must be in the Closet and in a Cabinet in that Closet you wil be sure to ensure them Why how much more should you ensure this great and precious Jewel of Effectual Calling that so much concerns your immortal souls When you buy Land you will be sure your Title is good to draw up your evidences so as to be firm in Law You know Merchants if they venture a great or most part of their estate at sea where happily there may be hazard in the Voyage they will run speedily to ensure a great part of their Commodities Beloved this should you do this bodie of yours is the Ship and the Merchandize and Freight in this Ship is your souls and this Ship is going a great Voyage to Glorie Glorie is the Port whither this Ship is to come you shall meet with many dangers in your way haply with storms and tempests of temptation yea haply you may run upon the rocks of presumption or quick-sands of despair O now run to the ensuring Office what 's that why run to seek the Testimonie of Christs Spirit in your own Spirit by the word to evidence unto you upon good ground that the Ship shal be safe and the Commodities brought secure to the Haven that Ship Bodie Soul and all shal come safe to Heaven Beloved if men wil thus ensure their Estates you have much more reason to ensure your souls For believe it if you make not sure your souls if you suffer shipwrack ye are turned Bankrupts presently bankrupt to God you lose him for ever It is said of an old Usurer That when any man came to borrow money of him he would hardly trust one in twentie and being ask'd the reason Why he would do so O saith he it is good to be sure Why Beloved shal an Usurer in all his ways be so secure and so heedful in all his disbursments that he could say
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
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