and resolves to save without the death of his Son Without this blessed device which he devised that his banished ones might not be expelled from him Gal at 2. 21. Acts. 17. 2 3. 2. Corinth 5. 14. Matth. 26. 39-42 2. Sam. 14. 14. And this evil and dangerous Doctrine makes the Preaching of the Cross foolishness also and all the Commands Instructions Calls Counsels Admonitions and Reproofs thereof useless or unnecessary Seeing such as belong to this Election as they speak shall be brought iâ— when Gods time comes by such a Power as cannot be resisted And such an one is not put forth in the Gospel 1 Thes 4. 8. Acts 7. 51. And therefore there is no necessity of Preaching that as to them And for all others there is no necessity to Preach to them for they must inevitably go to Destruction and Perish do they what they can or will to avoid and flee from it If this ungodly Device and Doctrine were true And then as their Elect must be brought in by an irresistable Power so they shall be preserved also to the enjoyment of eternal Salvation hereafter and cannot possibly miscarry And then what need is there of the Ministry of the Word to any 1 Cor. 1. 18. 21 25. Yea this Device hinders many that listen to it from conversion of turning to the Lord in leading them to neglect their hearing Wisdom and watching daily at her gates and waiting at the Posts of her dores For as an eminent asserter of such like Doctrines and one of the most moderate ones also though he greatly fault the manner of propounding it Yet saith and thus speaketh Whether ye run or sleep whether ye receive the Word into your hearts or reject it ye shall all be such as God who is invincible decreed ye should be as God who is infallible foresaw ye would be this is indeed a most true doctrine And as I my self have heard from more then one of the receivers and entertainers of this vision of mens owne hearts this hath led them thus to say If The one of the elect God will bring me in in due time by an irresistible power will I nill I and till that time come I had as good sit at home or walk after the imagination of mine owne heart and sight of mine eyes And if I be not of this number but one of the reprobates what ever paines I take or how diligent and frequent soever I am in hearing reading praying frequenting the assemblies of Gods people and using his ordinances yet I am sure in conclusion I must have my portion in that lake of fire which is prepared for the Devill and his Angells Or as one speaketh publickly and plainely without mincing it at all It is saith he a certain truth that whomsoever God hath elected before the foundation of the world such cannot possibly perish And he whom he hath rejected cannot possibly be saved though he doe all the workes of the saints that is though he repent and believe the Gospell and persevere therein unto the death This is the fruit of this wicked and corrupt root which persuades men that it is in vaine to serve God as with respect to the greatest part of men Mal. 3. 14. Or else some beleivers of it and zealous pleaders for it are unacquainted with their beloved and fast holden opinion and thus and otherwayes also this evill and erronious doctrine opens the gap to all profaness licentiousness and wickedness whatsoever This doctrine also exposeth and driveth many men to desperation And causeth to say there is no hope namely such persons as dare not think themselves to be better then others nor judge themselves to be of this Chosen Number And even to wish they had never been or that there were no God And what the issue and consequence of mens saying there is no hope is the Scripture declareth unto us that it makes men resolve they will Walk after their owne devices and will doe the imaginations of their evill heart Jer. 2. 25. and chapt 18. 10 11. And others it leades to persumption teling them that it is altogether impossible for them to miss of eternall life however they behave themselves though they may so sin as to be frowned upon or corrected here yea to be sharply chastised yet they cannot possibly be unson'd or disinherited they shall have peace in conclusion though they walk after the imagination of their owne hearts adding drunkeness to thirst as long as they can These trust in lying words saying the temple of the Lord are we And we still belong to the election of grace though we kill steale commit Adultery sweare falsly and burne incense to other Gods As they said Jer. 7. 4-8 9. Deut. 29. 18 19 20 c. How contrary is this to the Scriptures of truth Rom. 11. 20 22. 1 Cor. 9. 27. John 15. 6. Hebr. 4. 11. And the minding and considering what is the election of God and who are the subjects of it is proper and powerfull to preserve us from this device of mens evill hearts And so from the evill fruits thereof or if we have been polluted therewith to give us an escape therefrom As may be also further shewen in what followeth 2. What hath been said of Gods election and elect ones may be usefull also to shew unto us that mens eternall states are not fixed in a personall consideration before they were borne It is true indeed this is Gods purpose that he that beleiveth and is baptized shall be saved And he that beleiveth not the gospell while and as it is preached to him shall be damned God hath determined and decreed that such as unfeignedly beleive his Gospell and abide faithfull to the death shall have eternall life And such as abide impenitent and unbeleiving ones or after they have beleived turne aside to their crooked pathes and abide therein to the end shall be destroyed with an everlasting destruction And this was his purpose before men were born John 3. 14-18 Marke 16. 15 16. But this respects not men in a personall consideration nor necessitates one man to beleive or another not to believe But it was purposed without difference or respect of persons But I say respecting men in a personall consideration the doctrine of Gods election sheweth that no mans state is fixed or unalterable before he came into the world and much less from eternity or before the world was No nor while they are joyned to all the living and the day of Gods grace and patience lasteth Indeed when men are cut off from the land of the living then there is a great gulfe fixed so as there is no passing from one state or place to another Luk. 16. 25. As the tree falleth so it lieth and so it shall rise and remaine for ever Whether it fall toward the South or toward the North In the place where the tree falleth there it shall be Eccles 11. 3. Those that dye in union with
Christ shall be so raised and be ever with him And those that dye in their sins and out of Christ shall be so raised and perish for ever from his presence And the consideration hereof might awaken and Ingage us all that while it is an acceptable time and day of salvation we receive the grace of God to purpose even to be saved thereby For there is no work nor device nor Wisdome nor knowledge in the grave whither we are going Eccles 9. 10 And not to neglect the present time considering also our times are in Gods hand and we cannot boast our selves of the morrow for we know not what a day may bring forth Our times are in Gods hand In his hand is the soule of every living thing and the breath of all mankind And Behold he breaketh downe and it cannot be built againe he shutteth up a man and there can be no opening If he cut off and shut up or gather together then who can hinder him Prov 27. 1. Job 12. 10 14. and 11. 10. Tâ—…y therefore if we will hear his voice let us not barden our hearts Hebr. 3. 7 8. But now while it is called to day and while men are joyned to all the living there is hope their states are not now unalterable but men may pass from one state to another Such are at present out of Christ and so none of Gods Elect but under the sentence of death and condemnation may be of God made in Christ and so of the Elect and chosen generation And shall so be if they abide not still in unbeleife and disobedience to God and his Gospel As our Saviour signifieth and assureth the truth of it with a double asseveration Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Or out of death into life Out of a state of death wrath and rejection into a state of Life Justification the favour of God and Election John 5. 24. To which also agreeth what the Apostle John saith signifying that they were instances of the truth hereof We know that we have passed out of Death into Life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. Men may now be delivered out of the Kingdom of Darkness and removed into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son Coloss 1. 13. Men may now be turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God And in being so turned they shall receive the forgiveness of their Sins and Inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith in Jesus Christ Acts 26. 18. This Doctrine of Gods Election as it is declared to us in the Scriptures of truth is a sweet and comfortable Doctrine agreeing with the whole Gospel of Christ It leads us to mind and consider the preciousness and necessity of the Blood and Sufferings of Christ without which there could have been no Remission of Sins nor Eternal Life But all must have gone to Hell without difference or respect of Persons 2 Cor. 5. 14. And that if Christ had not been raised again we had been yet in our Sins and Preaching Faith and Hope had been all in vain 1 Cor. 15. 12. 20. It sheweth unto us that the Gospel of Christ is the Power of God in which his Arm is put forth for pulling men and choosing them out of the world into Christ And that such as obey it are blessed and such as reject it judge themselves unworthy of Eternal life 1 Thes 1. 3 5. 2 Thes 2. 13 14. Acts 13. 46. And so leads us to glorifie the word of the Lord. It sheweth unto us that such as are Elect may possibly fail of the Grace of God if they abide not in Christ John 15. 2. 6. 16-19 And so instructeth us to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear To have and hold fast Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear for our God is d consuming Fire And so preserveth us from high-mindedness presumption and licentiousness Heb. 12. 16-29 And it assureth us that such as are at present of the world and not chosen out of it and so none of Gods Elect may be chosen and shall be if they with the heart believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God Joh. 15. 19. and 17. 6. Ephes 2. 2-5-8 1. Pet. 2. 9 10. Whereas that other Doctrine that device of such mens brains as are of no judgement in that particular concerning the Truth is a most comfortless and heart-breaking Doctrine to the greatest part of mankind for it perswadeth them that mens states were fixed before they were born And the greatest part by far reprobated or past by before they had a personal being And that there is no hope for them nor possibility of their being saved And that Gods end in all the mercies he bestows on â—…en and means he vouchsafeth to them is but to leave them without excuse and to aggravate their condemnation and render their sin more sinful and their Judgement more exceeding terrible But this Doctrine of Gods Election agreeeth with and is founded upon the word of the beginning of Christ Hebr. 6. 1 2. 1 Cor. 3. 10 11. In which are declared glad tidings of great joy unto all people because Christ the Saviour hath taken the nature of Man upon him of that kind or species of Creatures not as distinguished from another part of that kind but as distinguished from the nature of Angels which he laid not hold on Luke 2 10 11. Hebr. 2. 14 16. And that be the Lamb of God bare the sin of the world of mankind Joâ— 1. 29 And by the Grace of God tasted death for every man Hebr. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14. And gave him self a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. In which Doctrin we see the cordialness of Gods heart to man-ward And that he would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth The end of Christs dying for all men being that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. Tit. 2. 11-14 And so be happy for ever And to the end they might so do and be Christ is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world And he is therefore a light to them that he might be for salvation to them that through him they might be saved from their sins and from the wrath of God and so out of and from that miserable condition and estate in which men are while they abide in ignorance and unbelief Joh. 1. 9. with Acts 13. 47. Joh. 3. 17. This Doctrine sheweth unto us that such as are not chosen out of the world at present may be so hereafter through the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men Though it also shews that it is dangerous to
at present were none of Gods chosen ones Rom. 11. 17. 23. with ver 7. Thus also he commandeth the Prophet to proclaim these words to such as he had put away and to whom he had given a Bill of Divorce Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever only acknowledge thine Iniquity c. Jer. 3. 8. 12 13. He hath reserved this Prerogative to himself that he can righteously shew mercy where Men cannot If a man put away his Wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return to her again shall not not that man only but also that Land be greatly polluted where such Iniquity is committed But thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord. And concerning such He as it were bethinks himself how he may againe receive his former favour and their former nighness But I said How shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a Land of desire an heritage of glory or beauty of the Hosts of Nations And I said Thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turn away from me Jer. 3. 1. 19. And hence he thus expostulateth with such as had sold themselves for their Iniquities and for their transgressions were put away Wherefore when I came was there no man when I called was there none to answer Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem or have I no power to deliver Namely from all your transgressions and from that miserable condition you have brought your selves into Behold at my rebuke I dry up the Sea c. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to Him that is weary even to such also as have wearied themselves in wandring from Mountain to Hill and forgotten their resting place his hand is not shortned at all but he hath still power to help turn pardon and receive such backsliding ones Isai 50. 1 2 3 4. Such like comfort this Doctrine of Gods Election propoundeth and proclaimeth to poor sinful ones while it is called to day not to strengthen men in their Iniquity But to allure them and prevaile with them to come to him that he may take away their iniquities and receive them graciously that he may heale their backslidings and love them freely Hose 14. 1 2-4 3. This doctrine of Gods election is also a monytory doctrine to admonish and warne us all neither to reject the grace of God nor to receive it in vaine But so heartily to entertaine and retaine it and yield up our selves to the operation thereof that we may now be saved from our evill thoughts and wayes And bring forth fruit meet for him by whom we are dressed that we may receive further blessing from God In the former use we have shewed that though at present we be not yet we may be chosen But here we have to shew that we must of necessity receive the grace of God to this end and purpose or else we shall be excluded the kingdom of Christ and of God To this end Christ gave himselfe for our sins that he might deliver us from or pluck us out of or Chuse us out of this present evill World according to the will of God and our father Gal. 1. 4. with Matth. 5. 29. and 18. 9. with 2 Thes 2. 13. The whole world lieth in wickedness or in the wicked one and will be hereafter condemned and all that remaine of it needfull therefore it is that we be saved from and chosen out of this untoward generation 1 Joh. 5. 19. with 1 Cor. 11. 32. God indeed so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten son But it was not with a delightfull well pleased love as is before said nor so as he ever intended that it or any abiding in the state and fellowship of it should partake of eternall life and salvation But to this end he so loved it that whosoever of it beleiveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 14 15 16 17 18. But unless men so receive the love of the truth as to be saved and Chosen thereby while the day of Gods grace and patience is vouchsafed and continued to them they will be damned hereafter not because they were reprobated from eternity for so no man was in a personall consideration nor because they had no true and saving grace afforded to them and for want thereof thereof they could doe no better then they did For the saving Grace of God or Grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared But because they beleived not so as to have pleasure in the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Tit. 2. 11. 2 Thes 2. 10 12 13. Oh! this will be the Worm that will never die but will gnaw upon them and torment their Souls for ever that when God so loved them as to give his Son to die for them to deliver them from that so great a death as they were fallen under the Sentence of viz. the first death And to obtain Eternal Life into the nature of man for them both which he hath done by his Blood and Sacrifice And that he gave him to be a Testimony of Gods goodness and love to them in due time and so preached to their Spirits by his Spirit that they might have been saved That notwithstanding all this they would not come unto Christ that they might have life but held fast deceit and refused to return Oh! that in due time it may be so considered by us that we may hearken diligently unto Christ and so receive the Word of God as it is in truth the Word of God that it may work effectually upon us So as we may not only be called thereby but chosen also And so may flee from the wrath to come Quest But some may say The Elected are chosen by Christ and cannot chuse themselves Is there any thing then in order to this Election or chusing required of us that we may be the subjects of it What should we do Answ It is true indeed they are chosen by Christ who are elected and cannot chuse themselves by any Wisdome Strength or Works of Righteousness of their own But it is also as true that in those things appertaining to the Salvation of the Soul in which they are Passives yet there is somewhat required of them as God is preventing them with his Grace As to say They cannot beget or bring forth themselves but the Work of the new Birth is the Work of God John 1. 13. Jam. 1. 18. But yet it is signified that something in order hereto is required of Men not in any wisdome or ability of their own for they have none But as God is preventing and assisting them with power and capacity namely to
them not to entertain or retain evil and hard thoughts of Him but to come unto Him as the Apostle Paul saith He hath committed unto us the ministry of Reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto Him not imputing their Trespasses to them Therefore we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 18-20 6. 1. Now then by how much the more the greater light and clearer revelation is now vouchsafed to Men in the Gospel as now preached and by which Men are called unto Christ by so much the more their iniquity is inexcusable and more highly displeasing unto God Hence our Saviour saith It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment then it should be for them that rejected Christ and His Gospel as it began to be Preached in the time of His Personal ministration Mat. 10. 14 15. 11. 20-24 Yea it will be more tolerable for Gods People in former times who sinned under that dark and dreadful ministration of the Law as the Apostle signifieth Therefore because God hath spoken to us in these last days by His Son we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip for if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him c. Heb. 1. 1-3 2. 1-4 And again He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be counted worthy who hath troden under foot the Son of God c. Heb. 10. 28 29. 12. 15-25-29 This is the condemnation that Light is come into the World as in former times it did not and Men loved Darkness rather then Light c. Joh. 3. 19. In the times of Mens ignorance God winked at them but now when thorow the tender mercy of our God the day spring from on high hath visited us to give Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the shadow of Death He commandeth all Men every where to Repent And they who will not so do that they may believe and come to Christ that they may be chosen will be more severely proceeded against and dealt with in the day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God who will render to every one according to their works and according to the means vouchsafed And so Wrath will be rendred to the Jew and so we may say to the Christian first and also and after unto the Gentile Acts 17. 30 31. Rom. 2. 4-8-12-16 Luk. 12. 47 48. 3. Their iniquity who are called by the Gospel as now preached and not chosen appears to be highly provoking and altogether inexcusable if we further consider the powerfulness of the call in and by which they are called and by which they might be chosen also Men are not only called with an outward call as we have before said but loe He sends forth His Voice therein and that a mighty Voice and speaks by His Spirit to the Spirits of Men 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. with Gen. 6. 3. And by this Voice of His He doth awaken them and cause them to hear to the end they might come unto Christ that they might be made of the Elect Generation He now speaks unto the dead Souls of Men and His Voice is to the hearts of them whose Voice all that are in the Graves shall hear and shall come forth It is the same Almighty Voice that is now sent forth for converting the Soul as will be to raise the dead out of their Graves hereafter but not put forth in such a manner I mean not irresistibly nay indeed as to the effecting the former it is called the Voice of the Son of God As to the effecting the latter it is said to be the Voice of the Son of Man Joh. 5. 25 27 28. And indeed the powerfulness of the voice of Christ in its preventing operation in the Gospel appears to be propounded by our Saviour to remove such a jealousie as might arise in Mens Hearts to their own or others discouragement as with respect to their utter importency and helplesness in themselves Hence when our Saviour had directed to the way and means how Men might now have their states altered and be made of the chosen Generation who were not so formerly in saying Verily Verily I say unto you He whoever He be that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed out of Death into Life lest any one should discouragingly say Alas herein is signified to us that Men are naturally dead and destitute of all Spiritual Life and how then should they hear To this our Saviour addeth Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now iâ— when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear as they are thus prevented shall live In which saying though He still signifies and gives us to understand that Men are in and of themselves Dead and so have no free-will or inclination to any thing that is spiritually good yet He both intimates that the Voice of the Son of God accompanieth His Word And also that it doth so not only in His Personal but also and rather more powerfully in His Spiritual Ministration to the end of the world to enable dead ones to hear that they might hear and live Joh. 5. 24 25. 7. 37-39 When persons are asleep and dead in sins and trespasses He then in and by His call in His Gospel by the Ministry of His Servants awakens them and rouzes them out of that sad condition Wherefore He saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light Eph. 5. 13 14. It is indeed certainly true That all Men are naturally helpless in themselves and can neither will nor do any thing of themselves as of themselves that is spiritually good But it is also as true That the Grace of God doth bring Salvation to them in due time And Christ lighteth every Man that cometh into the World He openeth the Eyes of the Blind in due time and unstoppeth their Ears in and by His Spirit in His Gospel and is turning Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God And then in the power and capacity given unto them by Him they might hear and see and be converted And it is Mens rebellious iniquity that it is not thus with them Tit. 2. 11. Joh. 1. 9. 5. 25. Acts 26. 18. Ezek. 12. 2 3. It is verily
after Him God hath given His Son to be the sign of His Gracious heart towards all sinners And to that End hath given Him by His Grace to tast Death for every Man and hath raised Him again from the Dead for their Justification And hath given them Eternal Life and this Life is in His Son And sent Him in the Gospel to open their Eyes and to bring forth the Prisoners out of the Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-house that in obeying Him they might be called out of Darkness into His marvellous Light and therein be of the chosen Generation Isa 42. 1-7 with 1 Pet. 2. 9. Oh let none of us reject His Grace nor receive it in vain But let us who are hearers of the word of truth so look into the perfect law of Liberty and continue therein that we may not be forgetful hearers but doers of the work that we may be blessed in our deed both now and unto the day of Eternity Oh! that we may not deceive our own Souls in making a trade of hearing and yet secretly prefer our Lusts and Idols before Him unto whom God hath given the preeminence in all things If we should thus do what shall we say when God riseth up And when He shall judge the World in Righteousness what shall we answer Him Others may say for themselves though unprofitably and wickedly we knew thou art an hard and austere Master Reaping where Thou hast not Sown and Gathering where Thou hast not Strawn They may say our Teachers perswaded us that Christ died not for all and we knew not whither He died for us nor was there any true and saving Grace vouchsafed to us if it had we should have done better But thus according to that judgment you profess to believe you cannot plead You have heard and been called by the Gospel of Christ the doctrine according to Godliness And if you be not also chosen you know it is only your own iniquity And therefore you know there remaineth nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour all them that obey not the Gospel Your Mouths have been already and often stopt by the Gospel so as you cannot but confess that God is not willing with your Perdition And if you Perish your Destruction will be altogether of your selves Oh then laying apart all Filthiness and superfluity of Naughtiness receive with Meekness the ingraffed word which is able to save your Souls Oh that when it is too late you may not take up that complaint How have we hated Instruction and our heart despised Reproof And we have not obeyed the voice of our Teachers nor inclined our Ears to them that instructed us If it should be so with any of us this will gnaw upon us to all Eternity that when we were assured from Gods Testimony of Gods good will towards us and that Christ wrought Redemption for us and thorow the discovery thereof was powerfully Redeeming and Choosing us from the Earth and from amongst Men yet willingly and wilfully we by observing lying vanities did forsake our own mercy Jonah 2. 8. That we for love to our sins and vanities the sinfulness and vanity whereof we saw in the Cross of Christ and when infinitely better things were proposed to us should yet in our hearts love Darkness and the Devil rather then Light and Christ How can our heart endure the remembrance hereof Or how can our hands be strong when He shall plead with us Oh consider this ye that forget God and spend your money for that which is not Bread And so consider the terrour of the Lord as evidenced in the Cross of Christ that the time past of your life may suffice you to have wrought the will of the Gentiles And that now you incline your ear and come unto Him who calleth you by His Servants that you may hear that your Souls may live and He may make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Oh! be not like to them unto and concerning whom the Lord saith stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your Souls but they said we will not walk therein Also I set Watchmen over you saying hearken to the sound of the Trumpet but they said we will not hearken For be we well assured if such iniquity be found with us and persisted in by us that we will not come to Christ who is the rest nor hearken unto and obey the Trumpet of His Gospel if we will not be chosen after all means used and patience exercised He will at last say of us as He did of them The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6. 16 17-29 30. Consider what is said and the Lord give us understanding in all things The END Books Printed for and Sold by Benjamin Southwood at the Star next to Serjants-Inn in Chancery-lane THE Brazen Serpent or Gods grand design for Mans Salvation a practical discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine in 4o. by John Horn of Linn Regis Needful Councel for Lukewarm Christians being a consideration of some part of the Message sent to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea a seasonable discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine in 4o. by Charles Phelpes of Lynn Regis The wonderful Councellor his Councel and Charge to his Disciples to have Salt in themselves that by the powerful and seasoning Efficacy thereof they might have Love Peace and Unity one with another a blessed searching Discourse according to the Primitive Doctrine whereunto is annexed some considerations on Rev. 22. 14. To do His Commandments in 8o. by Thomas Moor Sen. Englands Improvement Reviv'd a Treatise of Husbandry by Land and Sea The Planting of Trees Orchards and Gardens with the several ways of improving all sorts of barren and wast Grounds and enriching all Earths with two Chains to plant Seeds or Setts by and Hops The nature and virtue of Trees Plants and Herbs and their phisical directions Also the ordering of Cattel and observations about Sheep with many remarks never before extant in 4o. experienced in thirty years practise by John Smith Gent. The reward of the Wise and the fruitful Christians future Blessedness being a Funeral discourse at the burial of Mr. Thomas Moor Sen. in 8o. by John Horn of Lynn Regis The object of Love wherein it is manifested and wherein it is to be perceived by us at all times to the end we may love one another in 8o. by Charles Phelpes of Lynn Regis Instructions for Children into the chief Grounds of Christian Religion with the great mysteries of Redemption Faith Works Law Gospel yea and of Predestination Election Reprobation being opened therein agreeable to Scripture and most conducing to the promoting of Godliness by John Horn of Lynn Regis the second Edition somewhat abbreviated A comfortable Corroborative Cordial against the fears and harms of Death affording directions how to live and dye Run from Rome and beware of Babylon or brief notes upon the Beast his Image Worship and Mark in 8o. by John Horn of Lynn Regis FINIS ERRATA PAge 3 l. 7 r. outer p. 5. l. 13. r. made under p. 11 l. 21. r. their P. 19. 16. r. all p. 24. l. 13. r. Apostle P. 34. l. 30. r. is so p. 39. 8. r. amongst the. p. 50. l. 25. r. own p. 55. l. 14. r. as are p. 59. l. 28. r. unavoidable p. 81. l. 3. r. cannot p. 84. l. 27. r. is it p. 86. l. 15. r. 1 Thes p. 89. l. 20. r. Son l. 24. r. Que. 4. p. 90. l. 13. r. Elect. p. 106. l. 6. r. enemy for the r. and. l. 14. pitched p. 107. l. 21 dele striving for the Faith ps 108. l. 11. r. Subjectr l. 19. r. intended l. 19 r. is p. 109. l. 3. r. in his p. 112. l. 3. r. in p. 114. l. 24. r. ing l. 25. r. however p. 116. l. 2. r. as are p. 118 l. 21. r. them p. 121. l. 24. r. subjects p 124. l. 23. r. despair p. 126. l. 7. r. them into his p. 139. l. 20 r. that p. 140. l. 9. r. Parables l. 19. r. hearers of the word p. 144. l. ii r. immediately p. 151. l. 4. r. Answer p. 154 l. 8. r. strait gate p. 158. l. 3. r. Or no P. 160 l. 8. r. mens p. 163. i. r. into p. 181. l. 3. r. abait p. 182 l. i. r. unavailableness p. 189 l. 29. r. himself
the Waters and he that hath no money c. And to move them hereto He saith Behold I have given Him for a Witness For a Witness of His Love and Faithfulness He hath so loved the World that He hath given His only begotten Son to be the Saviour of it that all men through Him might believe John 3. 16 17. and 1. 7. 1 John 4. 14. And hence exhorts men To seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near Yea The Wicked to forsake his ways and the man of Iniquity his thoughts and to return unto Him and He will have Mercy c. Isa 55. 1. 4 6 7. Here is a good account and sure ground given in the Gospel both for the Servants to Call so as they shall not run at uncertainty nor fight as those that beat the Air But may both Preach to any man or every man as they have opportunity and Pray for them Without wrath though they be their Enemies and without doubting whether God bears any good Will to them or no For they may certainly know and conclude God will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth Because Christ gave Himself a Ransome and Price of Redemption to God for all a Testimony in due time And for those who are Called who from hence may be Incouraged upon principles of Certainty and Truth to come unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily and in whom is all Compleatness prepared and treasured up for us And whosoever believeth in Him shall never be ashamed nor confounded Luke 6. 27 36. 1 Cor. 9. 26. 1 Tim. 2. 4 6 8. And so much for the first Inquiry Secondly By whom are the many Called By the Servants Instrumentally and Ministerially and especially by the Apostles in these last days For as we have said our Saviour in this Parable speaketh Prophetically of the Gospels being Preached unto Jews and Gentiles after He had finished the Work the Father gave Him to do upon the Earth And after His Death Resurrection Ascension Receipt of and sending forth the Holy Spirit in His Name in and by which His Apostles were fitted and furnished to Preach the Gospel according to the Revelation of the Mystery For until then the Servants had not Commission and Furniture to Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ And though when Christ was risen from the Dead He gave Commission to His Apostles to go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature of all the Nations yet they were by Him commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until they were Indued with Power from on High that they might be fitted and inabled to put in Execution that Authority and Commission they had received Mark 16. 15. Mat. 28. 18 19. Luke 24. 47 49. And then they were to be Christs Witnesses unto all men of what they had seen and heard And yet though by the Servants here are meant the Apostles principally yet not only For the Bride in general saith Come And he that heareth is commanded to say Come Rev. 22. 17. And so the many are Called by the Servants of the King indefinitly though principal Respect is had to the Apostles So much is plainly signified to us in this Chapter that the many Called are called to this Marriage and Marriage-feast by the Servants So it is said as with respect to the Jews The King sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding Mat. 22. 3. Again He sent forth other Servants Ver. 4. And when the first invited Guests refused and dispitefully used them he saith to his Servants The Wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not worthy Go ye therefore into the High-ways c. Sâ— those Servants went out into the High-ways and gathered together all as many as they found Ver. 8 9 10. And indeed it is the Work of the Faithful Servants of the great King not to Commend or Preach themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. And not to Disciple men unto themselves but to call and Espouse them to one Husband that they might be presented as a chaste Virgin unto Christ Acts 20. 28 30. 2 Cor. 11. 1 2 3. Their great Business is to bear Witness of Christ of His Sufferings and of what He hath thereby done and obtained into Himself and is become and is And of what He is now doing both from Heaven in the Name of the Father to us And in Heaven with the Father for us And what He will do hereafter John 15. 27. Acts 5. 30 32. 1 Pet. 5. 1. Heb. 13. 7 8. And not to proclaim their own goodness as the most men do Prov. 20. 6. that men might admire them or have their Faith standing in their Wisdom Goodness or Holiness 1 Cor. 2. 1 5. Acts 3. 12. But to Confess Praise and Call men unto Him in whom dwelleth all the Fulness that in coming unto and believing in Him they might of His Fulness receive and Grace for Grace But though they are called by the Servants instrumentally yet not by them only The King sends them not alone on this Errand of His but He accompanies them by the Light Influence and Power of His Blessed Spirit in their plain and faithful Ministration So much in former Times was signified to us As in that Scripture like to this and whereto it may seem our Saviour referreth in this Parable Prov. 9. 1 3. Wisdom hath Builded her House She hath hewen out her seven Pillars She hath killed her killing She hath mingled her Wine She hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens She crieth upon the highest places of the City c. Though She sent them forth to call others into the House yet Her Presence goes along with them And not only they Cry and Call but also She crieth Doth not Wisdom cry and Understanding put forth her Voice She standeth in the top of High places She crieth at the Gates of the City Unto you O men I Call and my Voice is to the Sons of Man She sends forth her Spirit in and with Her Servants that they might be successful Instruments in Her hand Prov. 8. 1 4 5. with Chap. 1. 20 23. So our Lord Jesus when He gave Authority to His Apostles to Disciple all Nations c. To Incourage them unto this their Service and against all their Discouragements He graciously assureth them that He would be with them always and not at some times only unto the end of the World And that He was faithful who promised another Evangelist informs us saying they went forth Preaching the Gospel every where the Lord working with them Mat. 28. 18 20. with Mark 16. 15. 20. Hence they are said to be Workers together with Him 2 Cor. 6. 1. And he that despiseth and rejecteth His Servants in their faithful Ministration of the Gospel rejecteth not Man but
before the first Coming of Christ And many fearers of God amongst the Gentiles both before and since Christs Appearing to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of Himself Mat. 2. 16 18. with Jer. 31. 15 17. Mat. 19. 14. Psal 11 5. 9 10 11. And yet there is no Salvation in any other but Christ and through Him and through His Name Power and Authority and upon the Account of His Sufferings and Sacrifice they shall be saved though no clear or distinct knowledg of Him was vouchsafed to them And therefore the want of it shall not be Imputed to or Charged upon them to their Condemnation And this Charity we desire to have because we thus judge that one Died for all and Rose again viz. That Jesus Christ by the Grace of God tasted Death for every man and is Risen again from the Dead for their Justification And hereby all that have sinned in the first publick man and come short of the Glory of God are Justified freely by God's Grace through that Redemption in Christ Jesus in an answerable sence as they were Condemned in the first man Adam 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 2. 9. Rom. 3. 23 24. and 5. 18. So as no man shall perish in that first Death for ever which was the Wages of the Disobedience of that one man Nor in the Eternal Judgment shall there be any occasion for the use of that Proverb The Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge 1 Cor. 15. 20 21. Jer. 31. 29 30. Ezek. 18. 2 4. And in the Cross of Christ and Virtue thereof we so see the admirable Love of God to every sinful Creature of Mankind while it is called to day aswell as also in plain Intimations and Instructions given us in the Testimony of the Scriptures That we cannot but judge that His Requirings and Expectations will be no other then according to His Distributions and Dispensations that is where much is given of them He will require the more and where little He will require but according thereto And where He hath not sown He will not reap nor gather where He hath not strowen And therefore all Infants who die in their Infancy and were never guilty of that Condemning Sin of the World of loving Darkness rather than Light after Light is vouchsafed shall in the general Resurrection have Eternal Life through Christ's Name And all others who have not had any distinct knowledg of Christ and yet by the Goodness and Mercy of God through the Mediatour have been led to Repentance and have feared God and been Workers of Righteousness according to the means vouchsafed and continued such to Death shall also through Christ have the reward of Everlasting Life 1 Tim. 2. 4 6. 2 Pet. 3. 9 15. Rom. 2. 4 7 12 16. Luke 12. 48. Mat. 25. 24 26. Rev. 20. 12 15. But how can they have such Charity or desire to have it who deny or believe not the Great and Fundamental things of the Gospel as spoken and delivered to us in the Words which the Holy Ghost teacherh Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Mat. 7. 15 16. Those Builders can never Build well who dis-alow and reject the Foundation 3. Nor do we believe that by the many called are meant all such as are Called by realous Teachers and such as name themselves the Ministers of Christ or however not such in this consideration as Called by them for there are many such who in their evil Doctrines rather Call men from Christ then to Him How many are there that disciple men to Antichrist instead of inviting them to our Lord Jesus and steal away the Word of God from the People in the Records of them And how mauy others are there though not so grosly evil yet as dangerous and destructive to the souls of men who though they would have the Scriptures continued amongst men in such Languages as are understood by them yet they tell them the meaning of the Scripture is the Scripture and that is such as lieth not in the plain import of the Expressions however not in many of the fundamental Sayings of the Gospel And the Scripture some call a dead Letter other some call it the Letter And their Glosses and Interpretations are the Spiritual meaning Thus they call the World which God so loved as to give His Son to be and of which He is the Saviour the World of Elect the all and every man for whom Christ Dred some of all sorts or every Godly man c. thus indeavouring to pervert the Gospel of Christ And yet appearing very zealous in seeking the good of men which is indeed somewhat strange considering that they believe Christ Died for the fewest of men only and for whom they know not As one of them lately exprest himself in his Prayer such an one as it was as I was instantly informed by some Credible persons that heard him Lord said he if there be any one Soul in this Congregation which was a great one for whom Christ hath Died let me not lose my Labour And considering also that they believe that there is a precise and certain number of Persons determined to Salvation And these shall Infallibly be Saved though they held their Tongues and all the rest inevitably perish I say these things considered it is somewhat strange they should be so appearingly zealous in seeking the good of men Indefinitely It may be fcared this Zeal proceeds not from the Love of Christ For the Love of Christ constraineth us saith the Apostle because we thus judg that if one Died for all then were all dead and that He died for all c. Which they believe not But that herein they are like them who did shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men neither entring in themselves nor suffering them that were entring to enter And yet for a pretence they made long Prayers for their Hearts went after their Covetousness and they did compass Sea and Land to make a Proselite Mat. 23. 13 14 15. Truly concerning such who Preach and Plead for such Doctrines as these viz. That Christ Died not for all men but for the fewest only That God hath Decreed a set and determinate number of Persons in a Personal consideration to believe and be saved And these all shall Insrustrably believe and be saved and these only and all the rest must unavoidably perish That such as are once in Christ cannot possibly fall finally from the Grace of God c. It may be said Hearken not to the Words of these Prophets they make you vain they speak a Vision of their own Heart and not out of the Mouth of the Lord Jer. 23. 16. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 1. For how much soever these thus Call and how much soever others Listen thereto and how Reformed and Zealous soever they appearingly be come hereby they are not in this Consideration of the Called here spoken of much less of
24. Paul was not so while he was anememy unto him 〈◊〉 persecuter of them that called upon his name But he with others found favour and was made accepted in the beloved one in coming unto and believing in him Eph. 1. 6. with Luk. 1. 28. 30 5. And lastly By Chosen ones in our types are often meant and signified such as were souldiers and were pithced upon and imployed to fight the battells of the Lord against their enemies or more generally such as fought against their enemies Military men are hereby meant and sons of valour who were indued with courage and strength to go forth against and contend with their Adversaries such are often called Elect or chosen ones so Joshua Chose out Thirty Thousand mighty men of valour to go up against Ai Joshua 8. 3. So David gathered all the chosen men c. 2. Sam. 6. 1. And Abijah set the battell in aray with an Army of valiant men of warre even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the battell in array against him with Eight Hundred Thousand chosen men being mighty men of valour 2 Chron. 13. 3. 17. So oft time it is taken in this sense Judg. 20. 15. 16. 34. Psal 78. 31. c. And thus also this sense may be accommodated to these words few are chosen namely few there are who betake themselves unto and fight manfully under the banner of Christ against their spirituall enemies with the weapons of Gods warfarre few there are who so love and cleave to Christ as to endure hardness as his good soldiers to deny themselves and take up their Cross and follow him To watch stand fast in the faith quit themselves like men c. 2. Timoth. 2. 1-3 4. 1 Cor 16. 13 14. Rev. 17. 14. Few love his gospel so well though called by the trumpet of it as to leave the world as it were and be valiant for the truth earnestly contending for the faith 〈…〉 striving for the faith of the Gospel against the world and against that sin that dwelleth in them and those fleshly lusts after their Merchandise Farms c. And against the Devil And so in this consideration they are not chosen men But this sense may not so well as the former suit with the scope of this place And therefore it is the more briefly spoken unto Thus we have also spoken unto the Affirmative part in the first thing propounded to be considered from the latter part of this verse and shewed who are Gods elect ones namely such as are by the grace of God chosen out of the world into Christ and abide in him such as are commanded appointed and ruled by his law the law of faith such as are more excellent then others choice ones precious in his sight and account such as are the subjects of his peculiar love and delighted in by him And such as come unto and follow after the Captain of our salvation fighting the good fight of faith and laying hold on eternall life In a word his people in a peculiar consideration all hearty and unfeigned beleivers are the elect and chosen ones here intenâ—ed by our Saviour The Nation the blessed Nation whose God 〈◊〉 the Lord is the people which he hath chosen for his own Inheritance Psal 33. 12. and 105. 43. Such God hath chosen who are rich in faith as Jam. 2. 5. hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world but not all the poor nor any that have not faith but such as are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him And as in order of nature Christ the prime elect and root of election was first Gods servant to finish the work in own personal Body which the Father gave him to do before he was his Chosen or Elect one Isai 42. 1. Phil. 2. 8 9 John 3. 35. with chap. 10. 17. So also as with respect to others who are Chosen in Christ They are his Servants before they are the Subjects of Election hence the same order of expressions is used frequently concerning them As thou Israel my servant Jacob whom I have chosen Isai 41. 8 9. and 43. 10. And again Hear O Jacob my servant and Israel whom I have chosen thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the Womb which will help thee Fear not O Jacob my servant and thou Jesurun or righteous people whom I have chosen Isai 44. 1 2. and 65. 13. 15. And these only are Gods Elect and chosen ones and the persons intended in this Text we are speaking to and such as abiding faithfull unto the death shall in due time receive the Crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him and look and wait for the appearing and coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as his Grace teacheth and instructeth Jam. 2. 5. with chap. 1. 12. Titus 2. 11 13. And what we have said of this Electioâ— or choosing and who arâ— not and who are the subjects of Gods Election as in the Scripture of truth plainly appeareth may be of usefulness to us 1. To preserve or redeem us from that evil and hurtful Notion and Doctrine of personal Election in a personal consideration which some call the Gospel of Election In which Men think and teach that God hath from Eternity Decreed and purposed a set determinate number of Persons in a personal consideration to Believe and be saved And that all such shall in due time be brought in to Believe and be Converted by an invincible and irresistable Power And that Men may be of this number and the subjects of this purpose who are Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Abusers of themselves with Mankind Theeves Covetous Drunkards Extortioners c. Yea and Persecutors Blasphemers and Injurious ones while abiding such Yea that some abiding such till almost their departure out of this world are yet and continue the Elect of God and his Chosen ones This is a very groundless Scriptureless and Pernicious Doctrine And that which renders the Cross of Christ foolishness For if Men were absolutely decreed to Salvation before the consideration of Christs interposing himself and humbling himself to death the Death of the Cross This Decree might also have been as righteously put into Execution without it And so as the Apostle saith in another case which is as true in this Christ dyed in vain or without any just cause which thought and imagination is to be rejected by us as that which renders needless his precious Blood And represents Gods love to his only begotten Son to be very small or indeed none at all In that he put him to so much grief and spared not him but delivered him up to death for our offences when there was no Absolute necessity for it And blemishes his Wisdom also not to speak of his other Atributes Seeing if this Doctrine were true God could have saved those he intends
hear the Word of Truth and to be hearty Believers and doers of it John 1. 12. 13. with Jam. 1. 18 19 22 25. John 3. 3 5 7. So in the sense before spoken of Men cannot reconcile themselves to God but it is the Work of God by Christ to reconcile us to himself And yet something is required of men Hence the Apostle saith We pray you in Christ stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. So here Though God in Christ be the first chuser and by him we are chosen yet something is required of us in the strength he gives that we may be chosen out of the world ruled by him become choice ones and be the subjects of his peculiar love c. And though we find not this command any where Be ye chosen in express words given unto us yet we have the same thing in other expressions given in commandement to us As Be ye saved Isa 45. 22. And save your selves Acts 2. 40. Whereby the same thing is intended as is foreshewn in comparing 2 Thes 2. 10 12. with verse 13. And Be ye seperate which in another Scripture is rendred and read Chosen As also hath been noted by comparing Deut. 10. 8. with Chap. 18. 5. and 21. 5. And Levit. 20. 24 26. with Deut. 14. 2 3. 2 Cor. 6. 17. And we may see this is required of men that they may be Chosen even to come to Christ in which doing they shall be made of the chosen Generation though formerly they have not so been As also hath been said before and may be seen in comparing 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. with verse 9. 10. And to the end we may come unto Christ and so be chosen and pluckt out of the world needfull it is 1. To hear the Word of Christ this is the first and one thing needfull unto the saving of the Soul Luke 10. 39 42. It is good and needfull for us to chuse this good part As God is speaking to us and opening our Ears even to hear in hearing For saith in which men are chosen cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God viz. by the Gospel of Peace and glad tydings of good things Rom. 10. 14 15 17. with 2 Thes 2. 13. It is the work of the Father by his Spirit to glorifie Christ and to bear witness of him He speaketh excellent things unto us concerning him and the opening of his lips are right things And together herewith he both gives unto men capacity of hearing and calls upon them to hear Prov. 8. 4 6 17 20. He saith Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self infatness Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live Isa 55. 1 3. Let every man be swift to hear viz. the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18 19 The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live John 5. 25. And this is the first Branch of the description of him that passeth from death to life from an Estate of wrath and misery into a state of favour and blessedness he that heareth Christs word John 5. 24. 2. Needfull also it is that we learn of the Father that we may be Chosen not onely that we hear as that is distinguished from learning But that also we heartily embrace his heavenly lesson and doctrine So after Wisdome had called upon men first of all to hear she after saith also Receive my instruction and not Silver Prov. 8. 6. 10. Indeed God teacheth many that are not taught by him and so they deprive their soules of good Isa 48. 17 18 But it is needfull to the end we may be elected that we receive the instruction of our Heavenly father even to buy the truth and not sell it even to buy it with an undervaluing and parting with and forsaking all that we have that we may be made partakers of Christ Prov. 23. 23. with Luk. 14. 33. And every one that is taught of God every one that hath heard and learned of the father cometh unto Christ Job 6. 45. with Matth. 22. 3 4 5. And so shall be chosen and a subject of Gods election And let no man be discouraged from coming unto Christ in this way because of his former vileness and wretchedness for though he be the chief of sinners that cometh yet him that cometh he will in no wise cast out but will receive such an one graciously he will chuse him and not cast him away Isay 41. 9. with Joh. 6. 35. And as the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness so as persisting in such like iniquity he will at last reject such and give them up to a reprobate mind Reprobate Silver shall men call them who after all means used yet will not come to Christ who is the rest and way to it because the Lord hath rejected them Rom. 1. 18 28. Jer. 6. 16 17 30. So also all such as hear the joyfull sound sounded forth by the Father in the Gospel and receive his instruction so as to come unto Christ Such shall find rest Mat. 11. 28 29. Their Souls shall live Isa 55. 3. And they shall have fellowship and partnership with Jesus Christ in him be chosen and after him reckoned And shall abiding in Christ inherit the Kingdom which God hath prepared for them that love him and look and wait for his coming from Heaven 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. Yea this Doctrine of Gods Election may also admonish and warn them who are in Christ Jesus not to depart from him Upon this presumption that the Elect cannot possibly be deceived For certainly it is possible for them so to be and they will certainly so be if they abide not in Christ by Faith and Love As our Saviour saith If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered and men gather them and they are cast into the fire and they are burned John 15. 6. In which words our Saviour signifieth that such as have been ingraffed into himself who is the true Vine by his Father the Husbandman may not abide in Christ but may so depart from him as not only to be cast into the fire which a man may be and yet be plucked out again as a brand out of it Jude 23. But also be burned that is he may finally perish And to the same purpose the Apostle speaketh to the believing Romans who were in and did stand in the Root of Righteousness Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches take heed also lest he spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also
shalt be cut off Rom. 11. 20 22. Men as before we have seen are the subjects of Gods election in coming unto and abiding in Christ And in him all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. And if we be Christs then are we Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to Promise And so an elect Generation Gal. 3. 29. with Deut. 7. 6 9 10. 10. 15. And they who dwell in this secret of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91. 1 12. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever And the Lord will do good unto those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts But as for such as turn aside out of the path of the just to their crooked paths the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel Psal 125. 1 4 5. with Psal 73. 1. Therefore the Apostle Peter writing to them who were elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father and had obtained like precious faith with the Apostle exhorts them to give diligence to make their calling and election sure for saith he If ye do these things ye shall never fall plainly signifying to us that otherwise they might and should fall 1 Pet. 1. 2. with 2 Pet. 1. 1 10. Those that are with Christ on Mount Zion are such as are Called and not only so but Chosen yea and not only Chosen but faithfull also Faithfully following the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 17. 14. with Chap. 14. 1 4. Oh that we may never say We are the Elect of God and our Mountain is so strong setled that we shall never be moved however we demean our selves But that we may be of the Sheep of Christ and abide such hearing continually the voice of our Shepheard and following him for to such as so do he will give Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to seperate them that love God and keep his commandments from the love of God which is for ever in Christ Jesus John 10. 27 28 29 with Rom. 8. 28 33 39. And so much to the first Particuler in which we have endeavoured from the Scriptures to shew what is not and what is Gods Election and who are not and who are the subjects of it And now we come to shew 2. That few of the many that are called are chosen as our Saviour here plainly affirmeth But few of many as Jer. 42. 2. even of the many which are called by the Servants in the plain Preaching of the Gospel as it is now revealed For that our Saviour speaks of and intends such by the Many here we have before shewn and desire that may be considered and what is contained in the three Cautions foregiven Now of these many who have the Scriptures of Truth amongst them which have been spoken and recorded by the Servants the extraordinary Servants of the great King viz. by the Holy Prophets and Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And amongst whom also are some of his Servants preserved and continued even such as have believed on Christ thorow the Apostles word he here saith Few are chosen few comparatively to those so called Few to the many who say they are Jews and are not There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number But my Love my undefiled is but one saith our Lord Jesus She is the onely one of her Mother she is the choice and chosen one of her that bare her Cant. 6. 8 9. In this sense also it is true and may be thus taken As the Lilly among the Thorns so is Christs love among the Daughters one Lilly among many Thorns one Love amongst many Daughters other Professours Churches and Societies Who swear by the Name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth non in Righteousness for they call themselves of the Holy City c. Cant. 2. 2. Isa 48. 1 2. And as was also fore-prophesied In that day seven women Churches or Congregations shall take hold of this one Man Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. saying we will eat our own Bread and wear our own Apparell as the Man did that had not on the Wedding Garment Only let us be called by thy name Christians to take away our reproach Isa 4. 1. Many cleave unto him by flatteries Dan 11. 34. And few heartily receive or faithfully and constantly walk and abide in him unto the end So that â—…t may be applied to these chosen ones the Israel of God which was spoken of Israel after the flesh a Type of the Spiritual Seed The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people not counted worthy in respect of the smallness of their number to be reckoned amongst the Nations of Professours Deut. 7. 6 7. Christ's flock of actual believers and upright followers of Him is a little flock Luk. 12. 32. I still mean as compared with the many or multitudes which are called and in some sort also the called And so much our Saviour giveth us to understand in His Parable which He spake in His personal Ministration In one He saith The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea which gathered of every kind some good and some bad Mat. 13. 47-49 And in another He more plainly and evidently signifieth that of the many to whom the Gospel is preached but few comparatively obey it from the heart or continue so to do One sort of the hearers of the Kingdom He compareth to the Way-side ground and and like to it many abide The word hath little or no entrance into or impression on them in respect of any willing reception of it from them The sower indeed soweth his seed in the hearts of this first sort of ground And did they suffer it to take place in them and enter into and abide in their hearts they should believe and be saved But they understand it not consider it not set not their hearts to it open not to let in this blessed seed which would convert them in so doing but letting it lye above ground it is open unto and fit to be taken away by the Fowls And the wicked one cometh and catcheth away that which was sown in the hearts of such lest they should believe and be saved Of this sort so abiding it may be said It is a People of no understanding therefore He that made them will not have mercy upon them and He that formed them will shew them no favour Matth. 13. 18 19. with
Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. What a sad thing will it be for us to sport our selves in our self-deceivings as too many do 2 Pet. 2. 13. Better it is now for us to deal faithfully with our selves then to flatter our selves or be flattered by others to our endless and eternal misery and calamity Come we then to the light of the Lord the Gospel of Christ and therein and thereby we may see our selves whether we be chosen no Even he that is an hearer of the word and not a doer is like unto a man that beholdeth his natural face in a Glass for he beholdeth himself Even as a man may see his natural face in a Glass and see whether it be clean and free from spots and pollution or no so a man that is only called by and an hearer of the word of Truth may see himself and see what manner of person he is Jam. 1. 22 23 24. He may see whether he be chosen out of the World by the Grace of God or whether he be not but still remain in or be turned back again into the World and so is at present rejected of God and not loved with peculiar manner of love As the Apostle intimateth 2 Cor. 13. 5. And if by this Glass we see we are hearers and of the called only Oh let us give no rest to our eyes not slumber to our eye-lids until we so receive and retain the Grace of God which brings Salvation to us that we may be chosen out of this miserable condition and redeemed from amongst Men that it may be well with us for ever and we may not perish with the World And if it appear that we are of the number of those who are chosen that we still abide and continue in the Doctrine of Christ that we may have both Father and Son 2 Joh. 9. Inq. But some may say how may we know whether we be of the chosen number or no declare a little more particularly how we may know it Answ Those who are indeed chosen do know that they are of God and that the whole World lieth in Wickedness as 1 Joh. 5. 19. by keeping His Commandments as the Apostle saith Hereby we know that we know Him and are in Him if we keep His Commandments 1 Joh. 2. 3-5 And he that keepeth His Commandments dwelleth in Him and He in him chap. 3. 24. that is to say in more and plainer words His Commandments are That we believe on the Name of Jesus Christ and love one another as He hath given us Commandment 1 Joh. 3. 22-24 He that hath and keepeth these hath right unto the tree of life and shall enter in thorow the gates into the City even into the new Jerusalem Rev. 22. 14. that is to say they do know they are chosen 1. By this That the Faith they have received is the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and according thereto they believe with the heart that good report the Father hath given of Christ in His Word and Sayings in which He hath testified That He sent the Son into the World not to condemn the World but that the World thorow Him might be Saved And so they believe on the Name of the Son of God Joh. 3. 16-18 they have their Faith begotten by closing with and founded on not Mens Doctrines or their own Thoughts and Imaginations which they know to be corrupt and evil But they have received and retain for their Faith nothing else then the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus which was witnessed by the holy Prophets in former times and is now revealed to us by the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so they believe on Christ as the Scripture hath said and testified of Him and not as Men in their Glosses and Interpretations speak of Him They call no meer Man whatsoever their Rabbi nor own any to have dominion over their Faith but Jesus Christ and God in Him He is their only Law-giver in this respect the Father of their Spirits the Lord of what they believe And so according to His testimony they believe Him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World the only Foundation of Faith and Hope the only Fountain of all the fulness of Grace and Truth the only Bread and Water of Life the only door of approach of God the only Lord of our Faith and Consciences the only High Priest and Mediatour between God and Men And according hereto they come unto and depend on Him in His way for bottoming all upon Him for receiving all from Him for living continually by Him and to Him for approaching to God thorow Him and expecting and waiting thorow His Spirit for His perfecting all that concerns them c. And so they hold forth this word of Life in Word and Conversation And he that thus believeth on the Son hath the Witness in Himself and gives not God the lye but hath set to His Seal that God is true in all He hath testified of His Son 1 Job 5. 10 11. Job 3. 33. And in receiving this Testimony of Jesus they receive also therewith certainly and undoubtedly the Spirit of Gods Son Gal. 3. 2-5 which Spirit beareth Witness with their Spirit with their enlightened mind and judgment that they are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 16. And hereby they know that they dwell in Him and He in them because he hath given them of His Spirit And they have seen in the light and by the evidence thereof and do restifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 Joh. 4. 13 14. with 2 Cor. 13. 5. 2. They also know they are chosen by this that this Faith worketh in them by Love Gal. 5 6. and therein is efficacious in them And so they are distinguished from and preferred before such as say they have Faith and have not its works and so believe in vain But this Testimony of Jesus being received by them not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God it worketh effectually in them From the knowledge and belief of Gods love in Christ His first love they are begotten and prevailed with to love God even to love Him withall the heart and mind and soul and strength And so to love Jesus Christ as to suffer the loss of all things and count them but dung in comparison of Him It makes them willing to part with their Sins and Idols for His sake and prefer Him before all other things which they may love with a moderate affection 1 Joh. 4. 16-19 And this love of God in Christ known and heartily believed by them begetteth them unto and effecteth in them a delightful love to those who are begotten of Him and that not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth And by this they know that they are passed out of death â—nto life because
true That no Man can come to Christ except the Father who hath sent Christ draw Him Joh. 6. 44. But it is also as true That God in and by Christ in due time doth draw them that come not He draws all Men to Himself Joh. 12. 31 32. He draws them who refuse to come with cords of a Man and bands of Love And because He knows what a Yoke is upon them without the removal whereof they would be hindred therefore He takes off the Yoke on their Jaws c. Hos 11. 3 4 5. And since Christ hath finished the work which the Father gave Him to do in His own personal body on the Earth since He laid down His Life and is raised again He hath now gloriously and most immeasurably received the promise of the Spirit in the Nature of Man And hath more abundantly poured it forth on His Servants in their faithful declaring the Gospel then in former times so that the Gospel is called the Ministration of Spirit and Life yea and the Spirit also 2 Cor. 3. 6-8 Phil. 2. 16. So that it is only Mens own wilful and stubborn refusal and rejection of the power of Christ in the call which hinders their coming unto and being chosen by Christ they close their Eyes when opened and stop their Ears lest they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Heart and should be converted and He should heal them Mat. 13. 15. And this also sheweth unto us how provoking and excuseless an iniquity it is that the called are not chosen 4. And lastly This also further appears so to be if we consider the good will and gracious intention of the Caller in calliâ—g Men by His Gospel whose love and gracious heart towards sinners is most clearly manifested and perpetually commended to us in the Cross and Sufferings of Christ Rom. 5. 6-8 Joh. 3. 16 17. Heb. 2. 9. He therefore calls and stretcheth forth His hand that they might come to the Feast He hath prepared for them He doth not therefore call that He might leave Men without excuse though they will be so they will be Speechless who are disobedient to the Gospel nor is His end in calling them to aggravate their condemnation though their condemnation will be aggravated who when they are thus called unto the most High will not at all Exalt Him Hos 11. 2-4-7 But He therefore declares His Gospel to them and therewith councelleth them to come unto Himself that they might listen unto and obey Him that it might go well with them for ever Thus our Saviour graciously acquainteth the Jews who sought to kill Him with His gracious end in Speaking and Preaching the Gospel unto them These things I say that ye might be saved Joh. 5. 16-34 And by His Apostles the Gospel was Preached according to the Revelation of the Mystery and according to the Commandement of the Everlasting God made known to all Nations for the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 25 26. He iâ—deed that hateth dissembleth with his Lips and layeth up deceit within Him When he speaketh fair or maketh his voice gracious believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov. 26. 24-26 But far be it from us thus to think of the Almighty who is a God of Truth and without iniquity just and right is He Deut. 32. 2-4 He is not like him that faith Eat and Drink but his heart is not with thee Prov. 23. 6 7. He saith not come eat of My Bread and drink of the Wine I have mingled when either He hath prepared none for thee or hath no cordial desire and intention thou shouldest partake thereof but His gracious will is that thou shouldest be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Prov. â— 1-5 with 1 Tim. 2. 4-6 And therefore He thus expostulates Wherefore when I came was there no Man when I called was there none to answer But how appears it that they did not answer His call This is declared to us in another Scripture They did Evil before Mine Eyes and chose that in which I delighted not In which is plainly signified to us that His end in coming and calling was that they might have done what was good in His Eyes and chosen that in which He delighted that so they might have been of His chosen ones indeed Compare and consider Isa 50. 2. with chapt 66. 3 4. chapt 65. 12-15 By all which it evidently appeareth that it is their great iniquity who are called by the Servants in their preaching the Gospel of Christ that they answer not His call who accompanieth them and so are not chosen This is that iniquity which is so greatly provoking unto the great King that He thus threatneth to deal with such as are guilty of it Therefore will I number you to the Sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before Mine Eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not Therefore behold My Servants My chosen ones who did answer My call shall eat but ye shall be hungry Behold My Servantâ— shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Behold My Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed Behold My Servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and ye shall howl for vexation of spirit And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen c. Isa 65. 12-15 with Prov. 1. 24-32 Mat. 22. 13 14. And it appears to be an inexcusable iniquity that those who are so called are not chosen There will be no Cloak for their sin They cannot plead that Christ never dyed for them or that saving Grace was not afforded to them for both these are false as we have said and shewn But they will be convinced in the day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God that their Destruction and Non-election was wholly of themselves And therefore they will be found speechless as the Man was who had not on the Wedding Garment Let the consideration then of all said move and prevail with us all so to receive the Electing Grace of God that we may be of the number according to the Election of Grace And let us not listen to such desperate sayings as these If I be Elected no sins can bereave me of Heaven if I be Reprobated no good deeds can help me to Heaven But be we well assured that the Scripture speaketh of none as the Subjects of Gods Election to Salvation while they continue in their natural condition and filthiness nor of any Reprobated before they were born or Christ Preached by His Spirit to their Spirits But all Men while it is the day of Gods Grace and Patience towards them may thorow His Grace which bringeth Salvation to them come to Christ the prime Elect one and root of Election and so be reckoned