state can never be lost And the Reason is because Grace hath out-done Sin and gone beyond it Grace hath abounded much more Rom. 5. 20. Which super-abounding of Grace cannot referr to the Subjects of Grace as if they were more in number than the Subjects of Sin for sin came upon All and Grace cannot come upon more than all But 't is meant of the prevalent efficacy of Grace and the permanency of its effects towards all that are the Subjects of it Rom. 5. 21. And thence it is that Grace is said to Reign and that to Eternal life IV. If the End of Christ's death might possibly be frustrate Arg. 4. as possibly the very end of God's making the World might suffer disappointment All things were made for Himself and by this scale they ascend to Him The World for the Elect 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. The Elect for Christ and Christ for God All His works praise Him but above all that of Redemption as of highest note and eminency Most conspicuously doth the Glory of God shinâ—-forth in the face of Christ as Dying and as dying for such an End viz. the Salvation of His People It is the chief of the wayes of God the very Meridian and height of His Glory not essential but manifestative both in this world and that to come It therefore behoved Him so to lay it that of all his designments This might be sure to succeed For do but subtract the sureness of its Effect and leave His Redeem'd in a perishable condition and it draws a blemish instead of beauty upon all the Divine Attributes 1. The end of God's setting forth Christ a Propitiation Rom. 3. 25 26. was to declare His Righteousness in the Remission of sins which it does doubly 1. That without satisfaction sin could not justly be remitted 2. That satisfaction being given it could not justly be imputed Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 34. But if those for whom this plenary satisfaction has been given should not be justified and effectually saved Divine Justice would be as liable to impeachment as if He had saved them without And so the thing designed for the honour of His Righteousness would turn to its disparagement 2. It would not accord with the love and goodness of God towards His Elect that That which was meant for their Recovery Joh. 3. 19. and was also a price well-worthy their Ransom should possibly turn to their deeper condemnation for so it must if they be not effectually saved This could not be that Pleasure of the Lord which should prosper in the hands of Christ 3. It would not be according to the Faithfulness and Truth of God that Christ should fail of That He was promised and earnestly looked-for as the fruit of His Sufferings which was a Seed to serve Him Isa 49 6. ch 53. 10. Prov 8. 31. The thoughts of which were matter of complacency to Him from Everlasting But if those He died for should not only abide in the same condemnation He came to deliver them from but under a much sorer vengeance than if He had not undertaken for them How grievous would it be to Him and contradictious to the Faithfulness of God! 4. Another End of Redemption was That the manifold Wisdom of God might shine-forth in the sight of Angels and Men. Christ crucified is the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. But if it were so contrived that the Thing chiefly design'd might possibly miscarry it would be no illustration of Wisdom Will one of common prudence part with His Jewels and choycest treasure and that in such manner as never to be regain'd and leave his purchase knowingly under hazzard Men â—â—deed may possibly waste their Estates in Tryals and Essayes that come to nothing but did they foresee the success they would not so expose their prudence to reproach 5. The Greatness and Power of God would suffer an eclipse if it were in the power of Creatures to defeat His most wise and holy Designments and hinder the accomplishment of His greatest work What would the Aegyptians say but that He destroyed them because not able to go through with what He undertook Numb 14. 16. 6. Lastly If the end of Christ's death might possibly be frustrate Then that blessed project for glorifying the Grace of God might possibly be disannulled and come to nothing For None but Saved Ones do or can glorifie that Grace V. Another Argument for the Sure effect of Christ's death Arg. 5. is because He hath the Management of the whole work committed to Himself as well the Application or Redemption as the procurement of it He is the Repository Root and Treasury wherein all the benefits of Redemption are laid up and the Great Almoner by whose hand they are dispensed Adam was no more a publique Person after his fall The new Stock was not intrusted with him but put into the hands of Christ who will give a better account of it For VI. There is Nothing wanting to Him who is our Redeemer which might any way conduce to the final Compleatment of His Work Arg. 6. There are Five things mainly requisite to make a great undertaking Successeful viz. Authority Strength Understanding Courage and Faithfulness All which the Captain of our Salvation is eminently invested with Joh. 3. 35. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand 1. Authority He was appointed to His Office For as Mediatour the Father is Greater than He He came not of Himself but the Father sent Him Joh. 9. 42. He was called of God Isa 42. 6 Heb. 7. 21. Heb. 5. 4 5. It was laid on Him and undertaken by Him in the way of a Covenant And Confirmed hy an Oath Never to be Reversed which also may partly be the Meaning of God the Father's Sealing Him Joh. 10. 18. Isa 61. 1. Joh. 6. 27. The Government is laid upon His Shoulder He hath the Key of David committed to Him Rev. 3. 7. Which shewes the absoluteness of His Authority Gen 41. 44. Without Him No man can lift up his hand or his foot in all the Earth 2. Strength or Power These cannot be wanting to Him if All in Heaven and Earth be sufficient for it Matth. 28. 18 And this he hath That He might give Eternal life to as many as He dyed for Joh. 17. 2. Which if they should miss oâ— it would be said That all power was not able to Save them He that made the World is surely well able to Govern it and to over-rule whatever comes into it He would never have suffered sin the onely enemy to invade it if He could not have quell'd it at pleasure Isa 63. 1. Ch. 9. 6. Their Redeemer is strong The Lord of Hosts is His name He shall thorowly plead their cause Jer. 50. 34. He must reign until He shall have put all enemies both under His own feet and ours 1 Cor.
he puts the Lord in mind of His promise to their Fathers Of His Mercy in pardoning them â—forâ—time what reflection it would have on His honour among the Egyptians If He should now destroy them c. Not a word of Complaint That first to promise and then to threaten is a senseless thing It had been senseless in Moses thus to do and in no wise consistent with His duty But more directly It were no senseless part in a Father to purchase an Office for his Son and so to settle it on him that it sâ—all not be in his own power to Reverse it And yet keeping to himself the knowledge of that Settlement propose the injoyment thereof conditionally viz. upon terms of obedience to his fathers Commands The tendency of all which is but to prove himself the Son of such a father and to Meeteâ— him for his place And the more to oblige his Son to a studious preparing himself for it to lay before him the evil and danger of a Negligent course by which if persisted in he might render himself uncapable But surely supposing this Father to have the same power over his Son as God hath over the heart and Spirit of His people He will so order him by Instruction discipline and good principles that he shall not run into a Forfeiture Besides Threatnings of Damnation are not properly appliable to Believers who know themselves so to be For he that believeth Joh. 5. 24. is passed from death to life and shall not come into Condemnation However at times for want of a thorow knowing their State unthankfulness for it or some other miscarriage they bring themselves under doubtings of it But for such as have Compleat assurance under God's hand and seal as the Objection speaks They are sealed up to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 15. with a Seal that never shall be loosed In case any person were so adjudged to Eternal life from Eternity that there is no possibility of miscarrying then there was no necessity of Christs dying for him The Assertors of Absolute Election do hold with the Scriptures That Election is in and through Christ The same Decree that ordained to Salvation ordained also the death of Christ in order thereto That God might be Just in Justifying He hath appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. 9 10. It might be inferr'd with as much shew of Reason That if such an End be appointed to be wrought by such a Means then that Means is unnecessary to that end That if God hath Chosen Men to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth then holiness and faith are Needless things These are absurd reasonings which the Truth never Owns We judge such an Election to be an open Enemy to Godliness For who will strain and toil himself for that which he knows he shall obtain by an easie pace The Doctrine of Conditional Election can be no friend to Godliness whatever it may pretend since all that a Man doth on that account ultimately ends in self Godliness is to Aim at God as our Chief End in all that we do Now One that holds the Elect sure of Salvation and believes himself to be one of them and yet goes on to fear God and obey Him Glorifies God more than he that performs the same duties for kind and perhaps greater in bulk in expectation of life thereby The Pharisees fasted oftner than Christ's Disciples but were not such real friends to Godliness as they Long prayers fastings and Alms-deeds are all Nothing without Love and who do you think will Love God more he that believes himself sure of God's Love unchangeably or One that holds That after all his toiling and straining he may possibly have Run in vain and lose all at last And who would think that a Master in Israel should Reason so absurdly who counts it a toil to eat his Meat when Nature requires it especially when 't is most agreeable both to his palate and constitution All the wayes of God are pleasantness to them that walk in them And these would not leave them again although their future happiness were not concerned in it If they be grievous to any it is from their unacquaintedness with His Love 1. John 5. 3. It must needs make men very remiss and loâ—se in the Service of God Christ knew that the Angels had charge over Him and that He should not dash His foot against a stone yet ne'r the less careful of His own preservation Paul was sure of the Crown of Righteousness and yet as diligent in beating down his body andâ— strain'd as hard in Running his Race as any of those who lay the stress of Salvation upon their works Such a Notion of Election layes the honour and necessity of that great Ordinance of Preaching the Gospel in the dust For if the Elect so called shall as certainly be saved by a weak simple or Corrupt Ministry and this it may be enjoyed but a day or two in all a Mans life or loosely attended upon wherein is the Ministry of the Gospel to be esteemed That peremptory Decree That Summer and Winter Day and Night shall not cease takes not away the Necessity of the Sun 's being in the World Gen 8. 22. Nor of its daily Risings Settings and various Revolutions For by these as the Necessary Means thereof must the Decree be made good So The Absoluteness of that other part of the promise That Seed time and Harvest shall not cease doth no whit discharge the Husbandman either of his ufefulness or duty but evinceth the One and inforceth the Other Giving also Encouragement to him in his Work The force of this Answer will not be evaded by alledging That God affords them Means proper and sufficient for seed time and harvest that is they have fitting Seasons with Seed-corn horses plows and other Utensils of husbandry and that 's all the Promise intends and if they improve them not the fault 's their own True it is so and they shall smart for their Neglect But what will become of the Promise and Sureness of the Covenant Therefore this is not All that God doth for Men in this point He that Decreed How long the Earth shall endure and what number of Men He will raise up upon it Did also Decree His own upholding thereof during that time and by what Means those Men should be propagated and kept alive and did accordingly put into Mankind the Principles of Self-preservation by which they are Naturally prompted to the use of them as they are to Eat Drink and Sleep He hath set the World in their heart Eccles 3. 11. As the Elect shall certainly be saved and also prepared for that Salvation so hath the Lord appointed them such a Ministry and for so long a time and their attendance thereon in such manner as best agreeth to His Own intent and which He will bless and
can happen to His There can be no other Event of them but what He setly intended The least of His Purposes shall never suffer disappointment much less that great Design of Men's Salvation by the Death of Jesus Christ For 1. The Thing it self iâ— feasible Millions of Souls are gon to Heaven on His accompt 2. It was so wisely contrived That all Interests concern'd are secured and satisfied God is Just in Jâ—stifying The Sinner saved even whiles Vengeance is taken on his Sins and Christ well pleased with a Seed to serve Him 3. The way of obtainment is such as will certainly compass the End The Divine Power is engaged in it which rests not in the least on the concourse or compliance of any frustrable Instrument 4. His Heart cannot be taken off from it It is That which His blessed thoughts have run upon from Eternity and those Thoughts of His stand fast to all Generations And 5. No higher Power can supersede His Decree He is Sovereign Lord and controlleth all There he divers Arguments which readily offer to confirm the Matter in hand I. The first is from the Nature and Import of Redemption Arg. 1. It was not the mere depositing of the Ransom demanded as a pledge to secure the Creditor's Satisfaction in case the Treaty took effect Nor was it such a pledge as might be resum'd or paid-back in case it succeeded not Neither yet was the Price of that undervalue and imperfection as to need the addition of any thing from without it self to make it effectual But such a Price it was so paid so accepted and so qualified as for ever concludes all Parties and Interests concern'd in it It was in all respects Adequate to and worthy of the Purchase design'd by it Redemption is a term of large comprehension It is next to Election and carries in it All that Election hath Chosen us to It does not barely make Men Releasable or Capable of pardon but the Actual and Eternal Deliverance from Sin Satan Death and the Law together with the full and perfect Salvation of Redeemed Ones is included in it And this is not barely affirm'd but evident proof will make it good A Witness or two for each of these 1. The Redemption wrought by Christ imports Satisfaction Without this the World had not been Reconciled Nor could it be said the pleasure of the Lord had prospered in His hand But both these are affirm'd Isa 53. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 18 and 19. and Heb. 2. 17. expresly That He made Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Yea our Grand Creditour proclames Himself satisfied by His sending from Heaven to Release our Surety 2. Justification or Deliverance from Guilt Eph. 1. 7 In whom we have Redemption through His blood the forgiveness of Sins Gal. 3. 13 Christ hath Redeem'd us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us He blots out the Hand-writing against us Nailing it to His Cross Col. 2. 14. 3. It imports the vanquishing and binding of the Strong Man who would not else have let-go the Prey By death He destroyed Him who had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. By the blood of His Cross He spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed over them Col. 2. 15. 4. Freedom from the power of sin Rom. 6. 6 Our old Man was Crucified with Him that henceforth we should not serve Sin Upon which it follows Sin shall not have dominion over you ver 14. 5. Inherent Holyness or Sanctification Col. 1. 21 You that were somtimes enemies in your mind now hath He reconciled in the Body of His flesh through death to present you Holy c. ver 22. We are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 10. and Rom. 6 18 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness And that it was by virtue of Christ's death appears by ver Heb. 9. 14. 8 For if we be dead with Christ we shall also live with Him 6. It likewise imports Resurrection Joh. 6 54 55 I will raise Him at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed that is as Crucified Christ dying was the death of death Hos 13. 14. 7. It also extends to the actual possessing of Redeemed ones with blessedness and Glory Rom. 8. 30. Whâ—m He justified them He glorified Liberty of entring into the holiest is by the blood of Jesus Heb 10. 19. and Rev. 5. 9 10. That hast Redeemed us unto God by thy blood and hast made us Kings and Priests It is the voice of Those in Heaven Now All these are in Redemption they proceed out of Christ's fulness as a Redeemer And for this cause it was that Paul cared not to know any thing but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified It is true That the Resurrection of Christ His Ascention Sitting at God's right hand and Intercession have their respective influence into every of those particulars aforenamed but they all spring from His Crucifixiâ—n If He had not dyed He had not been a Priest for ever as He is after the order of Melchisedeck Heb. 9. 12. II. Another Argument is from the inestimable worth and dignity of the Ransom that was given Arg. 2. It was the life of the Son of God Matth. 20. 28. Heaven and Earth will bear no proportion in value to this price of Redemption which therefore could not be parted-with for a doubtful or uncertain Purchase In this lies the stress of the Apostle's Argument Who when He would set forth the happy estate of God's Elect and prove them above the Reach of danger He doth it in two words but very significant ones Christ hath dyed Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 38. The Eminency of the Person and the sufferings He submitted to as they greatly illustrate His love to Men So they strongly affirm and insure the event of His death If reconciled to God by the death of His Son much more Saved by His life Rom. 5. 10. It may truly be said of every one He died for Ezek. 18. 9. He is just He shall surely live But this in the same respect and sense as those then unborn were said to be sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 10. And their Old Man to be crucified with Him Rom. 6. No Man is actually justified till he actually believes But Repentance and Faith being purchased by Christ for those He died for They shall as certainly be made to Repent and Believe as that Christ died for them Phil. 1. 29. III. The Righteousness of Christ is more prevalent and effectual to His Seed Arg. 3. than Adam's transgression was to his All his Posterity indeed fell under the Curse by it yet so that there was still through the Intervention of Grace a possibility of Release But the Righteousness of Christ hath so perfectly recovered and ' stablished His Seed that their justified '
which in the Sacred Language is termed a Giving of all things pertaining to life and Godliness The Sum of what I intend upon this Subject 2 Pet. 1. 2. is comprised in this Proposition That what ever things are requisite to Salvation are given of God freely to all the Elect and wrought effectually by the Divine Power as the necessary Means of that Salvation to which He hath appointed them By Salvation here I understand the Saints perfect settlement in Blessedness and Glory And by things requisite thereto all those Gifts Graces and Operations that are any way necessary to their actual obtainment of that State The Divine Power is that Ability of working which God hath reserved to Himself and is not Moved or Governed by the Creature 's act but by the Good pleasure of His Own Will That divers things are Requisite to Salvation needs no proof My business therefore is to shew I. What these Requisites are II. Whence they come III. To whom they do belong and by what Right IV. The Way and Manner of God's dispensing them I. What these Requisites to Salvation are They are of three sorts Some to be done for us Some upon us or in us and others by us yet so as Not without the special assistance of that good Spirit who began the work and who worketh all in all The Great thing to be done for us next after Election is Redemption from sin This was a work of infinite moment and as far above the Undertaking of Creatures For 1 The Justice of God that must be satisfied bya bearing the Curse due to Transgressors By this we are saved from wrath and without This Divine Justice will not open the house of His Prisoners 2 All Righteousness must be fulfilled by an absolute perfect Subjection to the Law By this we are interested in Eternal life and without it there is no Entring into Rest 3 The Devil who had the power of death must be destroyed and his works of darkness by which he leads captive at his will dissolved That life and immortality might be brought to light and the prey delivered None of which works could ever have been perform'd but by One of the same Nature with the parties peccant or agressing and yet equal in power and dignity with the Majesty offended For which cause and end it was That God sent forth his Son made of a woman and made under the law Gal. 4. 4 5. c. That what the Law could not do because of its weakness through the flesh the Son of God in the likeness of sinfull flesh Rom. 8. 3. might condemn sin in the flesh This was the proper subject of the former Head The end of which Redemption was To bring in the next sort of Things requisite to Salvation viz. Such as are to be Done upon and in the Elect namely their Reconcilement to God and Receiving the Adoption of Sons This is the actual performance of what was intentionally in Election and Virtually in the death of Christ as the necessary way to their ultimate End The sum of these Requisites lies in Faith and Sanctification the One imports their Right the Other their capacity Faith intitles and Holiness meetens Both which though express'd as two are alwayes together as if but One and as inseparable as light from the sun and without These our little world would stil be in darkness notwithstanding all the light that shines about us or within us Neither knowing our danger nor how to escape it 1. Faith This in generall is that spiritual light in which we see our selves by nature the children of wrath and wholly unable to change our state and withall do apprehend God Justifying freely by His Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 4. 24. and to that end do Roll our selves upon him and give up our selves to His Laws and Government It is of the Essence of Faith to empty the Soul of self and 1. Of its own understanding It is a beam of Divine light which evidenceth all a Man 's natural knowledge to be ignorance and darkness as to Spirituall things The Apostle speaks of it as of a Faculty newly given and the Nature of its new objects requires it For the natural man cannot discern the things of God They that have the best eyes now were sometimes Darkness 2. Faith empties the Soul of its own Righteousness 1. By discovering the uncleanness of it Isa 64. 5. 2. By shewing the necessity of a Better Rom. 3. 20. 3. In whom this better is to be found Rom. 10. 4. 4. That it may be attain'd and had Rom. 3. 25. 5. That being attain'd the Soul is happy and may triumph over all Rom. 8. 34. 6. That this better Righteousness and its own cannot stand together Gal. 5. 2. Rom. 10. 3. And then 3. The next work of Faith is To empty the Soul of its own Strength that is of all confidence in himself as to the obtainment of that better Righteousness He makes it indeed his business to be shut of his own and most gladly would be Invested and clothed-upon with the Righteousness of God but findes it a matter of transcendent difficulty Now he 's convinced 't is no easie matter to be saved since To believe and to keep the whole Law are things of an equal facility i. e. They are in truth both alike impossible to him Isa 27. 5. He therefore takes hold of the Strength of God to work this Faith in him And so by a Faith unseen believes to a Faith that is visible It 's Faith that is at work all this while though the Soul knows it not till afterwards II. Sanctification or Inherent holiness This consists in the expulsion or rather subduction and bringing under of Corrupt nature by bringing in the Divine and setting it uppermost in the Soul Col. 1. 13. It is an Actual translating of us out of Satan's Kingdom into His Own It is To have Christ formed in us To bear the Image of the Heavenly To have Dispositions according to God and an heart after His Own It is sometimes called Regeneration or a being born again John 3. 7. Rom. 11. 17. The separating a Man from his Old stock and grafting him into the New Whereby the Law becomes written in the heart It is also called The Passing away of old things 2 Cor. 5. 17. and a beâ—oming New of all Not that the old faculties are destroyed or blotted out in Regeneration but reduced duced Col. 3. 10. or Renewed â—ccording to the Image of Him that Createth it As the Body when it shall be Regenerated or raised again It shall be the same that was sowen but so changed in its qualities as if it were another So in the Regeneration of the Soul the same Understanding Will Affections Memory remain but are quite otherwise disposed and qualified according to the New Objects they are to Converse with 1 John 5. 20. And
which when he slighted the spirit of God left him and he became as other Men and recovered not his strength until it was grown again 3. As touching the Providences of God Observe them and Submit to them look not upon them as Empty things The least may yield you Instruction as also the Most unlikely Out of the Eater comes forth Meat and out of the strong sweetness Though the thing be a â—iddle to an heart uncircumcised Plough with His Heifer and ye shâ—ll find it Neither look on them as Things Impertinent But say rather Is there not a Cause though I see it not The Lord does nothing in vain Neither yet look on them as Things Contingent Math. 10 29 30 A sparrow falls not without His will and the hairs of your head are all Numbred Ps 39 9. David was Dumb and opened not his Mouth why Because Thou Lord didst it And Shimei's Cursing he beares patiently 2 Sam. 16. 10. on the same account It may be the Lord hath bidden him There may be Such a Mixture and Confusion of things and your expectation so delayed and frustrated That your froward untamed heart may be ready to Wrangle it out Eccles. 8. 14. Why falls it alike to All Why to the Just according to the Work of the wicked and to the wicked according to the work of the Righteous Or why One event to them All This is not to Enquire wisely you should rather conclude and say as the Disciples in another Case The Lord hath need of them That is He hath occasion to use such a Providence to fullfil a Word If ye would Cast so as to lye by your Mark this Attribute of Sovereignty gives you the best Ground Search and Observe as much as ye will so you take Faith along with you Without which ye can do Nothing Warrantably Faith is a Sworn Officer to the Great king and has a key for every lock that is fit to be opened It forces Nothing but where it cannot Enter it stands without and Waits a fitter season Let Faith also be Chief Speaker in all your Debates And then the Result will be That Carnal Reason and Present Sense though very Tenacious and Stubborn shall yield the Cause and let you goe The Summ of all is this That though ye be not Conscious to your self of any particular Cause or Miscarriage besides what is Common to Men which was the Case with Job Lay your hand upon your Mouth as Job did The Most High doth according to His Will Dan. 4. 34 35. This even the proudest of Kings acknowledged when his understanding returned to him and so do you And know That if your spirit be out of frame in your present Condition it would not be better in any other Secondly Our Faith also is highly concerned in the Sovereignty of God For It both obligeth to Believe in Him and also affords Matter for Faith to work upon To these Ends the Lord holds it forth to Abraham Once and Again Gen. 17 1. I am God Almighty c. This was it enabled him to believe he should have a Son even whiles the Deadness of his own Body Rom. 4. 19. and of Sarah's Womb wrought strongly against it This also was that made him so readily assent to the offering up of this Son when he had him He had as much to say against it as could well be supposed For the Promise was That in Isaac all families of the Earth should be blessed which Promise and this Command Abraham's Reason could not Reconcile The Contradiction would surely have Run him down had not his faith in this Great Attribute held fast and guided the Reignes Suggesting to him That He who gave Isaac a being from a Withered Stock was able also to raise him from the dead Heb. 11. 19. Abraham there fore disputes it Not Stands not so much as to consider upon 't but up he gets him Early to do it And hence he obtained that honourable title James 2. 23. to be called The friend of God Ye have seen Now what Abraham did Go ye and do likewise Take hold of Gods Sovereignty as your own and to be improved for your good Faith gives a Propriety in any Attribute it looks upon and drawes out the virtues and Influence thereof for it self And therefore What ever difficulties are in your way be not disheartened by them but call in this Sovereignty of God by faith to your help Remember the ready subjection which all Creatures do pay to his Word By which alone without Creatures service He can level the Mountains and make Crooked things streight Restraâ—â— Alter Invert and Turn upside down the very Course of Nature so that That which is death in it self shall be life to you New Cords and Wyths when touch'd by his word are as flax and tow when touch'd by the fire Iron shall be as straw and brass as rotten wood Therefore lengthen the Cords and strengthen the stakes of your faith you cannot beleive for greater things or better than God can do for you Even sin it self which is the Great and in truth the onely evil It is His enemy as much as yours And you may be sure He would not have suffered its being in the World if He had not a Power to Correct and Curb it yea and to destroy it too at His pleasure Take hold of His sovereign strength and your work is done But here also a Caution or two may be seasonably added 1. That if death in the pot have once been healed and your borrowed Ax-head sunk once past hope of Recovery have been brought again to your hand look that Remissnes grow not upon it Beware ye gather not Wilde Gourds a second time Nor persume to throw the helve after the Head The Divine Power is too great a thing to be trifled with or Made to serve with the â—ollies of Men. 2. That you never look on this Great Attribute of Sovereignty without your Mediator As without whom it would be matter of Terror and Amazemeut to sinners It is He onely can render It Propitious to you As Nothing is pleasing to God but in and through Christ So Nothing in God is Comfortable to Men or for their Eternal Good but as it comes to them through Him As Waters out of the Sea immediately are not potable unless they be first exhaled by the Sun or pass through some vein of Earth which makes them Congruous to our Nature I shall mention two particulars of Nearest Coâ—cerment to us wherein we are in a special manner to have respect unto the Sovereignty of God 1. As touching your own Condition your everlasting Condition Submit to Mercy to Sovereign Mercy that is yeild your self to God without Capitulaâ—ing or Makâ—ing terms with him Those Syrians well under stood the Meaning of this They put Ropes on their heads and themselves in the Conquerors hands 1 K. 20. 31. upon an uncertain Conjecture
too Else All will be in disorder at once One Act of Faith shall sooner Remove the Mountain than all the Cattle on a Thousand hills Lastly Inference You that have closed with this Truth and having made diligent search do finde in your selves those Marks of God's Elect sit down and take the Comfort of it Let this Joy of the Lord be your strength Eat your bread and drink your wine or Water either with a Merry heart since God hath accepted you If David's heart was so taken with that love which chose him to be King afore the house of Saul how should our Souls be rapt into the third Heaven That We poor unworthy wretched We should be taken into that peculiar favour in which the generality of Men have nothing to do How should it affect our hearts Art thou of those who are Wise or Noble according to the flesh Be filled with an holy Amazement and exultation Rejoyce with trembling That the Great GOD to whom thou wast no more than others thy Consorts that are left and who commonly Chooses the base and foolish thereby to Magnifie His Grace should thus go out of His way to call in thee And hath also made His Call effectual to thee even then when thou wast inviron'd with a world of temptations to obstruct it And if thou be a Man of low degree poor weak foolish of no account among Men even as one that is Not and hath the Lord regarded thee in thy low estate and Magnified thee by setting His love upon thee Hath He taken thee from the dunghill to set thee among Princes even the Princes of the World to come This is that Exaltation which the poor should always Rejoyce in according to James 1. 9. Were you the head instead of being the tail Were the Necks of your enemies under your feet yea were the Devils themselves made subject to you It could not afford you the thousandth part of that Cause of Rejoycing as that your Names are written in Heaven Are other men prosperous in the world and free from trouble whiles you are reduc'd to a low estate and chastened every Morning Have perhaps but an handful of Meal and a little oyl in a Cruze c. yet think not your Portion Mean or hardly dealt out your good things are to come They are growing in the other World And at the time of harvest the Lord will send his Angels for you yea your Lord Himself will come and fetch you thither And you shall be for ever with Him In whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose Right hand are Rivers of pleasures for evermore And then you will Sing The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places At least say so Now. As Abraham dealt by his Concubines children so doth God by the Ishmaels of the world He gives them portions and sends them away But the Inheritance He reserves for His Isaacs To them He gives all that He hath yea even Himself And what can we have more OF REDEMPTION IN this Point we are equally concern'd with that of Election as the Great Comprehensive Means of bringing-about the Greatest End viz. the Glory of God in the Salvation of His Chosen That our Lord Jesus Christ hath a Body or Church to whom He is Head and Saviour is not supposed a Question But Who they are that do make-up this Body Whether the Whole of Mankind universally or Some particular Persons Whether He had in His death the same respect to All as to Some And whether Any of those he died for may miss of the benefits accruing by His death are questions of great Import and worthy a serious deliberation To Resolve which is the scope of the present Discourse The Substance whereof is in three Positions I. That the Body or Church of Christ consists of Elect Persons II. That for These it was that He laid down His life III. That the intent of His death cannot be frustrate For the I of These By this Body or Church of Christ I understand the Designed Subjects of his Spiritual Kingdom or Members of His Mystical Body to whom He was appointed by the Father to be Head and Saviour and They to stand related to Him as their Prophet Priest and King Which threefold office He bears peculiâ—rly towards the Elect The Church of the First-born and heirs of the World to come And of These doth His Body consist i. e. It is made-up of These exclusive to Others Their number is certain and intire and cannot be broken either by Addition or Diminution Of this the Tabernacle was a figure 1. In respect of its Symmetry or Proportion of parts which induced a singular beauty upon it Towards which Nothing could be added nor any thing abated 2. In that all the parts and Dimensions thereof were predetermined of God and not left in the least to humane Arbitrement or Contingency And these are expresly said to be Patterns of things in the Heavens Heb. 9. 23. ch 12. 23. that is Of the Heavenly Temple or Church of the First-born which are written There This Couclusion is drawn from sueh premises as these 1. In that our Lord and Saviour so manifestly shews Himself concern'd for the Elect as having some peculiar Interest and Propriety in them and charge of them With These his delights were from Everlasting Prov. 8. And as soon as they were actually in being He began His actual Converses with them and therein did even confine Himself to the Elect Seed With what unbelievable Patience and Goodness did He superintend the Church or Elect Nation Aâ—ts 7. 46 48. fourty years together in the Wilderness bearing them as on Eagles wings and tendring them as the Apple of His eye And when he dwelt upon Earth He went not beyond the bounds of the Holy Land where also all His delight was among the Saints Ps 16. 3. These He made his Consorts and Men of His Councel And when ye find Him with others it was for the Elect's sake that were among them How frequently and with what well-pleasedness doth He speak of These Professing His love to them and that according to the highest patern John 15. 9. As the Father bath loved Me so have I loved you And how great things He would do for them Not to the Halfing of His Kingdom Joh. 10. 15 16. ch 6. 40. but the laying down of His life for them Gathering them in Raising them up and giving them to sit with Him in His Throne Rev. 3. 21. But for the World He takes litle notice of them except with a kind of contempt and comination Let them alone Shake off the dust off your feet Joh. 7. 34. Give not that which is holy unto dogs c. Yea though they seek Him they shall not find Him Isa 65. 1. But for His Elect He is found of them even whiles they think not of Him The Instances of Matthew the Woman of Samaria the possessed
walking but He puts His hands on him agen and dismisses him not until He had made him see cleerly Zach. 9. 12. Then take them as Prisoners and Prisoners in the pit and he that will Deliver them must not onely open the Grate but disarm their guard knock off their shackles and bring them forth as the Angel did Peter Acts 12. 6 7. Joh. 10. 3 15 with Zech. 9. 11 12. even whiles the keepers stood afore the door He so Calleth His Sheep that He leadeth them out and this He doth by the blood of His Covenant 't is That makes those in the Pit to be Prisoners of hope And these Effects as duly flow from Redemption as light from the Sun 't is therefore expresly said That the blood of Iesus Christâ—oleanseth from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. And that we are sanctified through the offering of His Body Heb. 10. 10. This gave the Apostle to argue so positively in Rom 6 That if planted together in His death Rom. 6. 5. we shall be also in His Resurrection and to put that Emphasis upon it in chap. 5. That If Reconciled to God by the death of His Son chap. 5. 9 10. Much more shall we be saved by His life That saying of Christ in the 10th of John is much to our purpose And other Sheep I have Joh. 10. 16. Them also must I bring and they shall bear my voyce This Must imports a duty not to be dispensed with He had received a Commandment for it from the Father And this Shall ver 18. that Effectual working whereby they are made to believe The Sheep of themselves lye as cross to this work as other Men what have I to do with thee cries the possest Gadaren but being His sheep Mark 5. 7. Psal 110. Isa 29. 22 24 Psal 68. 18. He must make them willing But suppose they stopp their ears Then He is to bore them for He received gifts for the Rebellious Mens Averseness does not loose Christ his Right nor shall it render his work ineffectual For this very end God raised him up Acts 3. 26. chap. 5. 31. viz. To bless His People in turning them from their iniquities and to give them Repentance and that such as hath Forgiveness of Sins annexed to it Which also He doth as a Prince i. e. As One invested with Power to Remove whatever might lett the effect of His work To Him are committed the keys of hell and of Death Rev. 1. 18. From these premises I safely conclude That what Christ as a Redeemer came to do that He doth and will do and that None of His work shall fall to the ground What He saith in the 17 John is prophetical of what He will say at the latter day I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Of all that Thou hast given me I have lost Nothing I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest Me I have given them the words which thou gavest Me and they have received them Jeh 17. 6 8. More might be added but by these I hope it is evident That Jesus Christ was not only a Redeemer to pay our Ransom but the Officer appointed of God to set us at liberty even that glorious liberty of the Sons of God Isa 53. 10. and This is that pleasure of the Lord which shall prosper in His hand II. Freely All that God doth for Men or Gives to them in order to their Salvation is Given and Done freely Now a thing is then said to be thus Given or Done when it proceeds from the meer Good will and favour of Him that Worketh or Giveth without respect to any thing done or deserved by the Receiver Dan. 2. 30. It is a voluntary act supposing no obligation on him that gives Nor attractive or obliging virtue in him that receives nor yet expectation of Recompense from him Much need not be said to proove the free-giving of the things we are speaking of Did we duly consider three particulars 1. The Sovereign Greatness of Him that gives It is the Most High God Possessour of Heaven and Earth Who is Infinitely and Independently blessed in Himself and therefore cannot be Added unto nor Receive from any Creature Who can give to Him that gives to All their life and breath 2. The superexcellent and unspeakable worth of the things that are Given The first and Chief is our Lord Jesus Christ whose dignity is such That Heaven and Earth are too low a price to set Him at especially To be given as He was and in Him Righteousness and Strength Adoption and Reconciliation Grace and Glory 3. The vanity and wretchedness of those on whom they are bestowed Both Scripture and Experience speak nothing of them in their Naturals but what bespeaks a Condition every way deplorable and uncapable of yielding Motives for such a Gift as is shewn afore But being so greatly in love with our selves and fond of our own improvements and so stifly bent to a Covenant of works To help us off from those dangerous bottoms let us dwell a while on the following Considerations I. What is the Nature and Import of the Covenant of Grace This Covenant is that which all professing Christians profess to be saved by how-ever they differ about the Import and Latitude of it But if we receive the Scriptural Notion which needs must be the Rightest we shall finde That it is of the very Nature and Substance of this Covenant To give freely and absolutely without Conditioning for anything to be done by Men as the ground and Motive thereof All that God doth for those He will save is for His Name sake which Name is recorded in Exod. 34. 5 6 The Lord God Gracious and Merciful c. To be Gracious is To doe well to one that deserves ill And if otherwise it would be but after the Covenant of Works or first Covenant Which yet was not faulty or defective in it self for it gave a sufficiency to obtain the benefits contained in it which if they had used and improv'd as they might there would not have needed a second But the Lord forknowing the Creature 's mutability and consequently what need there would be of another kind of Power and Grace than that Adam was Created with Did therefore determine of a second which in Tit. 1. 2 is called The hope of Eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the World began It is called the Covenant of Grace not onely as designing the Glory of His Grace in the saving of men but as giving freely and of mere Grace and Favour what-ever must bring-about that Salvation For Where els can lye the difference between the two Covenants It cannot be in respect of the easiness and difficulty of the duties enjoyned by either For Faith and Repentance are much more above the compass of natural power than to forbear the forbidden Tree
them in Egypt When opprest by the Egyptians and all means used to destroy them and that both with craft and cruelty Exod. 1. 12. the Lord so orders the Matter that the more they were oppressed the faster they grew and by an high hand brings them out at last In the Wilderness they carry themselves as unworthily towards God as ever People did doing all that in them lay to cut off the intail of that good land by their unbelief and dayly repeated Rebellions insomuch that the Lord threatens to dispossess them But for his Promise sake made with Abraham withdraws his hand and spares them I might instance also the great streights and dangers they were in at the Red-Sea which the Lord divided for them Afterwards for want of water which he brings them out of a Rock Then for Bread which also he gives them from Heaven How they were denied passage by some and way-laid by Others and yet carried on and delivered and at last how the Lord drove out those Gyants whom they despaired of Overcoming and so gave them the land in possession accord-to his promise hundreds of years afore There failed not ought of any good thing the Lord had promised It all came to pass Josh 21. 45. 2. Joseph Little Joseph is one whom the Lord will honour Gen. 37 7 9 11. which in several dreams he intimates to him His brethren do therefore hate him and to frustrate his dreams which signified their subjection to him they conspire to kill him v. 18. And how shall Joseph escape They are ten to one against him and he the least Reuben who being the eldest was most concernd v. 22. in point of honour to hinder Joseph's advancement he shall relent at the very motion of making him away and out of respect to his Father shall deliver him Well though they will not presently kill him they 'l cast him into a pit v. 24. where in all likelihood he must perish But in the good providence of God v. 28. the Ishmaelite Merchants pass by in the very nick of time ere any wild beast shall have found him or his brethren determin'd worse against him To them they sell him and by them he is brought into Egypt far enough out of Jacobs inquiry and sold to the Captain of Pharaoh's guard a person likely enough to deal roughly with him Gen. 37. 2 3 4. But here the Lord ownes him and to bring him into favour makes all that he doth to prosper which his Master observing puts the management of all his estate into Joseph's hands Now there 's fair hopes of his coming to honour But v. 7. how soon is it dash'd Joseph being a goodly person his lascivious Mistress tempts him to folly v. 9. Which the fear of God keeping him from v. 17. the misreports him to his Master charging her own wickedness upon him v. 20. Hereby Potiphar's favor is lost and Joseph cast into Prison and dealt so hardly with Ps 105. 18. that The Iron entred into his soul Now all hopes of preferment are gon and what will become of his dreams Yet still the Councel of the Lord that shall stand and this downfal of Joseph Gen. 40. shall prove another step to his rising And to make way for it two of Pharaoh's Servants shall fall under their Lord's displeasure be put in prison and committed to Joseph's keeping Here they shall dream Joseph shall interpret and the event shall answer it Now the day begins agen to dawn upon Joseph and by the chief Butlers restorement some hopes of his inlargement but this agen is soon overcast for the Butler forgate him Notwithstanding all which the providences of God do still pursue his Decree Gen. 41. chap. 42. 6. and cease not till Joseph is Lord over Egypt and his brethren bow down before him 3. David 1 Sam. 16. 12. God promiseth David to give him the Kingdom and anoints him to it What notwithstanding all possible interveniences Yes for the promise is absolute Hath the Lord said it and shall he not do it If therefore Saul cast a Javelin at him unsuspected to nail him to the Wall a sharpeness of eye and agility of body shall be given him to discern and avoid it If he determine evil against him Jonathan shall advertise him of it 1 Sam. 19. 20 24. If he send Messengers to Naioth to apprehend him they shall forget their errand and fall a prophecying And if he send others and others after them they shall do likewise yea Saul himself shall turn prophet for a day and a night together that David may have time to escape If he be in a City that will betray him and not a friend among them to advise him of it the Lord Himself will be his intelligencer 1 Sam. 23. 12. and send him Out If Saul's Army have encompass'd him and no way left to escape the Philistines shall invade the land v. 26 27. and tidings shall come in the very instant and take him off If an hoast do encamp against him Ps 27. 3. he 'l not be afraid Why so The Lord had made an absolute promise and therefore if no help on earth He shall send from Heaven and save me Ps 57. 3. Yea David's wavering at times and the weakness of his Faith shall not hinder it and the Reason of all we have in 1 Chron. 17. 7. and 8. The Lord took him to be Ruler over his People and therefore he was with him where ever he went 4. Josiah A Child shall be born to the house of David Iosiah by name 1 Kings 13. 2. who shall offer the bones of Jeroboam's priests upon his Altar If therefore Athaliah determine to destroy all the seed-Royal Joash shall be stollen from among the rest 2 Kings 11. 2. and reserved and by him Davida's line shall be continued Hezekiah though sick unto death he shall not dye 2 Kings 20. 6. with ch 13. 16. but be healed as it were by a miracle and fifteen years added to his life rather then Manasseh who must be Josiah's Grand-father shall be unborn 5. Paul Paul was a chosen Vessel appointed to preach Christ to the Gentiles and at last to bear witness of Him at Rome And this must be done altho' Bonds Imprisonments and Death it self do attend him in every place If they lye in wait for him at Damascus and watch the gates night and day Acts 9. 23-25 to kill him he shall be let-down by the Wall in a basket and so escape them If all Jerusalem be in an uproar to kill him the chief Captain shall come with an Army and rescue him chap. 21. 31-33 tho' no friend to Paul nor to his Cause If more than Fourty Men have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have kill'd him his kinsman shal hear of it Acts 23. 14 23 and by
not lose it as some would give the sense had been a Comfortless and empty Notion and an injudicious way of speaking This is yet further confirmed by John 5. 24 He that believeth is passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation The Reason of all which is that their Faith is founded on a Rock Math. 7 15. which Wind and Waves may beat and break themselves against But never the Rock it self nor That which is built upon it He that trusteth in the Lord is as Mount Zion which cannot be moved No Not so much as One of the stakes of that Tabernacle shall be removed Psalm 125. 1. Isa 33. 20. Chap. 45. 17 1 Pet. 2. 6. and that for ever They shall not be ashamed nor confounded World without End It would very much allay that superlative cause of Rejoycing That our Names are written in Heaven If possibly they might be blotted out agen since we find in our selves such a proneness to Revolt which every one acquainted with his own heart must acknolwedge But we are sure Christ would not propound to us a failable ground of rejoycing For that would have been an inviting us to lean on a breakable staff which kind of dependence He is evermore calling us from Believers indeed are sometimes foyl'd but never overcome Though they fall and that seaven times in a day as was said As often do they rise agen And it 's no disparagement to their leader yea it is the Glory of a General to give his enemy advantages and take them agen at his pleasure to his enemies greater confusion and overthrow Satan got nothing by his Winnowing Peter Peter lost some of his Chaff which well might be spared and the Tempter lost many an after-advantage For the World of Believers have been the warier ever since To this second sort of evidence I shall onely add That of the Holy Apostle in Rom. 8. He was perswaded that is He was throughly swayed in his faith to believe it for himself and deliver it down to the Ages to come as a Truth infallible That neither Height nor Depth Nor any other Creature shall be able to separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 38 39. He reckons up all that can be named and lest any thing might have slipt him he brings in Height and Depth as being those two extreams that take in All and more than Men can think and then resolves That even These shal not be able to do it And surely if the super-celestial height of God's Holiness Nor the infra-infernal Depth of sin shall separate from that day of Glory which the sons of God were Predestinated to and for which they were both made and Redeemed called into and groan for then are Believers Roundly secur'd against final Apostacy III. A third sort of evidence for Confirmation are certain Arguments or Reasons why the Saints must needs Persevere in Faith and Holiness By this word Needs must I do not understand any other kind of necessity than well consists with perfect freedom such a Necessity as was upon Paul to preach the Gospel which was a work he rejoyced in such as was upon Jesus Christ to bring-home his sheep and to lay down his life for them Luke 12. 50. How was He streightned till it was accomplished That it was written in his heart was no hindrance to the freedom of his will The expression is well warranted also where it is said That the Scripture speaking of Judas his fact must needs be fulfilled Acts 1. 16. The first Argument Arg. I. John 1. 13. in proof of Perseverance is founded on the Saints Extract or Original They are born of God And this hath the force of a double Argument 1. As God is their Father and Eternal Root Our Saviour holds forth this Relation as the ground of our Faith in prayer Math. 6. 9. And He begins with it Himself when He prayes for His own Glory and that His Disciples might be partakers of it John 17. 1. To the same end He frequently useth that style of Father in the Gospel of John as in particular That He ascends to His Father and our Father John 20. 17. It is to strengthen our Faith in God thro' Himself on the account of His Fatherhood to us The Father loveth the Son John 3. 35. And He loves His Believers as He loveth Christ Himself Iohn 17. 23. On which ground the Apostle concludes That He cannot but give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. Believers are in truth the product of His love both in respect of Election and Regeneration and being so He cannot but have a paternal affection for them to administer to them what-ever tends to their sustentation and growth and to keep-off what ever would intercept or weaken His gracious influences towards them Having once loved them John 13. 1. He loves them for ever They may therefore be confident That what He hath begun in the Spirit He will not let end in the flesh That having begun a good work in them Phil. 1. 6. He will also perform it For As they have their spiritual Being from Him as the Father of it so 't is Natural to Him to derive his virtues into them without intermission as for a Vine to send up its sap into its own branches or the Sun to cherish the plants of its own production All the natural affections that are in Creatures towards their own are but drops of His Immense fullness A Mother may possibly forget the Child of her Womb but the Lord cannot forget His Off-spring That none may hurt them nor they themselves He will keep them night and day Isaiah 27. 3. chap. 46. 3 4. and water them every moment They are born by Him from the Belly and carried from the Womb and even to their old age He will carry them and deliver them 2. The new Creature as it comes from God so it exists in Him and lives upon Him and it is Natural to it to seek its nourishment where it had its Original Nothing can satisfie it but that great Deep from whence it sprang As a New-born child that has not the use of Reason will hunt for the breast by natural instinct and not be qulet without it As soon as ever Paul was converted Behold he prayes Acts 9. 11. Having once received the Spirit of Christ they cannot but incline after Him as Elisha did Elijah upon the casting of his Mantle on him It is natural to them 1 K. 19. 19 20. as for sparks to fly upwards They are said To be baptized with fire Not onely because of the purifying Nature of fire but in respect of its Aspiring quality it will be Mounting and not rest till it come to its own element Obstructions many it meets withall but still it presseth onwards and by degrees bears-down all afore it and carries that with it in which it
fight Heb. 1â— Enabled One to chase a thousand when Fear caused a thousand to flee at the rebuke of One 1 Sam. 14. 13. yea at the shaking of a leaf An handful of obedience springing from Faith and confidence in God is more acceptable to Him than sheafs and loads arising from Fear of wrath 1 Cor. 13. 3. If Paul for fear of hell had given his body to be burned it had been Nothing But Faith and love render small things of value with God the Widow's Mite and a Cup of cold water And 't is worthy of Remarque That when the fruits of the Spirit are reckoned up Gal. 5. 22 33. this Fear is not so much as named among them And certain it is That the more lively and sensible our love is to God the less will be our fear of hell For perfect love casts out fear 1 Joh. 4. 18. 5. If Fear were such an Effectual Curb to sin or help to Perseverance There would not be so many Promises of Delivering God's people from their fears Nor could they so Affectionately bless God for their being delivered Nor so Resolutely set themselves against it Neither would there be so many Commands and Injunctions laid upon them Not to be Afraid 1. Commands and Injunctions against Fear Jer. 46. 27 Fear not thou O my servant Jacob for I will save thee and agen ver 28 Fear thou not I will correct thee in measure i. e. Meetly and proportionably according to the scope of my Covenant which is to save thee The Lord would not have His People to think themselves in danger of being Cashier'd when they are Chastened which seems the Import of that in Isa 41. 9. I have chosen thee and not Cast thee away Fear thou not ver 10. So Heb. 10. 35 Cast not away your Confidence Joh. 14. 27 Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid and Luke 12. 32. Fear not litle Flock It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom Innumerable are the Injunctions laid upon God's people against Fear Isa 35. 4. chap. 43. 5. ch 41. 13. 14. chap. 44. 2. Jer. 30. 10. Dan. 10. 19. Joel 2. 21. Zeph. 3. 16. Hag. 2. 5. Zach. 8. 13 15. Math. 10. 28. Act. 27. 24. Rev. 1. 17 c. Therefore freedom from this Fear is no impediment to Perseverance 2 Promises of delivering from Fears Jer. 30. 10. Jacob shall be in quiet and none shall make him afraid Psal 112. 10. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Prov. 1. 33. He shall be quiet from fear of evil The promise is not made to Fear and fainting but to Faith and Confidence Ps 27. 14 Be of good courage and He shall strengthen thy heart If it had bin the mind of Christ that Believers should still be under this Fear He would not have told them Joh. 5. 24. They are passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation Math. 19. 28. That they shall sit upon Thrones That their Inheritance is reserved in heaven for them 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. and they kept for it and that by the Mighty power of God The Result of all which is That having these Promises we should cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. perfecting holiness in the Fear of God Luke 1. 74. To serve Whom without fear was a main End of Christ's Redemption 3 Examples of Christian Resolution Not to fear Psal 23. 4 yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil Ps 27. 3 Tho' an host encamp against me my heart shall not fear Isa 50. 7 Therefore that is Because the Lord God had promised to help him Therefore have I set my face as a flint and I know that I shall not be confounded Ps 46. 2 We will not fear tho' the Earth be Removed Ps 56. 4 I will not fear what flesh can do unto me and Ps 49. 5. Wherefore should I fear in the dayes of evill when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about These if any thing should have put him in fear but his Faith resolves against it according to Isa 12. 2 I will trust and not be afraid i. e. He would not willingly admit the least mixture of fear with his Faith Neh. 8. 14. and good Reason for it since the joy of the Lord was his strength 4. Instances of Thankfulness for deliverance from fears Psal 34. 3. O Magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt His Name together But what 's the occasion of this joyfull triumph I sought the Lord and He heard me and Delivered me from all my fears v. 4. Psal 27. 6. Therefore will I offer in His Tabernacle Sacrifices of Joy And the Reason of it was That God would hide him in His own Pavillion v. 5. That is He would secure him from danger and set him up above His Fears Which surely he could not with any good Reason have Rejoyced in Nor have prayed that God would Restore to him the joyes of His Salvation if the Dread of Eternal fire had been so good a friend to Perseverance Scriptures to this purpose might be multiplied But these I hope may have left the Objection without footing But besides our Scripture-proof It is evident in Experience That nothing so Elevates the Spirit and Courage of a Man in great undertakings as assurance of Success But whiles he is wavering and doubtfull How he shall speed especially whiles he meditates Terrours and of them the Dreadfullest his hands are enfeebled Nor he has not his Wits about him That which tends in truth to make a Man Steadfast Vnmoveable and alwaies to abound in the work of the Lord is not the fear of Miscarrying and losing all at last but Faith and a certain knowledge that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. If a Man once believing cannot lose his faith Why is it said Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall and Look to your selves that we lose not the things we have wrought If no possibility of losing what need such Cautions and so great Circumspection The Maker of this Objection hath elswhere granted that the possession of Canaan was sure to Abraham's seed so as all their unworthiness could not deprive them of it And yet we find their Induction and actual Possession yoked afterwards with as many Conditions Cautions and limitations as the Promise of Salvation to Believers any where is and yet Nevertheless Certain But for more particular answer 1. It is evident That a Righteous Man may fall and as evident it is That he cannot fall finally For tho' he falls Seaven times in a day as often does he Rise agen Pro. 24. 26. And this because the Lord upholdeth him with His hand Psal 37. 24. And Psal 145. The Lord upholdeth all that fall Either He stayes them when
ever Shaken you may be and tossed with tempest but never Over-turn'd because ye have an Eternal Root Electing love is of that Sovereignty That it Rules and Over-rules all in Heaven and Earth Christ Jesus our Saviour and Lord The Holy Ghost our Sanctifier Councellor and Comforter in all that they have done do or will do do still pursue that scope All Ordinances Providences Temptations Afflictions and whatever can be Named be it good or be it bad in it self Life death things present and things to come are all made Subservient to the Decree of Election And do all Work-together To compass and bring-about its Most glorious designment If the Course and Conduct of Common Providences were truly lined-out It would yield an illustrious Prospect How much more the Conduct Order and End of those special Providences which are proper to and conversant about Election When all the peeces therof shall be brought-together and set-in-order how beautifull will it be Angels and Men shall shout for the Glory of it Then 't will be evident God has done nothing in vain or impertinent to your blessedness That what ever hath befallen you here however contrâ—ry to your present sense and opinion of it was dâ—spensed in very faithfuâ—ness to you That if any of those manifold and seemingly Cross Occurrences you have been exercised-with had been omitted it would have been a Blank in your story a blot in your Scutcheon of honour When you shall see What Contrivances have been against you what Art Subtilty Malice and Power they were agitated-with How unable you were to Fore see prevent avoid or repell them And how all the Attributes of God and His Providences each one in its time and place which was always most seasonable came-in to your Rescue Retorting on your adversaries and safeguarding you yea how that which was death in it self was made to work life in you How amiable and admirable will the story of it be That when your faith was weak the Lord did not withdraw from you That when it was at its height and strength He then did for you above all you could believe or think and through an unspeakable Preass of Difficulties and Contradictions He carried-on his work in you even bearing you on Eagle's Wings until He had brought you to Himself How will you Magnifie His work and Admire it then Begin it Now. Secondly Infer II. Let us study more the Knowledg and Contents of this Great truth of Believers Invincible Perseverance the Rise Progress and Tendency of it and what advantages it yields us which indeed are many and very considerable 1. As it is a part of the Doctrine of Election which teacheth That Nothing in us but Grace and love in God was the only Original Cause of our Salvation The knowledge whereof will work in the Soul an holy Ingenuity and love towards God whom nothing offends but Sin Simon answered right Luke 7. 43. when he said He that had most forgiven him would love most Whence it follows That he who believes the Free Remission of all his sins from first to last must needs love God more than One who believes only the pardon of those that are past and that so as that they may all be charged upon him agen Or if not That yet he may possibly perish for those to-come perhaps in the last Moment of his life For he is not sure Nay 't is very doubtfull if dependent on his own natural will That Faith or Repentance shall be his last Act. Now This Grace of Love being the strongest and most operative Principle he that is led by it must act accordingly that is 2 Cor. 4. 16. Vigorously and without weariness as Paul did And Joseph having received large Tokens of God's love to him and expecting more yet argues against and with an holy disdain and sleight of hand puts-by the Temptation How can I doe this and sin against God who hath dealt and will deal so bountifully with me 2. As it teacheth the soul to Depend upon God for its keeping as having His Almighty Power absolutely engaged for it Whereas if the efficacy and event of all that God doth for Me should depend upon something to be done by Me who am a frail Creature and prone to Revolt I should still be in fear because still in danger of Falling and losing all at last And this Fear being an enfeebling passion must needs render my Resistance and all my endeavours both irregular and weak Whereas a Magnanimous and fearless spirit who sees himself Clothed with a Divine Power shall have his Wits as we say more about him to discern Dangers and Advantages and consequently how to eschew the one and improve the other 3. As it gives assurance Our labour shall not be in vain This made those believing Hebrews to endure that great fight of afflictions and to take joyfully the spoiling of their Goods Heb. 10. 33 34. because they knew they had in Heaven a better and more-enduring substance All manner of Accomplishments put-into-one and made your own would not so invincibly Steel your foreheads and strengthen your hearts as To be Sure of Success and to come off Conquerour The Apostle therefore brings it in as the highest encouragement in our Christian Warfare in Rom. 6. 14. and chap. 8. 37. And our blessed Lord Himself who of all others had the hardest Chapter to Run-through It made His Face as a Flint Isa 50. 7. because He knew He should not be Confounded Thirdly Infer III. Make it one and that a Mayn part of your business to foyl and disprove the Objections that are brought against this Doctrine And your Nearest way to it is Growing in Grace 2 Pet. 3. 18. with chap. 1. from the 5th verse to the 10th 1. Lay-aside and Cast-away every weight especially the sin that doth most easily beset you your bosom sin whatsoever it be Isa 2. 20. 1 Thes 5. 5 6 Cast them to the Moles and to the Batts They are not fit-Mates for Day-light Creatures It is a Noble prize you Run-for Therefore Clogg not your self with any thing that may hinder or retard your pace 2. Keep your selves in the Love of God that is keep-up and maintain a spiritual sense of His love to you and a lively answer of holy affections towards Him Whatever may tend to obscure or lessen your sense of it have nothing to doe with that unjust thing keep your self from Idols let nothing have an interest in your love but God and all things els but in subordination and with respect to Him onely 3. Watch against the Beginnings and first Motions of sin Nip it in the bud Abstain from all appearance of evil and walk not on the brink of your liberty It is easier to keep-out an Invader than to Expell him being Entred To keep-down a Rebel and prevent his Rising than to Conquer him when he is up Great and black Clouds have small beginnings the bigness