prayer and all duties whether our Communion with God be more or less in them FINIS CHAP. XX. How the Lord is pleased effectually to call some after they have been long in their natural Estate and have been very wicked GOd is pleased to suffer some of his Elect to go on a great while in Ignorance and to fall into great sins before he convert them as Matthew Zachaeus Mary Magdalene an elect person yet God leaveth her to be possest with seven devils and to be a Harlot before he convert her Paul an elect person yet God leaveth him a great while to go on in a Pharisaical way and to be a grievous Persecutor before the Lord convert him The Thief upon the Cross was an elect person yet the Lord let him run on a long time in his sins for these he is sentenced to die theâ—… the Lord converts him now there are many reasons why the Lord in his insinite wisdom suffers many elect persons to fall into so much sin before the Lord convert them As 1 because God will make it more eminently appeare that it was his meer Grace to save them and convert them God doth convert many in their young time before they have run into much prophaness others God leaveth to go on a long time in prophaness and though he could have converted them before yet he doth it to magnifie his own Grace 2 And God doth it that men might be the more humble after their Conversion remembring what great sins they fell into before the Lord called them 3 Hereby mens conversion is more remarkable to themselves and to others and tends much to the awakening of others when they shall see a notorious sinner so changed it may startle others exceedingly 4 That the worst of sinners might not be hardned and go on desperately in their sins and say There is no hope no but seeing others converted after they have gone on so long in sin that they might now come to Christ and say I will have no more fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but cast my self upon the free mercy of God in Christ 5 That we might use means to convert the greatest sinners and not say There is no hope that that Drunkard and that Worldling should ever be converted and so never use means to discover sin and Christ to them 6 That God might shew the certainty of Election that those that he hath chosen shall be called according to Gods gracious purpose which purpose shall stand By this we see that all the Father giveth to Christ shall come to him and be effectually called though they are long before they are converted 7 Hereby God will shew us the infinite merit of his Sons blood that it will cleanse from all sin that though an elect person hath so abounded in sin yet the blood of Christ is able to save him to the utmost 8 And thus God sheweth the power of his Spirit that he is able to convert men not only when they are less sinners but when they are mightily hardened in sin and have long accustomed themselves to do evil Question But doth God love an elect Person and hath he care of them before they be converted Answ Yes God loved them from eternity God loved Jacob Rom. 9. before he had done good or evil God doth not then begin to love a soul when he is converted though then the effects of his love do more appear 2 God gave his blessed Son for his elect while they were enemies then they were reconciled to God by the death of his Son he died for the ungodly Rom. 5.9,10 and this was infinite love 3 If God did not love the Elect before they were converted they would never be converted It s his infinite love to them that he unites draws them to Christ without which drawing they could never come to Christ 4 God Hath such a love and care towards an elect person that he never suffers them to fall into the sin against the holy Ghost though they fall into other great sins 5 God hath such a care towards them that they never die unconverted Rom. 8,30 Whom he did predestinate them he hath also called God either converts them in their young time or else lengthens out their days upon the earth and brings them to Christ though it be at the eleventh hour As God called some of all sorts of sinners excepting those that commit the sin against the holy Ghost so he calleth at several ages some in their child-hood some in their middle age and some in their old age but God calleth most in their young time whilst their hearts are yet tender How hath the Lord been pleased to work Grace in them that have been mightily prejudiced against the powerfull preaching of the word as it s recorded in the life of that gracious man Mr. Robert Bolton that before his conversion he hearing Mr. Perkins preach he said He was an empty dry fellow but after he was converted he had high thoughts of his powerfull Ministry Another was that afterwards one of the most eminent in grace and gifts that our times have known when the Bel went for Mr. Perkins secretly was glad in his heart that he was dead that he might not be so startled by his heart-searching ministry which thought did exceedingly humble him afterwards and God pleased powerfully to work upon him and make him a burning and shining light Thus where sin abounds Gods grace sometimes cals a soul and so abounds much more then sin abounded If we knew all passages concerning those whom the Lord converteth what prophaness in some what strange ignarance in others what wicked resistance of the Spirit it would make us cry out O the wickedness of the creature and O the unsearchable riches of Gods free grace some have gone to an Ordinance to sleep and the Lord hath made such a noise by his Spirit in their hearts that they have been past sleeping their souls have been so effectually awakened some have gone to ensnare the Preacher and the Lord hath changed their hearts and opened their eyes some have gone boldly to outface the Lord in his Ordinances and the Lord hath made their stout hearts tremble at his word some have gone only out of novelty to hear a man because he was a stranger or was a noted Preacher and the Lord hath converted them some have gone with their hearts as full of prejudice against the Preacher as could be and yet the Lord hath bowed their heares before they came away and made them say Surely God is in this man and in his Ministry of a truth Some shall certainly be converted and must enter into Gods rest Heb. 4.6 1 because God hath ordained some to eternal life Acts 13.48 and the Election must obtain it 2 The Lord Jesus hath died for them and hath made their peace by the blood of his cross And God the Father hath given him power over all the
all spiritual Duty from an unfailing strength and spring of Grace in the Lord Jesus And if those that believe in the Lord Jesus are brought into a better state then Adam at first was in then much more is the Lord Jesus the Author of all this to them worthy of more Glory then Adam for the Lord Jesus had not only all those created gifts that Adam had but besides he was God equal with the Father and as Mediatour he was exalted far above Adam for he had fulness of Grace in him John 1.16 the Spirit without measure John 3. had power over all flesh John 17.2 Mat. 28. He doth not speak there of his Power as God but of his Power as Mediatour for that only could be given him as he saith thou hast given me power over all flesh Whatsoever a Believer hath it is through Christ for whatsoever God doth for a poor creature either to justifie sanctifie quicken or comfort he doth all for us in Christ He blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him Eph. 1.3 We are by nature dead in trespasses and sins and God makes Christ our Life Eph. 2.1 Gal. 1.20 We are naturally in darkness and God makes Christ our Light Eph. 5.8 He makes Christ our Sun to shine upon us the glorious Sun of Righteousness that is so full of Light and heat to us we are naturally in a famisht and starved condition like the Prodigal and God makes Christ our food he giveth us Christ as the true Manna bread of Life John 6. We are naturally poor and beggerly and God makes Christ our riches and Treasure Prov. 8.17,18,19 We are naturally naked and God makes Christ our cloathing putting on us his Robe of Righteousness We are impotent and weak and he makes him our strength Thus he makes Christ all in all to us both Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption CHAP. IV. The freeness of the Salvation that we have by Christ THe Dispensation of Grace and Eternal Life in Christ Jesus is every way free to us the Lord hath shewn the greatest kindness when there was not the least desert that every one that is saved by this Grace may say O that ever such an ugly creature as I should have the best Robe put upon me such a Prodigal as I have been find such unexpected kindness such a Blackamore as I am that ever I should have the kisses of the fairest of ten thousand this is wonderful indeed That God should chuse us to eternal Life when he might have appointed us unto wrath this can never be requited that such a person as Christ the eternal Son of God should undertake to bring us to glory this is free indeed and that the Lord should do this without the least desire or engagement on the creatures part and that the Lord Christ should not shun the greatest sufferings in order to our Salvation but be wounded bruised bear the curse of the Law and the wrath of God can this ever be requited And that the Lord should do this after we had spent so fair an estate as we had in Innocency and we had wasted it as the Prodigal did what manner of love is this And that the Lord Jesus went through the work of our Redemption without grudging did he ever say Shall I die for such base wretches as these are but when Peter would not have had him died he took him up sharpely and said Get thee behind me Sathan Mat. 16.21,22,23 we read not that he took him up so when he denied him can this ever be requited for ever And that the Lord Jesus should think of every thing and purchase every thing that was requisite to make us happy in his Death he purchased all Grace he gave himself for us to deliver us from this present evil world Gal. 1.4 He knew that was a great enemy and he purchased Grace to keep us from the evil of that and if we mind Christs Prayer John 17. we may see how Christ thought of every thing for us And that Christ after his bloody Sacrifice should make intercession for us and bear our Names before Jehovah and that he should take such care to send the Comforter in his absence to abide with us for ever this is not after the manner of mens love O Lord our God free free every way free O let us say that believe in Christ we must take this as free love we never deserved it and we can never requite it O I will love thee for ever and praise thee for ever And what are we for whom the Lord hath done all this all the while before we are converted We hate God and are Rebels against him and after we are converted we perform but little Duty we are but little in prayer little in praises little in heavenly meditation sometimes we have a holy thought and then abundance of vain thoughts for it sometimes we have a savoury word and then abundance of vain discourse for it and those few duties we do have a great deal of weakness and sin in them our prayers full of deadness formality unbelief we are proud when we have enlargements so sinful in our best performances that all Saints will confess their Righteousness is as menstruous raggs O let this discovery of the freeness of Gods Grace in Christ draw the worst of sinners that are yet in their Natural estate to come to Christ if Christ and Grace were not free how should Paul Mary Magdalen Zacheus and such have ever been converted Object 1. But the sinner will say I have been a sinner of a thousand may I be welcome to Christ I have scoffed at the Saints and railed at them Answ So was Paul before his conversion I saith he was a Persecutor a Blasphemer and injurious to the people of God where ever he came yet he obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1.12,13 yea he confesses to King Agrippa that before his Conversion he was mad against the Church and yet the Lord turns this man in his full speed and there was no qualification to move the Lord to it he was going to persecute the Saints when the Lord met him and converted him Object 2. But I have no good in me to commend me to Christ Answ Christ expects none untill you be in him by faith Christ doth not look for Grapes of thorns how should you be holy until you be in Christ Object 3. Ay but whereas others though they be not converted yet they have parts and understanding and can speak of Religion but I have no parts nor knowledge Answ The Lord hath promised to make the ignorant understand Doctrine if God convert theeâ— he can make thee understand the things of Religion presently Object 4. Ay But I am a poor man or woman that live in obscurity the Lord surely will never convert me for of what use can I be to God he will call Scholars and great men that may be more serviceable then ever
the Volume of thy Book it is written of me Lo I come to do thy will O God that is I come to give thee satisfaction according to thy own heart by that which we agreed upon My own death 2. They agreed of the time of payment therefore it is said Gal. 4. when the fulness of time was come God sent his Son that is when the time that was agreed upon between the Father and Christ was come then Christ was sent forth not that Christ had time given him because he was not able to pay our debt before but God saw that the fittest time after the Church had been so long under Ceremonies and hard services then Christ comes forth to purchase a Redemption from sin and those things to that we might see more of the great Benefits we have by him 3. It was agreed what power the Lord Jesus should have to carry on the work of Redemption and all power was given to him Mat. 28. and John 17.2 Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Now Christ as God had of himself power over all things but now as Mediatour God the Father gives him power over all flesh and so Ephes 1.22 God the Father is said to have given Christ to be Head over all things to the Church Now Christ as God was Head over all things without any giving of it to him but Christ as Mediator hath it given to him to be Head over all things to the Church that is for the benefit of the Church that so the Lord Jesus is the Head over all things hath command over the good Angels Devils men and all creatures for the good of the Church whose Head he is in another manner then he is Head of all things so I say this was agreed that the Lord Jesus should have universal power and dominion for the managing of this great Work 4. It was agreed in this Covenant between the Father and Christ that the sins and failings of Christs members should not break the Covenant that the Father and Christ had made for their salvation therefore it is said in that 89. Psalm from 23. to 32. that the Covenant should stand fast with Christ and saith God if Christs children break my Commandements I will visit their Iniquity with a Rod I will have liberty saith God to chastise them and whip them home when they play the Prodigals and wander from my House but then it shall not break the Covenant that they sin against me but I will pardon their iniquities and remember their sins no more Upon the account of this Covenant between the Father and Christ the Lord Jesus is said to trust God the Father as Mediatour Heb. 2.13 Behold I put my trust in him and again behold I and the children which God hath given me Christ as Mediatour trusted God the Father to carry him through the great work of his Mediation 2. He trusted him that he would accept of his death 3. He trusted him that in the appointed time he would bestow all the good things purchased by his death upon them for whom he died which good things were especially forgiveness of sins the Spirit Sanctification and eternal life God the Father had trufted Christ with the salvation of his people with which he would not have trusted all the Angels in Heaven and therefore Christ might well trust God the Father in this matter Christ knew Gods infinite Love to those for whom he died and knew the Covenant between the Father and him on their behalf and so trusted the Father fully in the business relying upon the love and faithfulness of God his love to the Elect and his faithfulness to keep Covenant with him CHAP. XIV The Saints Comfort against Death DEath in it self is the King of Terrours a very terrible thing 1. In it self it is part of the curse in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die thou shalt be lyable to temporal and eternal death when I please to execute it but indeed death is not kept up to the Saints as a curse but as a servant to carry them home to their Fathers House 2. Death is an abhorrency to Nature that nature dreads it exceedingly it parts the soul and body that have been such intimate acquaintance it leaves the body to be a dead carcass fit for nothing but to be laid among the clods of the earth 3. It s terrible to flesh and blood as it depriveth men of the comforts of this present life it carrieth us from all the comforts of wife children friends estate Sigismund the Emperour when he was near death charged them that were about him that they should not name death in his hearing belike the thoughts of it were very terrible to him 4. Death is terrible to many mens thoughts in respect of the suddeness of it sudden death comes sometimes 1. by a sudden decay of nature such diseases as the Apoplexy may be breeding in the body that shall pluck down this earthly Tabernacle in one moment 2. Sometimes by Accidents from without as fire enemies falls and the like 3. Sometimes by a sudden stroak of Gods hand when there is no natural cause but men might live a great while Thus God cuts off many in the midst of their dayes not but that all men live to the time appointed and set down by God but that the Lord cuts them off from that time when they might according to the course of nature live a great while-longer Thus the Lord smote Herod suddenly with death the hundred and fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night Esay 37.36 5. The unavoidableness of death makes it terrible to the thoughts that the stoutest spirits see they cannot grapple with it what man is he that liveth and shall not see death who can deliver himself from the power of the grave Psalm 89.48 Death fetches a General out of his Tent when he lyeth environed with armed men Death fetches the Prince out of his Palace goes through all his Life-guard and none can withstand him so that men of brave and stout spirits have no courage to deal with death but their valour is turned into fear and amazement 6. The pains and pangs of death make it terrible to the thoughts of flesh and blood to think what a strange confusion then will be in the spirits when the eye-strings and heart-strings crack and man can exercise no more his spirit and understanding 7. That which above all makes death terrible unto many is the consequence of it that after death comes the Judgement the particular day of Judgement presently O saith many an unwakened conscience O what shall I do to appear before God to make up my accounts to him so that the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law that is that the greatest sting of death is for a