ever Shaken you may be and tossed with tempest but never Over-turn'd because ye have an Eternal Root Electing love is of that Sovereignty That it Rules and Over-rules all in Heaven and Earth Christ Jesus our Saviour and Lord The Holy Ghost our Sanctifier Councellor and Comforter in all that they have done do or will do do still pursue that scope All Ordinances Providences Temptations Afflictions and whatever can be Named be it good or be it bad in it self Life death things present and things to come are all made Subservient to the Decree of Election And do all Work-together To compass and bring-about its Most glorious designment If the Course and Conduct of Common Providences were truly lined-out It would yield an illustrious Prospect How much more the Conduct Order and End of those special Providences which are proper to and conversant about Election When all the peeces therof shall be brought-together and set-in-order how beautifull will it be Angels and Men shall shout for the Glory of it Then 't will be evident God has done nothing in vain or impertinent to your blessedness That what ever hath befallen you here however contrâ—ry to your present sense and opinion of it was dâ—spensed in very faithfuâ—ness to you That if any of those manifold and seemingly Cross Occurrences you have been exercised-with had been omitted it would have been a Blank in your story a blot in your Scutcheon of honour When you shall see What Contrivances have been against you what Art Subtilty Malice and Power they were agitated-with How unable you were to Fore see prevent avoid or repell them And how all the Attributes of God and His Providences each one in its time and place which was always most seasonable came-in to your Rescue Retorting on your adversaries and safeguarding you yea how that which was death in it self was made to work life in you How amiable and admirable will the story of it be That when your faith was weak the Lord did not withdraw from you That when it was at its height and strength He then did for you above all you could believe or think and through an unspeakable Preass of Difficulties and Contradictions He carried-on his work in you even bearing you on Eagle's Wings until He had brought you to Himself How will you Magnifie His work and Admire it then Begin it Now. Secondly Infer II. Let us study more the Knowledg and Contents of this Great truth of Believers Invincible Perseverance the Rise Progress and Tendency of it and what advantages it yields us which indeed are many and very considerable 1. As it is a part of the Doctrine of Election which teacheth That Nothing in us but Grace and love in God was the only Original Cause of our Salvation The knowledge whereof will work in the Soul an holy Ingenuity and love towards God whom nothing offends but Sin Simon answered right Luke 7. 43. when he said He that had most forgiven him would love most Whence it follows That he who believes the Free Remission of all his sins from first to last must needs love God more than One who believes only the pardon of those that are past and that so as that they may all be charged upon him agen Or if not That yet he may possibly perish for those to-come perhaps in the last Moment of his life For he is not sure Nay 't is very doubtfull if dependent on his own natural will That Faith or Repentance shall be his last Act. Now This Grace of Love being the strongest and most operative Principle he that is led by it must act accordingly that is 2 Cor. 4. 16. Vigorously and without weariness as Paul did And Joseph having received large Tokens of God's love to him and expecting more yet argues against and with an holy disdain and sleight of hand puts-by the Temptation How can I doe this and sin against God who hath dealt and will deal so bountifully with me 2. As it teacheth the soul to Depend upon God for its keeping as having His Almighty Power absolutely engaged for it Whereas if the efficacy and event of all that God doth for Me should depend upon something to be done by Me who am a frail Creature and prone to Revolt I should still be in fear because still in danger of Falling and losing all at last And this Fear being an enfeebling passion must needs render my Resistance and all my endeavours both irregular and weak Whereas a Magnanimous and fearless spirit who sees himself Clothed with a Divine Power shall have his Wits as we say more about him to discern Dangers and Advantages and consequently how to eschew the one and improve the other 3. As it gives assurance Our labour shall not be in vain This made those believing Hebrews to endure that great fight of afflictions and to take joyfully the spoiling of their Goods Heb. 10. 33 34. because they knew they had in Heaven a better and more-enduring substance All manner of Accomplishments put-into-one and made your own would not so invincibly Steel your foreheads and strengthen your hearts as To be Sure of Success and to come off Conquerour The Apostle therefore brings it in as the highest encouragement in our Christian Warfare in Rom. 6. 14. and chap. 8. 37. And our blessed Lord Himself who of all others had the hardest Chapter to Run-through It made His Face as a Flint Isa 50. 7. because He knew He should not be Confounded Thirdly Infer III. Make it one and that a Mayn part of your business to foyl and disprove the Objections that are brought against this Doctrine And your Nearest way to it is Growing in Grace 2 Pet. 3. 18. with chap. 1. from the 5th verse to the 10th 1. Lay-aside and Cast-away every weight especially the sin that doth most easily beset you your bosom sin whatsoever it be Isa 2. 20. 1 Thes 5. 5 6 Cast them to the Moles and to the Batts They are not fit-Mates for Day-light Creatures It is a Noble prize you Run-for Therefore Clogg not your self with any thing that may hinder or retard your pace 2. Keep your selves in the Love of God that is keep-up and maintain a spiritual sense of His love to you and a lively answer of holy affections towards Him Whatever may tend to obscure or lessen your sense of it have nothing to doe with that unjust thing keep your self from Idols let nothing have an interest in your love but God and all things els but in subordination and with respect to Him onely 3. Watch against the Beginnings and first Motions of sin Nip it in the bud Abstain from all appearance of evil and walk not on the brink of your liberty It is easier to keep-out an Invader than to Expell him being Entred To keep-down a Rebel and prevent his Rising than to Conquer him when he is up Great and black Clouds have small beginnings the bigness
whom they appertain Levit. 20. 26. Ye shall be holy unto Me For I have severed you from other people that ye should be Mine Deut. 7. 6 The Lord thy God hath Chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people that are on the face of the earth Chap. 26. 18 19 The Lord this day hath Avouched thee to be His peculiar people and to make thee high above all Nations Deut. 10. 15 The Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them and He Chose their Seed after them even you above all people c. But were they as farr above other Nations in goodness in greatness or excellent demeanor And was that it which intituled them to this honour No such matter As appeares 1 by the Reason there assigned Exod. 19. 5. Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people For all the Earth is Mine It is as if the Lord had said There is no difference between you and other Nations All the earth is Mine and I may take where I will I am not tyâ—d to any I might take of them and discard you They cannot carry it more unworthily than you have done and will do I looked from Heaven and considered their works and yours I see that your hearts are fashion'd a like And 2 Their afterâ—demeanour did abundantly verifie it and the Lord foresaw it I know that thou wouldst deal treacherously Isa 48. 8. ver 4. and wast called a transgressâ—r from the womb That thou wouldst to obstinate thy Neck an iron sinew Jer 32. 30. and thy brow brass and that thou wouldst do only evill from thy youth up c. What then was the Cause or Motive of God's choosing them above others It was His undeserved love and favour to them Deu 7. 8. â—h 9 4. He loved them because He loved them Come to David God had provided Him a King among Jesse's Sons and Samuel must go to anoynt him but it must be Him whom the Lord should Name to him 1 Sam. 16. 1. 12. Not the eldest or good liest person And therefore sayes he when they pass before him The Lord hath not Chosen this Nor this Nor these But David 'T is true the Lord did not mention David's name to Samuel but He did what was equivalent for when David comes in He tells him This is He Anoynt him And observe This he was the youngest the meanest and most unlikely scarse reckon'd as one of the family for he was not brought in among the Rest Then Note his Circumstances Hâ—s employment was to keep the shéep His exercise what was it but such as is reckon'd effeminate He addicted himself to Musick see also his Complexion or Constitution of body White and Ruddy no promising character of a Martial Spirit And yet this Man or rather this lad and stripling thus qualified and thus educated he must be the Captain of the Lord's host who yet had the greatest enemies to deal with and therefore had need of a Man of courage and conduct to be over them Well! let David's birth complexion employment education be what it will Never so unlikely in all humane respects yet this David is and he must be the man whom the Lord will honour to Rule his people to fight their battels and to do exploits In this choice the Lord was pleased to set-by whatever is taking with men He seeth not as Man seeth i. e He regards not Men for their Natural accomplishments If for any thing it must be probably for some excellent endowment of the Mind and that of Wisdome is of as weighty consideration in the choice of a Prince as any other But this is no Inducement or Motive to God He respects not any that are wise of heart Job 37. 24. And if He did it Was not here to be had David had no Prince-like qualities above his brethren until afterwards Which thing is plainly intimated in the thirteenth verse where it is said The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him from that day forward Then for Jeremy The Lord ordains him to be a Prophet sets him over Nations and Kingdoms commissionates him to Root out and pull down To build and to plant c. Why what had Jeremy done that the Lord should call him to so Imperial a work Sure no great matter for this he was ordained to before he was born Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee I sanctified thee and ordained thee a Prophet Jer. 1. 5. It also appears by his own Confession how unmeet he was for such a work and how unwilling I cannot speak for I am a Child ver 6. Another Instance may be Cyrus This man was decreed to a great and noble work Isa 44. 28. Ch. 45. 1. 6. v. 13 It was in brief to destroy the Golden Monarchy To break in pieces the hammer of the whole Earth To Release God's people out of Captivity and to build His Temple and this more than an hundred years before Cyrus was born The Lord styles him his Anoynted His Elect Hâ—s Shepheard and One that should perform His pleasure ver 4 5. And He calls him by his Name too which is twice repeated as a thing to be remark'd And to inforce it the more He adds a note of Narrower observance I have called thee even by thy Name Was Cyrus thus chosen because he would be a puissant Prince Or did the Lord make him puissant and victorious because appointed to such a work Hear what the Lord Himself who best knows the ground of His own Designation says of him Ch. 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to His anointed to Cyrus whâ—se right hand I have holden i. e. I gave him strength and taught him how to use it I will loose the loyns of Kings and open to him the two leafed Gates I will go before him ver 2. I will break in pieces the Gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron c. But what shall Cyrus have done That the great God should do him this honour He did not so much as know the Lord which also is twice repeated as a matter worthy our observation Lastly Paul The Lord from Heaven commissionates him His Preacher General among the Gentiles to bear His Name before Kings To Mawl and Ransack the devil's kingdom and to turn the World upside-down Witness his doings at Ephesus Athens and other places And this he was called to even whiles in the heat of his persecuting fury against that Name which now he is sent to preach And that there was no motive on Paul's part himself is witness where speaking of that his Call he ascribes it to the pleasure and power of God as much as he doth his natural birth Gal. 1. 15. I might also bring in the Stories of Sampson Josiah John Baptist and others to the same effect but that time would fail Now These instances may not be valued as Historical
His Soul an Offering for sin He should see His seed Or it may be intended of both 2 The Righteousness of Christ is concerned in it two ways 1 As the Meriting or procuring Cause thereof and so this Faith belongs of Right to every one He died for according to Phil. 1. 29. Or 2 As He is that faithful Servant who gives to every One according as He hath received of the Father for them In all which respects it evidently flows from Election To confirm which he says expresly in his former Epistle That they were Elected unto Obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 2. So in the 1 to the Ephes The Mystery of His Will is said to be Made known to them Eph. 1. 9. According to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself The same Intendment we have in the Corinths The preaching of the Gospel is to them that perish 1 Cor. 1. 18. foolishness but to Vs who are Saved it is the Power of God And in Timothy Who hath Saved us and Called us with an Holy Calling In both places Saving is put afore Calling and then it must be afore Faith And how Men are Saved before they Believe unless by Election or Redemption which is commensurate with Election doth not appear to us To this purpose 't is further Observable that in Rom. 8. the Apostle sets Predestination afore Calling as in Timothy and the Corinths he doth Saving And in Rom. 9. He puts Calling in a tense subsequent to Election or Preparing unto Glory Ro. 9. 23 24. The Apostle Jude his sentence also accords with it He directs his Epistle To them that are Sanctified by God the Father Jude 1. And Preserved in Jesus Christ and Called Where by Sanctified he means Elected separated or set apart In this sense the word is used elsewhere where it will not admit of any other Exod. 31. 13 I am the Lord that doth Sanctifie you And more plainly in Numb 8. 17 All the First-born of the Children of Israel are Mine On the day that I smote every First-born in the Land of Egypt I Sanctified them for my self Here no other thing but Choosing Selecting or Setting apart can be intended And I see no Reason why it should not be so understood in that of Jude And it is termed an Holy Calling Not only as it Calleth us to Holiness but as it is Sacred Peculiar Set apart and appropriated to an Holy People viz. Those whom the Lord hath set apart for Himself Whose Eternal Sanctifying them in His Decree was the Original Cause of their being Sanctified Actually He loved them with an Everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness doth He draw them Jer. 31. 3. And this their Actual Sanctification is so indubitable a Consequent of the Decretive and so Appropriate to the same persons that the same word is used for both as it is also for Redemption For their sakes says Christ I Sanctify my Self Joh. 17. 19. A lightsom Instance of this we have in Numb 11. 26. Eldad and Medad though they came not up to the Tabernacle with their Brethren yet being of them that were Written the Spirit came-upon them and they Propheâ—ied in the Camp Election finds out Men when they think not of it So the Lord first Determines Jeremy to his Office Jer. 1. 9â— Then puts-forth His hand and fits him for his Work Even Christ Himself was first appointed to His Mediatory Office Isa 61. 1. And then the Spirit came upon Him because so appointed Quer. In the 1 John 16. it is said That to them which Received Him He gave power to bâ—come the Sons of God which seems to put their believing before their Sonship Sol. Albeit that Faith goes afore the Manifestation of our Sonship yet not afore our Sonship it self The Adoption of Sons is That we were Predestinated-to before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 4 and 5. That therefore in John must be understood with that of Moses when he pleads with God for His presence with His People So shall we be separated from all the People that are on the face of the Earth Not Exod. 33. 13. that this Separation was Now to be made It was done afore Deut. 7. 6. Levit. 20. 24. But his meaning is That by the Lord 's going with them this their Separation should be Manifested The same sense of the word ye have in Matthew 5 Matth. 5. 44. Love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you That ye may be that is that ye may appear to be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven v. 45. In like Manner We become the Sons of God by Faith Gall. 3. 26. The budding of Aaron's Rod was not the Cause of God's Choosing him to the Priesthood Numb 17. 5. Acts 1. 24 26. Nor the falling of the Lot upon Saul and afterwards upon Matthias the Reason Why God designed them the One to the Kingdom and the other to the Apostleship They were both appointed before and those Events were but the Effects of that their fore-appointment and Evidences of it So the Giving of the Spirit is that which follows Election Because Sons Gall. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts Although the Manifestation of our Adoption and our actual enjoyment of its privileges Eph. 1. 4 5 9 11 are in time yet the Thing it self is from Everlasting Pursuant to this our Saviour manifests the Father's name to the Men He had given Him out of the World Joh. 17. 6 8. ch 10. 26 27. And These receive it The Sheep hear his voice and follow Him Of others he saith expresly Ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep ch 8. 47. He that is of God heareth God's word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God The same Reason He gives for His different Ministration towards His own Mat. 13. 11. and Others To the One it was given to know the Mysteries of the kingdome of God To the other it was not given And therefore having ended His parables He dismisses the Multitude as having noe more for them but to His Disciples He expoundeth every thing in private and ye see He puts it upon Election as that which had invested them with this prerogative above the Rest To you it is given i. e. It belong'd to them by God's Donation and appointment They are first Saints by Election Then Saints by Calling When Christ appeared to Paul going to Damascus they that were with Him were all in a Maze A voyce they heard but knew not what it spake Why so since they were as likely to yield as he Truly it was not intended for them and therefore their Ears were not boared Nor the speech directed to them but to Paul and to Paul by Name But why to Paul above the Rest since he was the Ringleader and Chief
will be of exceeding great Usefulness to us in every Condition especially under those darker Administrations which we do not see the Cause and Reason of When Matters of great Import seem to be Confused or Neglected When all things in view fall out alike to All and you cannot know either Good or Evil by all that is afore you I shall therefore Collect some of those Considerations from which you may find light and influence in the dark and cloudy day and by which as a Means I my self was drawn in and guided to this Determination before I had searched the Scriptures expresly concerning this Subject And they may serve both as Arguments to Demonstrate the Proposition and as Antidotes against those poysonous Contradictions which carnal Reason and unbelief will be too often forging and flinging in upon us And The First is founded on that Infinite Blessedness which the Most High God was possessed of in Himself Arg. I. before the World or any Creature was made He did not make them for any Need He had of them Rev. 4. 11. but for His Pleasure And if He needed them not there could be no Need or Reason Why He should make them such Or to such an End as not to be Meetly Over-ruled and their End attained without doing wrong to any The Motives by which Men are induced and swayed to do Wrong are chiefly Two 1. To attain something they have not Ahab slew Naboth for his vinyeard 1 Kings 21. And Athaliah all the seed Royal to get the Throne 2 Kings 11. Or 2. To Secure What they have Pharaoh oppressed the People lest growing Mighty they should shake off his yoke and get them out of his Service Exodus 1. 10. Jeroboam set up his Calves to keep the people at home and firm to himself 1 K. 12. 27 28. And the Jews they put Christ to death lest the Romanes should come and take away their Place and Nation John 11. 48. These two have shar'd the parentage of all the Oppression and Wrong-doing that have been in the World Neither of which is Compatible with our Great and Blessed God For all things are His already He posseffeth the Heavens and the Earth and all the hosts of them with an Absolute Power and Right to dispose them And what can be added to That which is Infinite And as for Securing what He hath Of whom should he be afraid For 1. There is no God Besides him Isa 44. 6. The Lord Himself who needs must know it if there were Another professeth Solemnly That He knows not any verse 8. And 2 As for Creatures They are all more absolutely under His subjection than the smallest dust under our feet is to us Ch 40. 17. The Nations are to Him less than nothing and vanity He need not so much as Touch them to bring them down 't is but Gathering to himself Job 34. 14 15. His spirit and His breath and they perish together Let the Lord but With-hold His sustaining Influence and they fall of themselves But He remains the same to all generations Secondly Arg. II. Consider the Infinite perfection of His Nature Holy Holy Holy Isa 6. 3. i. e. Perfectly Holy He is Glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. Now In Holiness is not the least tincture of its Contrary 1 John 3. 5. God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all He is Good and doth Good Ps 119. Is Righteous Joh. 3. 7. and doth Righteousness All His works praise Him The Righteous Lord will do no iniquity It is an high demonstration of His Excellency 2 Tim. 2. 13. That He cannot deny Himself that is He cannot do any thing that is in the least degree contrary to His Holy Nature Nothing that needs to be Retracted or to alter His mind about it His Will is the Rule of Righteousness and Righteousness the Rule of His Will The Saints of old were perfectly of this minde Shall not the Judg of all the Earth do Right Gen 18. 25. Rom. 3. 6. And the Apostle Puts it as a Question not to be answered That if God were Unrighteous How then shall He Judge the World Thirdly Arg. III. Consider Further The constant Rule and Measure of God's Dispensments which is not done Fortuitously nor Rashly Isa 28. 17. but with Deliberation and Exactness He Layes Judgment to the Rule and Righteousness to the Plummet He will not punish without a Cause nor more than is deserved Touching the sins of Sodom Gen. 18 21. I will go down sayes God and see whether they have done altogether according to the Cry of it Renders to every one according to their Deeds Rom. 2. 6. and Gives them a just recompense of Reward Heb. 2. 2. He will not Cast away the perfect Man Job 8. 20. Nor help the wicked Eliphaz puts the question with great confidence as well he might Who ever perished being Innocent Job 47. His Righteousness is such that it even holds his hands until the Innocent be out of danger The Angels were straitly commanded Not to begin the execution of God's wrath on the wicked world until His Servants were Marked out Rev 73. And when the Lord came to destroy Sâ—dom He hastens Righteous Lot to Zoar with this onely Argument Gen 19. 22. I cannot do any thing until thou be come thi her Fourthly Arg. IV. It is further evidenced by the Lawes He hath given unto Men The sum of which is To do Righteously And the End of them the good and welfare of the Creature After a thousand years experience of These compared with the issue of Mens Inventions Nehe. 9. 13. They are acknowledged to be Right Judgments Good statues and lawes of Truth What an admirable Catalogue have we in Rom. 12. 1 Of such as concern our duty towards Himself immediately this is the Sum Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and Him onely shall thou serve There is Nothing more equal and just than to Worship and serve Him Whose we are To love and live to Him from whom we have our life and breath 2 Such as refer more immediately to Our selves As Temperance Chastity Moderation Sobriety c. These as is evident to all do greatly conduce to our outward welfare both in point of health estate Posterity c. And what evil Consequents do attend the Contraries of those Virtues might be every day's observation More especially such as relate to our spiritual state and Welfare of which more particularly under the Next Argument 3 Such Commands also as respect our duty towards Men As to do justly To shew Mercy To follow peace with all Men Every One to Mind his own business And not intermeddle with Others so To be subject to the Powers that be and To pray for those in authority The Neglect of which duty may be a Cause of our disquietment from them at least it may prove an ecclipse of our Joyfulness in
of Men who commonly pitch upon things for some Natural Aptness or Meetness of them for their Work They will not take a knotty cross-grain'd or wind-shaken piece of Timber to make a Pillar of State But the Lord pitches upon such and such to choose the poor base weak foolish things of the world the worst of Men and chief of Sinners The instances of Paul Manasseh Mary Magdalen and others make it evident and of these He is pleased to make Pillars for the House of God Pilluis of State indeed whereon to write His own Name to manifest thereby His Sovereignty Holiness Wisdome Power Righteousness and Free Grace to Eternity The Lord's way and method in bringing His Sons to Glory is the best Demonstration of the Right order of Causes For though there be a Concurrence of many things as Causes and Effects one of another yet if observ'd in their Order they will still lead us up to the Goad Pleasure of God as First and Supream and perfectly Independent The Current of the New Testament Runs wholly this way and hangs the whole of Salvation both Means and End expresly on the Divine Will Luke 1â— 32 It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Chap 10. 21 Thou hast hid these things from the Wise and revealed them to babes For so it seemed good in thy sight Rom. 11. 5 A Remnant according to the Election of Grace Ephes 1. 5 Predestinate to the Adoption of Children according to the good pleasure of His Will Redemption also and the forgiveness of Sins according to the riches of His Grace the same Grace that Elected Ver. 7 The making known the mystery of His Will this also is according to that His Good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself Ver. 9. Yea all the operations of God whether for us upon us or by us they All have their Rise from the same Spring and are Carried by the same Rule He worketh all things after the Councel of His Own Will Ver. 11. And for the Old Testament you have it sufficiently exemplified there in the Instances before given and especially touching the ground of God's love to the People of Israel who in that respect Deut. 7. 8. Ch 9. 4. Ch. 10. 15. were the Arch-type of the Spiritual Election viâ— That His own good pleasure was the only cause of His Choosing them above other Nations He loved them because He loved them And good Reasons there are why Election should be founded upon Grace and why it could not with respect either to God's Glory or the Elect's Security be founded otherwise And the I. Is from the Sovereignty of God Whose Will being the Supream Law admits not a Co-ordinacy Much-less will it stand with Sovereign Power to be Regulated by the will of another That would be a Contradiction to Sovereignty For that which Regulates is superiour to that which is regulated by it Sovereign Princes to shew their Prerogative affirm their acts of Grace to be of their own meer Motion And their Grants are reputed the more Authentique for being so exprest The like we find in Scripture frequently ascribed to God That He will have Mercy on whom He will have mercy Rom 9. 18. That He worketh all things not by Motives from without Eph 1. 11. but after the Councel of His own Will Rom 9. 16. That it is not of Men's Willing or Running but of God who sheweth Mercy When the World had been drown'd for their obdurate impenitency the Few that remain'd were as bad as before and those that should come after the Lord foresaw would be the same One would think now The natural Result of this Experiment should be I will utterly cut them off and be troubled with them no more But the Lord's thoughts are not our thoughts He argues and concludes in another Mode I will not again any more Curse the ground for man's sake And He is pleased to give the same Reason here why He Will not as before why He would asis seen by comparing Gen. 6 5 and 7. with Chap. 8. 21. See also the Instance of God's dealing with Ephraim He was wroth with Him and smote Him and Ephraim so far from Relenting That he went on frowardly i. e. Stubbornly as Resolved in his Course I hid me sayes the Lord and was wroth Esa 57. 15. This one would think if Ephraim had in him but a spark of Ingenâ—ity should have Moved him to alter his Course But what cares Ephraim He still keeps the same way and it was the way of his heart not an inconsiderate Pet or sudden Temptation but Natural and fixed All which the Lord sees and considers and having laid all together Resolves to heal him Isa 57. 18. and Restore Comforts to him On the other hand Those good Soules who feared the Lord and Obeyed the voice of his servant Isa 50. â—1 They yet walked in darkness and had no light ye may be sure They would gladly have understood their Condition namely That they were such as feared the Lord Their Will could not be Wanting to a Thing so greatly importing their Comfort Nor they were not Idle in seeking for it They Walked though in the Dark but could not Walk themselves out of it They are still as they were They had no light By these contrary Examples ye may see That the Sovereignty of God still keeps the Throne and His dispensments of Mercy whether in purpose or in Act are not Governed by the Wills of Men They are things too low to be Councellors to God And if it be thus in things of temporary Concernment much more in that great business of Eternal Election which is the Sublimest Act of Sovereign Power And yet This hinders not but That every Man at last shall be judged according to his works II. Arg. 2. Election must be founded onely upon Grace because Grace and Works are Inconsistent in the Cause of salvation The scripture is every Cautelous of admitting any thing as a Concomitant with Grace in this Matter yea although it be a Thing that doth alway accompany Grace and That without which a Man cannot be Saved The Apostle puts them in opposition and is very intent on the Argument as a thing of great Moment in Rom. 11. Where first he shews That amidst that general Defection of the Iewish Nation there still was a Remnant whom God had Reserv'd These he terms The Foreknown ver 2. and in the 7. ver he calls them plainly The Election And then lest any should ascribe it to a false cause as in that paralel Case he resembles it to viz That they had not bowed the knee to Baal but stuck to the True Religion when others fell off he tells us No Their Election was founded upon Grace And as for Works they had no place in the Causality of it By Grace he means the Free Favour of God who is not moved by any thing without Himself But what He
teach Themselves Rom. 2 from 17 ver to 21. And in Rom. 3. where they are Ranked together he proves them to be All under Sin None Righteous None that understandeth None that seeketh after God None that doth good No not One Yea This depravement of Nature was so deep and indelibly fixed That the Lord Himselfe tells them The Blackmoor might as soon change his skin as they learn to do well All which with abundantly more be speaks a condition extreamly remote from yielding a Cause of this blessed Election IV. If God's love to Men had its Rise and Beginning from their love to Him it would not have that singular eminency in it Joh. 3. 16. that is justly ascribed to it So God lâ—ved the World So as not to be exprest So as not to be paralel'd So as not to be understood until we come to that State wherein we shall know as we are known By this it is 1 Cor. 13. 12. that God's love to Men is so highly celebrated in 1 Joh. 4. 10 Herein is love Not that we loved God but that God loved us And Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up on us 1 Joh. 3. 1. Which surely then is not after the manner of Men Matth. 6. 46. For even Publicans do so Luke 6 32 35. and Sinners love those that love them But to love Enemies and whiles Enemies as to love a Woman a Wife that is an Adulteress this is according to God's love to His Chosen But Notwithstanding these Scriptures with others seem purposely written to obviate such conceptions as would feign our loving of God to be the ground and Motive of His love to us Yet great endeavours there are to Father Election upon foreseen faith and works which That They call the Covenant of Grace has they Say qualified and capacitated all Men for and which certain more pliant ingenuous and industrious persons as they speak would attain unto by the helps they have in common with other Men But this pedigree of Election is excepted against as being not rightly deduced For 1. Men having in Adam devested themselves of all that was holy and good the Lord could not foresee in them any thing of Worth or Desirableness but what Himself should work in them Anew and that of pure Grace and favour For sin and deformity could not be motives of love And that the Elect of themselves were in no wise better than other Men is evident by the Scriptures late-quoted where the Holy Ghost asserting the universal depravement of humane nature exâ—empts not one But if such excellent and distinguishing qualifications as Faith and Holiness had been foreseen and so imputable to them the Spirit of Truth would not have Rank'd them Even with the Children of wrath as He doth Eph. 2. 3. But 2. If they were otherwise what could they add unto God Job 37. 24. Ch. 35 7. Ch. 41. 11. Or whereby could they oblige Him He respecteth not any that are wise of heart If thou be Righteous what givest thou Him And who hath prevented Me says the Lord that I should repay him i. e. Who is he that is a fore hand with God Deut. 10. 17. in doing ought that might induce His favour He regardeth not Persons nor taketh Rewards He is not propitious to any for what they can do for Him or bring to Him Take Paul for an Instance He walked up to the light he had Was blameless lived in all good Conscience knew no evil by himself a rare degree of legal Righteousness But that it was not this moved God to make him a Chosen Vessel he thankfully acknowledgeth with self-abasement upon every occasion Tit. 3. 5. Tin 1. 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 3. Faith follows Election God respects the person before his offering you 'l say perhaps Abel was respected as a Believer and his offering for his Faith True But that Faith of his was not the primary cause of God's respecting him If Abels Person had not been respected first he had never been a Believer For Faith is the work and gift of God and according to the course of all judicious Agents he that will work must first pitch on the Subject He will work upon and he that gives on the person he will give unto Heb. 11. 6. Besides Rom. 14. 23. Abel could do nothing before he Believed that might move God to give him Faith therefore it could not be Abel's foreseen Faith that was the Cause of his Election The Scripture speaks often of iron-sinew'd-Necks and Brazen Brows and of Men's being in their blood when the Lord said They should live As also that God loved Jacob before he had done any good thing and that the Saints love God because He loved them first But no-where of Foreseen Faith and Holiness as the Cause and Ground of God's love to Men. 4. Faith and Holiness are Middle things They are neither the Foundation nor Top-stone of Election They are to Sovereign Grace as Stalks and Branches are to a Root by which the Root conveyes its virtues into its principal fruit Ephes 2. 8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith 2. Thes 2. 13 Chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth They are no more the Cause of Election than the Means of an End are the first Cause of Purpose Nay no more than Tatnai's propension to build the Temple and to provide Sacrifices for the God of Heaven was the Cause of Darius his Decree that those things should be done Ezra 5. and 6. Chapters 5. If men be Predestinate to Faith and Holiness as they are according to Rom. 8. 38 â—9 and 1. Pet. 1. 2. Then they were not seen to be such before their Predestination Or if they were then their Election as to that particular would seem impertinent There can no Rational account be given why Men foreseen to be such should be so solemnly predestinate thereto So likewise If Salvation be the inseparable product of Faith and Holiness according to John 5. 24 He that believeth hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation 1. Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the End of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls Then to ordain to Salvation those foreseen to be so qualified would seem a thing both needless and insignificant It would look like the sending of Men where they would have gon of Themselves Such sapless irregular and injudicious Notions are very unworthy that Celebrious and for ever Adorable Act of Predestination And if duely weighed would set us further off from the doctrine of Self-advancement which stands in so point-blank opposition to the Doctrine of God's Grace V. Arg. 5. It could not stand with the wisdom and Goodness of God to found the Salvation of His People on a failable bottom Which it must be said to be if dependent on any thing besides His own Immutable Will For whatever it was that Election had being from
being thus quickened by the Spirit of liâ—e from God and set upon their feet they are capacitated for action viz. in Things to be done by them And now say they as Daniel Dan. 10. 9. 19. Now let my Lord speak for Thou hast strengthened me And thence-forth their work and business is to Glorifie that Grace that hath saved them To walk before God in the daily exercise of those Graces He hath given them To press after Perfection that is a Meetness for that State of Glory which these things are preparatory to which the Scripture calls A walking worthy of the Lord To shew forth his praises the virtues of Him that hath called them Making His Law their Rule and His Glory their End above all And all in way of dutiful Gratitude For though you may and ought to have respect to your own Salvation peace and comfort yet so as to substitute all to the Glory of God's Grace And take this by the way to encourage you in your duty That the Glory of God and His people's blessedness are so intertwisted as never to be divided Whiles you keep That most directly in your eye and scope your own Concerns are most currently going-on They fall-in together and keep in the same Channel II. Whence these Requisites to Salvation come That Jesus Christ that Great Fundamental Requisite or One thing necessary is the Gift of God sent into the World by Him and set forth a Propitiation through faith in His blood is above all need of proof But the present enquiry is touching the Author of Faith and holiness The Efficient Cause of Regeneration What Power it is by which the New Creature is formed and brought forth Our Assertion is That the New Creature is God's workmanship entirely and alone This the Scripture seems evident for But being a Truth unacceptable to Nature And there being some who Owning the Name deny the Thing we must the more intently look to the proof of it and our Argument for it is this That the Mew Creature must be wrought either by a Divine Power Or by a Natural power Or by the concurrence of both together But I It cannot be wrougbt by a Natural power and that for these Reasons among others 1. Because it is a Creature I. and of all Creatures the Noblest and most excellent All the Virtuoâ—i in the World are not able to make an Atom They may refine and sublimate things that are but cannot give the least being to that which is Not. How then should the Natural Man give Being to the New Creation To suppose such a thing would be a degrading to the Divine Nature A setting the Image of the Heavenly below that of the Earthly For He that builds is worthy of more honor Heb. 3 3. than the thing that is built by him 2. Nothing can afford That it hath not in it self II. Now Every Soul in nature is Darkness and possest with an habitual aversion from God And light is not brought out of darkness nor a clean thing out of an Unclean No man will expect Grapes from thorns the product will be according to That of which it is produced Every Seed will have its own body Matth. 7. 18. Joh. 3. 6. An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit That which is born of the Flesh is flesh and will never be better Therefore the New Creature being a Divine Thing cannot be Educed of Natural Principles 3. The Natural Man is not only void of all virtue and property that tends to Regeneration III. but is Opposite thereto To be grafted into the true Olive-tree Rom. 11. 24. is contrary to Nature He is Enmity against God and Enmity being a Principle uncapable of Reconcilement it cannot be supposed it will help to destroy it self They will not so much as seek after God Psal 10. 4. John 8. 44. nor take Him into their thoughts Satan they follow with natural Motion but as for the word of the Lord Jer 44. 16 ch 2. 25. ch 17. 9. they profess stoutly They will not hearken unto it They have loved Strangers and after them they will go So desperately wicked are the hearts of Men They are even made up of fleshly lusts which war against the Soul And whatsoever hath respect to its happy Restorement And this Enmity is maintained and animated 1 By the Darkness that is in them which all men in Nature are filled with or with false lights which are equally Pâ—rnicious and obstructive to this Work By reason hereof the most glorious objects though just afore them are hid from their eyes 1 Cor. 2. 14. They do not nor they cannot discern the Things which are of God They have false Conceptions of every thing Call Good evil and evil Good put light for darkness and darkness for light and the most excellent things are commonly furthest off from their approbation It 's a known Experiment That the more Spiritual any Truth is the more will carnal Reason object against it John 3. 9. ch 6. 52. How can these things be and How can this Man give us of His flesh to eat By all the understanding that Men have afore Conversion they are but more strongly prejudiced against the Truth Acts 17. 18. 1 Cor. 1. 19-23 2 This Enmity is further Confirm'd and Fix'd by the Naturality of it If it were an Adventitious quality it might possibly be separated But Now it cannot by any humane power And that it is Natural appears in that theVniversality of Mankind is infected with it It is not Here and There One Rom. 3 9 18. But All and Every one Jews and Gentiles are all under sin None that understandeth None that seeketh after God Gen. 6. 13. None that doth good no not One Every imagination of their heart is onely Evil and that continually Every Man is brutish Jer. 10. 14. Psal 51. 3. 58. 5. and altogether filthy and this in their Root Conceiv'd in sin Go astray from the womb c. It also grows up with them and the longer it lives the worse it is and the more Impregnable Rom. 8. 7. It is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be And though at times they look another way like Bullets of Stone or Lead which acted by a foreign power are mounted into the Air their upward Motion quickly ceaseth because it was not Natural They come again to their Center of their own accord and there they will live and die As was verified in Saul Ahab Agrippa and others 4. The New Creature cannot be the Product of Natural Power IV. because every thing is Receiv'd and Improv'd according to the Nature of that which receives it Plants and other Creatures turn all their Nourishment into their own Species and Property A Vine and a Thistle both planted in one Soil have the same Sun Dew Air and other Influences common to both yet each one Converts the whole of
by what Title The Answer is They all do belong to Elect Persons and That in right of their Election To put Effects in the place of Causes and Causes of Effects is a great absurdity in Natural things and yet how prone are we to it in Matters of Divine Concernment which chiefly comes from the pride of our Spirits who fain would be Some-body in procuring our own happiness and do therefore ascribe it to any Cause rather than That which is proper to it This is a Great Evil and the more perilous and catching because espoused by Some of no-common-profession and That with great pretences of Reason for it To Refute which your most rational course will be To search and consult the Scriptures whose testimony and right Reason do always sort-together And if by this Ascent you follow Salvation and all the Conducements thereto up to their Head you shall find them all to be intirely and absolutely of God and contained in the same Decree And consequently That Faith and Holiness are the Effect and certain Consequent of Election The genuine Import of Scripture-Salvation is broad and comprehensive extending to all manner of Requisites which any way conduce to the perfect accomplishment of the thing it self Outward Salvation what ever belongs to the Outward Man's preservation As Water Bread Walls Bulwarks c. Isa 26. 1. Salvation will appoint Walls and Bulwarks i. e. The promise of Salvation implies and carries in it all things pertaining to Safety So Spiritual Salvation what ever pertains to Blessedness and Glory as Redemption Faith Holiness and Holding-out to the End Any of which being absent would invalidate all the rest As one Round of a Ladder pluck'd-out hinders your ascent to the Top. If One gives me a piece of Land that is round-inclosed the Law gives me a Way to it though no express mention thereof in my Deed so as to take the profits Otherwise litle would his Gift signifie to Me Salvation is That the Elect are endowed with Faith and Holiness the necessary Way to their actual possession And therefore These they must be ordained unto and are as well as to Salvation it self For being Predestinate to the Adoption of Sons Rom. 8. 28. Eph. 1 5. 1 Joh. 3. 2. and to be conformed to the Image of Christ which is not perfectly accomplished till His appearing in Glory they must be Predestinate also to all those intermediate Dispensations and Graces which are requisite thereto For Right to the End gives Right to the Means They are therefore said to be Chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2 13. and belief of the Truth In order of Intention God wills the End first and then the Means In order of Execution the Means first as directive to That End Ro. 8. 30. Eph. â— 4 8 10 The End is the cause of the Means and Election the Cause of them both The Promise of Canaan to Abraham's Seed did virtually contain what ever must come between the making of the Promise and the final performance of it As 1 To multiply his Seed into a Nation 2 To keep Esau Laban and Others from hurting them 3 To provide for them in time of famine 4 To preserve and increase them in Egypt notwithstanding the Egyptians craft and cruelty to suppress them 5 To bring them forth with an high hand in contempt of Pharaoh's Resolvedness against it and his Potency to withstand it 6 To divide the Sea before them and provide them a Table in the Wilderness 7 To cause their Enemies hearts to faint and become as Water 8 To send the Hornet before them and to fight for them c. For Otherwise the Lord 's giving them Canaan had been but as the Pope's giving England to the Spaniard that is If he could get it And lastly To pardon their manifold great and high provocations by which they exposed themselves to wrath and extirpation daily So is it in the Case of Election It draws with it even All that is tendent to the Saints actual Investiture with Glory The Apostle therefore linketh Eternity past with Eternity to come He makes Election and Glorification the two extream points of the Compass Calling and Justification which are parts intermediate he founds upon the First in order to the Last and gives you their Set-course in Rom. 8. 38. Whom He did Foreknow Then also He did Predestinate To what to be conformed to the Image of His Son And whom He did Predestinate them also He Called And what did He Call them to He Called them to Holiness to Glory and Virtue 2 Pet. 1. 3. And whom He Called them also He Justified and Glorified These All do belong to One and the same persons and that by virtue of the Decree and no one of them did ever go alone The like Succession of Causes and Effects ye have in the 16th of Ezekiel Ezek. 16. 6-12 The Lord finds them in their blood that is in their natural condition He enters into Covenant with them and makes them His Own there 's Election Then He Washes them and that throughly there 's their Justification And then Adorns them there 's their Sanctification which always is Consummated in Glory In the 17th of the Acts Acts 17. 1-5 ye have Paul preaching at Thessalonica The same Doctrine was propounded to all indefinitely and it must be so for the Minister knows not the Elect from other Men But the Holy Ghost who searcheth the deep things of God and hath the Management of this Work committed to him Joh. 10. 3. Isa 27. 12. He knew the Elect by Name and accordingly took them Gather'd them One by One each One in his proper time and open'd their Ear to discipline Making them That they were Chosen unto And the same Apostle in his Epistle to the Thessalonians where he Celebrates the effects of this Sermon brings in their Election as the Cause of their Conversion Knowing Brethren beloved 1 Thes 1. 4 5. your Election of God For our Gospel came not to you in Word only as it did to others but in power So in the Acts Acts 13. 48. ch 2 47. As many as were Ordained to Eternal life believed And the Lord added to the Church daily whom diâ— He add such as should be Saved Effectual Calling is a sure Demonstration of Election and the first Effect by which it can be known That precious Faith through which we are Saved is obtained through the Righteousness of God 2 Pet. 1. 7. and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 7. 1 It is given through the Righteousness of God the Father and so it either respects His Ordaining us to Eternal life In which Act He did implicitely engage Himself to give us Faith which may therefore be called The Faith of God's Elect T it 1. 1. Or else it respects His promise made to Christ Isa 53. 10. Tit. 1. 2. with 2 Tim. 1. 9. That setting
And therefore as sayes the Apostle We are alwaies confident That when absent from the Body we shall be present with the Lord ver 6 8. This is also further confirm'd by that compendious Promise Jer. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my People Every word here hath a peculiar emphasis 1. That He will be a God to them 2. Their God and 3. for ever This I will imports both a fix'd Resolution Time without limit It is as if He had said Though other lords have had the Rule over you and you have still a Proneness to Revolt to them It shall not be I will not be Outed any more I 'l heal your backslidings and be your God still I 'l carry it towards you and for you as becomes a God to doe and I will make you such a People as becometh God to own I will not be ashamed to be called your God Heb. 11. 16. It would indeed be both a disparagement and dissatisfaction to God if His People should fail of that He made them for which certainly cannot be because God is theirs and if God be theirs all things are theirs both this World and that to come 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. Lastly Arg. VII For the final Perseverance of Believers a Principal Argument is fetch'd from the Sovereign Decree of Election I call it Sovereign partly Because it is the highest Manifestation of God's absolute Dominion over His Creatures in Choosing whom He would and passing-by the Rest Partly also because all sorts of things what soever are subjected to it and made subservient to its final accompliâ—hment And this I take for a principal Reason why Election is so frequently placed in Eternity or before the Foundation of the World viz To shew That the very Fabrick of the World and all Occurrences therein were so contrived and framed in God's Decree as having Election for their primary scope and End That this first Cause is the Supream Moderator of all intermediate Causes and is it self subject to None It was not any loveliness in Elect persons which moved God to love them at first so neither shall their unlovely backslidings deprive them of it though it may be eclips'd by their own default to the breaking of their bones The Lord Chose them for that blessed Image of His Own which He would afterwards imprint upon them and this He still prosecutes through all dispensations That Elect Nation the Jews They apostatized from God and did worse than any Other yet the Lord would not utterly cast them off In Samuel's time their wickedness was very great yet saith he to stay them from total apostacy The Lord will not forsake you But what is the ground of that his great confidence and grand Warranty The very same that now we are upon The Lord will not forsake you because It hath pleased the Lord to make you His People Not because they remembred their duty and returned to God but because He remembred for them His Covenant In pursuance whereof He long maintained their title Notwithstanding their often-repeated forfeitures and when in Captivity brought them home again And indeed Ezek. 16. 62 63. Nothing so melts the hearts of Those in Covenant with God as the the Lord should be pacified towards them after all their abominations The manner of God's dealings with this people is especially Instructive to help the faith of the spiritual Election upon all occasions as holding-forth the special Regard the Lord hath for them because of His Covenant That tho' He may and will punish their iniquities yet His loving kindnefs He will not take from them Ezek. 36. 11. And He puts it still upon His having once Chosen them as you have it in Jeremy ch 41. 9 I have chosen thee and not cast thee away This later Clause And not cast thee away seems added to shew That His Choosing them was an Act unrepealable q. d. I knew aforehand What thou wouldst Doe and how thou wouldst prove and if I had meant Ever to Cast thee off yea if I had not Resolved against it I would not have Chosen thee at all But since I have Be sure I 'l stand by thee I will strengthen thee I will help thee I will uphold thee with the Right hand of my righteousness It is true The body of that Nation for their unbelief are now broken off There is a suspenfion of the outward part of the Covenant Not that God inteds an Utter Rejection of them Rom. 11. 7. For such as have part in the special Election are alwaies saved And the time will come when All Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. 24. For as touching the Election They are beloved still tho' yet unborn For their sakes it was That the dayes of tribulation were shortened Matth. 24. 22. Which answers to Isa 65. 8. Destroy it not there is a blessing in it The Lord will not so much respect What they have deserved as what His own Covenant is concerning Abraham's Seed Which Minding of His Covenant is from the Vnchange ableness of His Purpose And therefore he saith Rom. 11. 24. They shall be grafted in agen Yea though they be driven into all lands Scattered into Corners Mingled with the Heathen and become so like them as Not to be known asunder yet being His Chosen Ones and within His Covenant He will bring them out of their holes Isa 27. 12. and Gather them One by One i. e. He will do it accurately exactly punctually So as none shall be Wanting Though Sifted among all Nations Amos 9. 9. Not One Grain shall fall to the Earth The Reservation mentioned in Rom. 11. is God's Omnipotent Safe-garding His Elect when the Generality of the Nation fell to Idolatry They would have gon All as well as Some 2 Thes 2. 11 12 13. had not Election held them back as appears by comparing the 4 and 5 verses It is therefore said to be According to the Election of Grace Which intimates That Election was the Patern or Original and Reservation the Copy of it And That this was not a single Case or Restrained to the time that then was is evident from Math. 24 Where our Saviour foretells That the Subtilty of Deceivers and temptations of the time should be such and the Torrent rise to that height and strength That it will be a thing next to Impossible Not to be Carried away by it But for the Elect They are safeguarded from it How By the coming-in of the First and Sovereign Cause By the virtue of which the force and influence of all those second Causes shall either be prevented or Romoved Mitigated Inverted Ezek. 9. 6. shortened or Over-ruled and the faith of his Sealed Ones so Confirmed Rev. 7. 3. that they shall not be hurt by them Yea and which is more Those very things which are destructive to Others shall work life in Them Deut. 23. 5. This turn'd