elected or no 1. Look after your Faith 2. Whether the Love of God be in you through Jesus Christ Beside these I shall propound no more for tho there be a great help oft-times in the number of Signs and Marks as many Stars make the Darkness Light yet it comes to pass oft-times that being weak in Understanding and not well able to manage them we are more perplexed by Number He that hath many Notions and is not able to master them is but the weaker for them so he that hath many Signs and Marks and hath not his Mind truly instructed that is not able to go into the bottom of them grows but into more Doubts and Perplexities and as I instance but in two so in these two because they are such as are in all Christians every one that is born of God believes on him and loves him And I may truly call these two to be as the two great Lights that God hath given to the Souls of Men in this Business like the two great Commandments all that can be said on any other Head hangs on these take what you will as a Sign what Duty you will if it comes not from Faith and Love take what Graces you will if they be not all turned upon these two Hinges Faith and Love they will give no Assurance at all if you can find Faith and Love you may be sure there are other Graces for they are never alone 1. Faith is a Sign of a Man's Election and that I take to be the meaning of all those Scriptures which make Calling and Conversion to be the Fruit and Mark of Election the out-going of Election 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath called us according to his own Purpose 1 Thess 1.4 5. Knowing your Election for our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but in Power And Calling and Conversion is put sometimes for Election 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your Calling Brethren ver 27. But God hath chosen c. All these prove that Faith is a Sign of Election By Faith we answer God's Call He that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me Joh. 6.45 The Gospel comes unto Men in Power when it is the Power of God to make Men believe Rom. 1.16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth the meaning is not that first Men have Faith and then the Word of God is the Power of God to Salvation for that implies a Contradiction he that believes hath Salvation and a Power whereby he may come to Eternal Life but it is the Power of God to Salvation to every one that believes i.e. by making every one that shall be saved to believe whether they be Jews or Greeks But to make it more clear 1. Faith is in no Person but one that is elected that particular Person is elected which hath Faith therefore the Apostle describes Faith by the Subject of it and calls it the Faith of God's Elect i.e. the Faith which the Elect and only the Elect have Tit. 1.1 Act. 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed For the opening of which you must know that the Apostle doth not mean by ordaining to Eternal Life Mens disposing of themselves or being in a good Disposition or Aptness to improve and make use of the Means of Eternal Life and whatever be meant by ordaining Faith doth follow upon it certainly but it doth not follow upon Mens disposing of themselves till such time as Men do believe they are natural and what can that which is natural do to that which is supernatural We neither by Nature are able to resist the Temptation of Satan nor are able to ingenerate in our selves a Principle of Faith no more than a Beast can do the things of a Man or a Man the things that belong to the Being of an Angel By ordaining the Apostle means God's ordaining and they and they only believed so the words as many are to be understood As many he doth not mean that all that were in that place believed but only those were ordained Faith is a meer Fruit of Election there had been no such Grace but for Election other Graces are necessary to make a Man innocent other Graces come from God's Holiness and the love of his Creation God cannot but make Man good if he will make Man at all but Faith comes from God's Love to save Man and it is nothing else but only a Soul 's reposing it self for Life being guilty and liable to Condemnation upon God the Father through Jesus Christ this Adam had not this God would not have bestowed but that he would throw a Cord from his Love for sinking Man to lay hold on that he may be saved 2. It is a Sign of Election for where God begins it he never leaves it till it be grown up from the least degree to Perfection till the small Mustard-seed become a great Tree This is the Character of all things that come from Election that God never repents of them Rom. 11.29 for the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance he sets out the Certainty of God's Election by this God never repents of the Work of Faith But he that believes shall have Eternal Life As in Joh. 6.35 He that believes shall never thirst Ver. 37. He that comes I will in no wise cast out Every one that believeth on him shall have Eternal Life Ver. 40. This is the Will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have Everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day These words are put in because Men will be apt to say Death and the Grave will devour and how can this sinful Dust scattered into all the Corners of the Earth ever come to be Partakers of Glory Take you no care for that my Father hath said I have Power enough to do it it shall be my Work I will raise him up at the last Day Ver. 47. he saith it and he saith it with an Oath Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath Everlasting Life Rom. 10.11 For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded So 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be ashamed This might be brought as a Sign of Election because it is of such Power with God as to prevail with God for every thing Mat. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive it Object If any say that the Scripture speaks of many that believed and yet perished and therefore how do you say Faith is the Gift of Election and is only in those that are elected What was Simon Magus and those in Joh. 2. that Christ would not commit himself to them Answ They are called Believers after the manner of
wills Men to be saved and gives them sufficient Means would not they be saved infallibly if God put forth all his Power or else his Power is but weak he is not Omnipotent 12. How can God be happy that desires and hath not his Desire satisfied and accomplished he desireth the Salvation of all say these and yet hath it not Happiness is having every good Desire satisfied Thus the other Doctrine wrongs God takes off from the Glory and Praise of the Godhead Motive 2. Take heed of the other Doctrine cleave to this if you receive the other it will corrupt you in all the great Points of Religion it influenceth you in all When the Blood is poisoned all the whole Body will soon be poisoned so here If upon Faith and Obedience Man is elected 1. Then Man is converted by Works and the Obedience of his own Will and no Man otherwise converted 2. A Man then is justified by Works Justification follows Election no Man is saved but by Works and so all that Glory and Beauty and bright-shining Vertue of Grace which God hath manifested in the Gospel vanisheth and comes to nothing for if it be of Works it is no more Grace Rom. 11.6 3. It is then to bring in another Gospel to bring in this other Opinion of Election upon Conditions now there is a Curse upon any that shall bring in another Gospel Gal. 1. Hear then are you willing in the matter of Salvation to trust to your selves and lean upon your selves Hath Christ died and laid down a Price that you might live at your own Hand and be upon the same Terms for Eternal Life and Heaven as Adam was before he fell in a Covenant of Works Then it was Do and live and so now Do this viz. Believe and persevere and live God hath given you Power to do this so he did to Adam he gave him more Power than you for you are full of Infirmities and Weakness and Failings daily but he was perfect and strong Now is this the Gospel of Grace to require as much of a poor weak fallen Man as of Adam before he fell who was perfect and not subject to Infirmities All the Duties thou dost all the Acts of Faith all thy persevering in good being done for this end that God may elect thee they are but Acts of high Pride and Arrogancy every one of them hath this Language in them I do this that I may be elected rather than another and to put a difference betwixt my self and those that shall go to Hell I do this and this and elect God at first and after I have walked on all my days to the end in good Works he will elect me for this is the Condition he hath made of my Election If I persevere to the end he will then infallibly and peremptorily set his Love upon me and chuse me Now thus God doth made a Bargain with Man barters and sells his Love as Laban his Daughter If thou wilt have my Daughter then serve seven Yeers or else thou shalt not have her So doth God sell Heaven and Glory for a Life's Perseverance in Faith and Holiness Motive 3. To make you take heed of this false Doctrine it destroys all the Fruits of Election if not elected till Death then no benefit of Election in this Life let us see the Fruits of Election and how they are brought to nothing if Election of particular Persons be made void 1. Love to God 〈◊〉 a Fruit God's electing Persons sets out the Greatness of God's Love and fills the Heart with Love to God again Thus the Soul that hath any Intimation that God hath chosen him saith God hath passed by Millions and some of my Neighbours Kindred Friends and they are walking on in Ignorance Evil Unbelief God hath called me in which I read my Election he hath chosen me before the World from Eternity not respecting any thing that would or could be in me for I was a Sinner in my Blood when he visited me and by this Love of his he will enable me to do whatever is required of me to Salvation Who can think of this free eternal Love of God and not love God again God doth therefore in Scripture speak of this peculiar special free Love as an Argument to stir us up to Thankfulness Deut. 7.6 7. God hath chosen thee to be a special People and it was not for any Qualifications in them but because he loved them Chap. 10.15 Only the Lord had a delight in their Fathers to love them What for any thing in them no Was it for fulfilling Conditions No it is over and over in Deut 9. Not for thy Righteousness sake no a base wicked People they were And what could he see in their Fathers why Abram was an Idolater Josh 24.3 and called Now this free Love is brought as an Argument to press them to love God and walk in Holiness Deut. 7. Thou shalt therefore keep the Commandments and Statutes c. Circumcise therefore the Foreskin of your Hearts c. Deut. 10.16 Deut. 14.2 you shall see the same Argument there the Lord hath chosen thee therefore thou shalt not do so and so Object None of these Scriptures speak of God's eternal Love or of singular Persons chosen out of that Love Answ The Text speaks of Love shewed to particular Persons and how that such free Love is a Motive to love God and obey him Now this Love that God had to the Jews is a Type of that Love that God bare to the Elect. Compare Isa 1.9 with Rom. 9.29 Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a very small Remnant c. this is spoke concerning the Temporal Preservation of the Jews the Apostle takes it and applies it to the Elect Isa 8.18 Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for Signs c. this is spoken of God's delivering the Jews from their Enemies the Apostle Heb. 2. brings this and speaks it of Christ having all the Elect considered in him God's electing Persons provokes to love God to think that God freely chose thee from Eternity thy Person appointed for thee all the Means hearing c. that thou mightst be saved blessed them to thee and gave thee Faith then in the use of them this is to stir up Love to God From the other way let us hear how it promotes Love to God God hath given Means to all and left them Talents and commands to improve and manage these well Now what if any of these be saved what may Christ say to them Have not I shewed you great Love should not you love me Yea may it be answered It was great Love to come 〈◊〉 the Flesh to redeem me from my Sin in Adam to give me Means to believe and Power to believe but there is no more Love laid out for me than for them that are in the Flames of Hell Can these love Christ so well as the other in the other
Doctrine 2. This Doctrine of Election rightly stated keeps one humble very humble all his days Election doth not take away Free-will we have Free-will but then being called it is to what is good but it takes away glorying in it Not of him that willeth Rom. 9.16 Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given to him c. He gives to will Not a Thought that is good but from him Joh. 15. Without me ye can do nothing As to our natural Being in him we do move So in the Spiritual Being he knits himself to us he is in us as a Principle then we act We cannot pray to him for his Grace but by Grace What hast thou that thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4.7 Will not this make us humble Object But they will say that their Doctrine of God's electing upon Faith will keep a Man humble because Faith is opposed to Works Answ These Men need not bring this for they hold that Faith as a Work of it self not because of the Object it receiveth justifies a Man Faith is not opposed to Works in Election in Justification it is but it is of no use in Election Christ's Righteousness is not accepted to make us elected Election goeth before our Faith or laying hold on Jesus Christ Object Yea but Faith is the Gift of God we should be humble then Answ Is it such a Gift as he that hath it offered cannot but receive it and because of the way and manner of God's working in him is he effectually brought to believe yet his Free-will preserved then we have the Cause as we would God elects Persons and works all the Conditions for them which he requireth of them to Eternal Life But if there be any thing of us required at our Hand that must cast the Scale then we have to glory 3. Assurance and Certainty of Salvation springs from Election When the Scripture would comfort Believers with the Assurance of their Salvation that they should not perish but go to Heaven certainly it fetches the Comfort from the Fountain The Decree of God taking their Persons the Constancy of the Decree of God makes that Assurance which could never be by God's giving Conditions for Election because the fulfilling of them depends upon our own changeable and mutable Will What Assurance can a Man have that is chosen under a Condition For when he hath attained to the best degree of Grace in the use of Means yet then may he say this is no more than what may be done by him that shall perish For it is not the doing this tho great but the continuing to do this upon which Election is grounded and I may fall as others and lose this before Death no Assurance this way But in the other as we have stated Election there is to take off the Fears of the Saints when they saw the Jews fall he brings this and comforts them that they should not fall Rom. 11. God hath not cast away his People whom he fore-knew Ver. 7. What then Israel hath not obtained that which he sought after but the Election obtained it and the rest are hardened He tells you none fell that were elected Psal 33.11 12. The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand and his Thoughts to all Generations then it follows Blessed is the People whom he hath chosen for his Inheritance Isa 54. With everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee He comforts them with the Decree no assurance the other way For it must be either from God or a Man's self from God it cannot be he elects none but after all is fulfilled not of himself for his Will is changeable every moment 4. The Doctrine of Election is a mighty Comfort in times of Sorrow and Grief There are two things that are apt to trouble us especially 1. The Apostacy of Professors 2. The Trials and Temptations that we meet with in the World viz. Poverty Sickness Disappointment Death of Relations c. Now in both these cases Election comforts 1. Election of Persons As for Apostacy when they say If such Cedars fall what will become of such a Shrub as I Dan. 12. he speaking of the last Times how bad they should be yet adds and at that time thy People shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the Book Mat. 24.22 he speaks of such perilous Times that no Flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake those days should be shortned In Rom. 9. 11. the Apostle removes this Stumbling-block out of the way when the Jews fell and tells the Saints none fell but those that were ordained thereunto not one whom God fore-knew when Hymeneus and Philetus fell he comforts them with this 2 Tim. 2.18 The Foundation of God stands sure he knoweth who are his 2. As for Afflictions of what sort soever there is Comfort in them from the Doctrine of Election the Apostle in Rom. 8.28 comforts the Saints with this viz. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his Purpose Calling here is Conversion and that Power that worketh it not any particular Obedience of ours following Faith Whom he predestinates them he calls his Purpose here is not the Object of Obedience which God hath purposed that Men should do for the Apostle brings it to shew that the Call is not in our selves but in his Purpose they that are called are not called by any Obedience or Free-will of theirs but according to his Purpose But on their Doctrine what Comfort can a Man have when he seeth another fall that he shall stand by his own Might and when he meets with Afflictions that he shall be the better by them when many stronger than he have turned aside and grown worse some of as much Light and Parts as he that were just at Land have sunk that were at the very Borders have miscarried He must say tho I be now in a good State yet what I may be is uncertain Temptations have prevailed upon others and they have fallen I am not sure till I have done all and that is not till I go out of the World But the other can be comforted that receive our Doctrine God hath chosen my Person for better for worse and tho I be weak he will enable me to do what he requires and work in me all the Conditions Faith and Perseverance therein will keep me by his Power to his Kingdom he was moved by nothing to love me and do me good nothing therefore that shall separate from his Love shall be done by me he hath ordained me to be conformed to his Image therefore all my Afflictions shall tend to this to plant his Image in me which he loves Afflictions shall be as an Axe to cut off that which is superfluous in me and that Unanswerableness to his Image 5. Nothing so much quickneth a Soul to Obedience as the Knowledg that God hath loved our Persons from