Secondly Converting grace is Gods own not dispensed to any in a way of Justice but as a giâ—t of Gods meer will and pleasure and who shall call any maâ— to account for the gifts he gives if it were in justice there a man might demand account in Mat. 20. 15. is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own grace is Gods own and therefore is not tyed to accounts so it s argued Job 33. 15. why dost thou strive against the Lord he giveth no account of any of his matters and in respect of this soveraignty of God he hath no other rule to guide his gift of grace but his own will for he hath mercy on whom he will for who hath enjoyned him his way or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity Job 26. 23. therefore let those that from Converting grace do but seek an argument of excusing themselves and disputing with God in silence first ask themselves that question in Rom. 11. 35. who hath given to him first and it shall be given or rendred to him again first let him stand out and say this I have done for God and have given to him and therefore let him be just to render to me again or cease to quarrel Answ 3. Thirdly God doth not give Converting grace to all that have the offer to the end that he may make his grace the more glorious and admirable and his Elect the more thankful and obliged who when they see what the Lord hath done what scandal as it were he hath run himself into in the eyes of the world to greaten his mercy in their eyes how this is denyed to many better then themselves may stand admiring at that whereof no reason out of God and the cabinet of his will can be given If this grace which God hath given and will give to his Elect had been universal I do think I may very well say it must needs have fallen in price because reason teaches us that full markets make cheap commodities and therefore the wrath of God on vessels of wrath doth serve to shew forth his mercy on vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 22. to whom it appears to be riches of glory even by the consideration of Gods wrath upon others let Gods people look themselves in this glass and let them know that grace hath more glory by the property of discriminancy then it could have by universality for if diamonds were as common as Flints and Pebles I think people would not so much wear them on their fingers and so much of the first Premise I come to the second which is what entertainment the offers of grace do find with a natural man and that is opposition and resistance that look as the hard wall reverberates and beats back the ball that 's thrown against it and the harder you throw it the farther it recoils upon you so the hard heart of man by its renitency reacts and repulses the tenders of grace and because this is a point that no man will easily believe that he is a resister of grace therefore I mean to handle it only by opening some placâ—s of Scripture wherein you shall see that God charges this on you and then I shall sum them up into a total First there are two denominations of men that are said to hate the light and to hate Christ John 3. 20. every one that doth evil hates the light and John 15. 18. the world hates me the highest degree of malignity is exprest by hate the two highest and most pretious things Christ and light are hated by men that love their lust by the world that is in the dialect of Christ the not called the unregenerate which shews us the general state of men that are not brought into Christ they hate the light and they hate Christ but yet men will not own it they think not so so Hazael when he was accused by the Prophet that he should rip up women with child and other villanies when he came to be King What saith he am I a dog to do such great wickedness no more do men think this of themselves that they hate Christ or the light It s true the general and toothless light the shining and glistering light of speculation is pleasant that 's not the light which is hated but as the light that comes on sore eyes and causes them to smart is tedious so that light that discovers and convinces of sin and misery by reason thereof and threatens vengance from God for it that you cannot abide for mark the Word they hate the light lest their deeds should be reproved the reproving light is taken very ill they cannot bear that Secondly Those that are in impenitency drunk and asleep in the devils snare do oppose themselves or as the Word signifies are contrarily disposed and affected 2 Tim. 2. 25. Let the Minister instruct in meekness them that oppose themselves And who are these the secure wretched man who being drunk is fallen asleep in the snare of the devil for it is that he may awaken out of drunken sleep unto a sober mind those that lie cross in the way if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth which they disown and disavow and this is their resistance Thirdly The Gospel invitations are slighted by men of worldly spirits and employments whose very callings do call them from the Gospel feast Mat. 22. 1. For till a man be brought to God his imployment his lawful calling in the world makes him to slight the grace of God they were called to the Supper and the farm the oxen the merchandise and the marryed wife hinders their coming this and that other vanity are preferred for though heaven be never so great a thing as indeed it is yet to a man that hath a closer though a petty thing in his heart that hinders his choise of heaven as though the firmament be a great thing yet let a man put a six pence or three pence on his eye and it hinders his sight of heaven because a closer thing lies on his eye so when this world and the things thereof lie close to the heart though petty and mean they bring a contempt and slighting of this converting grace offered in the Word of the Gospel and therefore ver 5. they made light of it and ver 3. they would not come and this is their resistance Fourthly The patient expectation and loving call of God is gain said even by Israel that had the Ordinances of God what good did they they were resisted how is that proved in Rom. 9. ult all the day long the day of that Nation while it was a Nation till it grew night with them have I stretched out my hands to a gainsaying and contradicting people that believe not all day long there is patience have I stretched out my hands a Metaphor taken from a Mother calling her child there is a shew of calling with
the Holiness the Image of God rises originally from the hate of God himself there is the core of this disease you think if you hate man for the Image of God that is in him that you hate but man but the root of the disease lies in the hatred of God Therefore Christ teaches it John 15. 17. If the world hate you ye know it hated me before it hated you Men are ashamed to see this Fountain but the malice of the Devil shews whence this hatred doth arise Secondly every corrupt man more or less holds the truth of God in unrighteousness and doth as it were keep it under a bushel Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteouss of men that hold the truth in unrighteousness That is that whereas there is a shining light that shines in man he hath common notions of right and wrong this he knows but he will not let it breath out in practice but lets his affections and lusts imprison and dam it up he will not let this light restrain his lusts There is no man living that lives up to his own light he knows more then he will practice and put forth to the glory of God in his place and family and therefore there is wrath to him There is no man in this place let him be never so vile but hath some beams of light Amat lucentem edit arguentem he loves the shining light but hates the reproving and convincing light This also is the sin of the Devil Thirdly this hatred appears in this man is angry that he may not sin impune and do what he will without controll and if he cannot then he fastens his hatred upon God God hath given him grace but he would fain enjoy and serve lusts and pleasures freely and would have impunity not to be punished he would sin and escape sin and be saved sin and be happy this is his temper And if the wrath of God be revealed that he cannot do so then he is carried out to an utter hatred of God himself for if he could he would continue and go on in the height of his iniquity and would not be punished but could wish that God were out of his way If he could disarm his justice he would and therefore he can be content that God give life and being and fuel to maintain his lusts but if he see that God come out to punish then he wishes with all his heart rather that God were not that there were no such inflictor of punishment upon man These are the secret thoughts the eruptions and belchings secret breakings up of hatred that are in the hearts of men to God And if you ask for an instance of it out of man I can give none but the Devil that in all these three steps wishes that God were not And this I have briefly said to shew the enmity of man to God that besides sensual lusts there should be such a poison in his spirit against the holy God which we hear of often in the Scripture the wisdom of the flesh or appetite call it what you will in Rom. 8. 7. is enmity unto God for it is not subject to the law of God let him be never so wise nor indeed can be And in Col. 1. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works And let no man marvel at it the reason is this the love of God will not stand with any thing that is better loved If any thing be better loved then God is then it turns to hatred Ye adulterers and adulteresses saith the Apostl Jam. 4. 4. meaning worldly men know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God Now if you recollect these two Arguments the Corruption and Contrariety that is in natural man to God and the Enmity that is in him I think you will say the first part is proved That no man can come to Christ by reason uot only of the impotency but the opposition that is in him This in general to the Opposition Serm. 8 NOw I am to go on particulary to handle this Opposition First mans unwillingness to believe and come in to grace offered Secondly his resistance against converting grace that offers it self First then I will shew you the unwillingness of corrupt natural man to accept of grace offered And this is a point wherein the demerit of man and the condemning Justice of God thereupon doth appear without all excuse of mans self without all exception against the Grace of God for what exception can man make against his condemnation that is willing to be condemned what excuse can he make for his unbelief that is unwilling to believe that whereas all creatures in the world do affect that most wherein their happiness doth lie and are infinitely carryed towards it in the persuite whereof no creature can be indifferent yet corrupt sinful man doth not only oppose the commands of God break his bonds asunder and cast his cords away Psal 2. 2. but is also unwilling unto salvation to which he is invited by so many solicitations to which he is drawn by so many powerful arguments and perswasions of the Word of God under the Gospel as are afforded him And this is the point I handle That man naturally is unwilling to be converted to turn to Christ that he may be saved I think you will hardly believe this point But it may justly be said he cannot come because he will not for in John 5. 40. this point is clearly proved You will not come to me that ye may have life And it is the complaint that our Saviour makes over Jerusalem Mat. 13. 37. How often would I have gathered thee and ye would not And in Prov. 1. 24. I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hands and none regarded you have set at naught my counsel and would have none of my reproof but have cast my words behind your backs Nay you would have none of me saith God Psal 81. 11. Israel would none of me They that have not heard of salvation offered do not seek it they to whom it hath been offered do neglect it and they to whom it is commended by all commendations they have despised it Conversion is as little beholding to the will of man as to any thing that whereas friends would have their friends and one relation would have another when they know Christ they would have them know Christ also The woman of Samaria called the whole Town out to Christ Conversion is least beholding to the Queen of Faculties as they call the Will of man which is rather the slave of all the rest the Captain of rebellion whereby man is unwilling to his own conversion and faith in Christ Jesus And therefore it is said in 1 Joh. 1. 13. We are born of God regenerate not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of
GODS Drawing AND MANS Coming TO CHRIST Discovered in 32 SERMONS On John 6. 44. With the difference between a true inward Christian and the outward Formalist in three SERMONS On Rom. 2. 28 29. By Mr. RICHARD VINES late Minister of the Gospel at St. Laurence-Jury in London LONDON Printed for Abel Roper at the Sun against St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street 1662. Good Reader THe great duty of Christianity is Coming to Christ and Christians are described to be those that come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. Now this work is not easily done Nature is averse from it Partly because Believing or Coming to Christ is a mystical duty not evident by natural light but instituted in the Gospel And we usually bid better welcome to our acquaintance than a meer stranger Moralities which are in part engraven upon mans heart go down sooner with us then matters of Faith Partly because Nature affecting a self-sufficiency is loth to be beholding to another and therefore doth not easily submit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 3. to fetch all from Christ As a proud man will rather choose to wear a russet coat of his own than a silken garment of anothers Partly because it is a long time ere we can get men to be serious and to wind soul-affairs and if it be so hard a matter to bring them and themselves together What is it to bring them and Christ together Partly because Christ and the main of his Blessings lie in another in an invisible world and man that is so inchanted with the pleasures of sense and â—iassed with fleshly lusts which are importunate to be pleased with what is visible and present is not easily moved with unseen hopes and induced to deny himself and lay all his affections and interests at the feet of Christ and intirely to consecrate himself to the use and service of God For these and many other reasons man hangs off from Christ and nothing but a divine power can cure this aversness The work of reducing man from his strayings and bringing him to seek his happiness in God through Christ is carryed oâ— among the Divine Persons between the Father Son and Holy Ghost God the Father as a Judge by the spirit of bondage driveth us to Christ as Mediatour and Christ as Mediatour by the spirit of 〈◊〉 bringeth us back again to God as a Father Through him saith the Apostle Eph. 2. 13. we have access by one spirit unto the Father This mysterie is notably unfolded in the present Treatise and if either the weight and importance of the matter being one of the chiefest points in the Christian Religion or the known worth of the Author Mr. Richard Vines a man sufficiently eminent for the graces of the spirit for sound Learning and well-tempered moderation or the accuracy of discussion these Sermons being not the suddain issues of a light spirit but the fruit of grave and mature studies I say if these or any of these be any allective to thee thou wilt find them all in this Treatise that is now put into thy hands And because many pretend to Christ that are none of his there is added another Tract of the difference between a true inward Christian and an outward Formalist necessary to be subjoyned to the former that we may build surely on a sure foundation and not content our selves with a name that we live in Christ when indeed we are dead in sin I commend both to thy serious perusal and the Blessing of the Lords Grace in whom I am Thine in all Christian service Tho. Manton Errata PAge 6. line 22. for derisons read divisions p. 25. l. 10. for to r. no p. 4 â— 9. for as r. not p. 90. l. 28. for gripes r. gropes p. 138. l. 23. for Roâ— r. Luke p. 160. l. 30 blot out alwayes p. 214. l. 9. for mean r. meer p. 23â— l. 21. for volentem r. violentum p. 293. l. 22. r. While he is p. 313. l. 5. foâ— Sodom r. Scdem p. 320. l. 8. blot out to p. 326. l. 17. for is r. in p. 32â— l. 30. after Its add true p. 328. l. 22. r. a man may be full c. Reader THe Name and Memory of the judicious and Learned Author of these Sermons is so precious to me for his great worth and eminent abilities that I cannot but heartily rejoyce in the publication of any of his Labours that are proper and genuine And that these Sermons are such I am confidently assured If thou question the truth of this Come and see do but peruse them their features will shew who was their Father Sic oculos sic ille manus sic or a ferebat I commend them therefore to thy reading and thy self in all thy Christian endeavours to Gods blessing Tho. Jacomb D.D. Reader THough I may suppose that the precious name of Mr. R. Vines will do much in procuring thy estimation and acceptance of this Book yet if it had not a greater excellency I should not commend or tender it to thy perusal Though I have not so exactly read it as to give my judgement of every sentence yet by the general survey which I have made I am able to tell thee that the Doctrine of Conversion is plainly and judiciously here unfolded the necessity and victory of effectual Grace is solidly asserted and the opposition of corrupted nature discovered and in all thou art taught that greatest duty to know God as he is revealed in his infinite Goodness and incomprehensible Mercy to miserable man in and by his Blessed Son our Redeemer and to give him the Glory of his Love and Grace If thou have the Grace thou readest of it must needs be sweet to thee to read of so sweet a thing as the treasures of restoring saving Grace so copiously and clearly opened and to be employed in so high and sweet a work as to labour with all the Saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge to be filled with all the fulness of God The happiness of those that study Christ by the conduct of Christ and are strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may even dwell in their hearts by Faith and they may be rooted and grounded in Love Eph. 3. 16 17 18 19. But if thou read of Grace with a graceless heart the Learning of the Writer and the clear decision of the several controversies may possibly be acceptable to thee but as for the sweetness of the excellent subject no wonder if thou be a stranger to it It is a pittiful thing to hear some men Learnedly discourse of the Nature and Necessity of Grace and disputing of its Universality and Speciality its sufficiency and efficacy the way of its operations whether Moral or Physical c. that yet never felt the illuminating changing renewing resolving mortifying strengthening or elevating works of Grace
he is converted For the act of faith and repentance and obedience is mans act and therefore those that poyson us with this doctrine Christ believes for me and repents for me tell us a ridiculous piece of non-sense No it is you that must repent and believe and act obedience for common reason will shew you oâ— sense it is not the Sun that sees for that which sees is the eye the Sun only gives light without which the eye cannot see And so we must distinguish between the power and the act God draws man to Christ Jesus the power is of him but coming to Christ or the act of Conversion that is mans the power is Christs the duty is yours And therefore though this doctrine be never so offensive yet it seems God puts his greatest glory in that which is most offensive to mans reason In the 33. of Exod. 19. ver I will make all my goodness to pass before thee and I will proclame the name of the Lord. And what is that Proclamation that doctrine that is conceived to be so scandalous I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and shew mercy to whom I will Which the Apostle insists upon in Rom. 9. where this point is agitated That 's the second Observation Thirdly for the silencing of these murmurers at Christ in the verse before the Text Christ gives the close reason of mans believing in him and mans not believing in him a closer reason then they were aware of The reason he gives is this That those that God draws to Christ they come to him ver 44. And every man that hath heard and learnt of the Father comes to me ver 45. There is the teaching of God called the drawing of God and perswading the mind of man which whoever hath believes and comes to Christ Jesus and every man that is not thus drawn is left unto himself is left under his own disability and so he cannot come For no man can come to me except the Father draw him Mans impotency is alledged on the one hand and Gods drawing is alledged on the other hand and though there might be great objections made against it yet our Saviour insists upon this close doctrine Joh. 10. 26 27. You believe not because you are not of my sheep Many other reasons might be given but he comes unto the bottom Because you are not called because you are not of my sheep by the election of God And so again in Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given to me shall come to me You that are not of my sheep do not believe therefore you do not come And he sets it forth again ver 65. of this Chapter No man can come to me except it be given him of my Father These are strange reasons will reason say and rather apt to give offence then to take it off rather apt to breed murmurings then to qualifie and allay them And its true had Christ encouraged mans natural abilities and â—lattered them he should have pleased the corrupt and carnal reason of man for without all question that which most flatters self and carnal reason is most acceptable with you But so doth not he for he asserts that God must draw and give faith This gives all to Christ and assumes all the glory out of your hands to God whereby you may gather that those that are not of the sheep of Christ are not drawn those that are not of the sheep of Christ by Gods election they are not drawn to Christ by Gods operation This is that which reason stumbles and is offended at And How shall this offence that reason may take at the proceeding of God in this point be cured No way that I know in the world but this by laying down the wasters and the cudgels not disputing with and repining at God but humbly waiting on that hand which of necessity must work faith in you and convert you to this grace And that all unconverted persons may do so know it for a Maxime or a rule for so I take it to be that God hath taken the best and the surest way the most infallible that can be in the world to save his people which I thus illustrate Had the salvation of man been left to his own power as some would have it it had been desperate and hopeless to all men even to the best man in the world But now this powerful and gracious God hath reserved it in his own power for all those that are saved are saved by this power and this grace And now in this way of salvation some are saved some are in the way that God hath set for bringing man to Christ Jesus for if God had set forth Christ and caused him to be preacht to you yea if Christ should have shed his blood to have redeemed you notwithstanding all this it had been possible that not a man in the world might have been saved without this powerful drawing of God and this hand of God whereby he brings some men unto salvation And so now some are saved and so are obliged to greater admiration and thankfulness to this God then all the world besides are obliged to him for this differencing grace whereby he brought them unto Christ otherwise if he had left it to you to believe in Christ Jesus I cannot conceive how any one man in the world had been saved notwithstanding the Redemption laid down and the Atonement made which is a rare point and worthy of all serious disquisition and proof And I would I could convince men thereof that if it had been as they would have it there would not a man on earth be saved In the mean time let this pass for a proof That which never was yet in the world may rationally be presumed will never be That hitherto no man hath attained to faith no man hath come to Christ by the meer use of his own natural abilities and power without the working of this divine grace which all that partake of have magnified and blessed God for We know of none we read of none in the Scripture that have had this wrought in them but have returned the glory of it to God But because we do not find that it ever 〈◊〉 hath been we may conclude it shall never be that without this drawing of God any man can come to believe in Christ Jesus if it were left to their natural abilities and capacities Be they as they think them to be never so great and valuable all this is but premissary to the Doctrines in the Text. The Use of these Doctrines of Connexion altogether shall be threefold Use 1 First When the Word of the Gospel is improved with all manner of advantages among a people Whether in Capernaum as this was or living in a Parish as you do yet you shall find that many of the hearers of this doctrine may yet lie in their strong holds and lie under prejudices and notwithstanding
door the faster as against a thief and invader that would come in by force but the Grace of Conversion opens the door and if there be no body within but those that bar the door it comes with such power as opens the door the heart and comes in and takes possession for of the two though corruption be strong yet grace especially when it comes in strength is the stronger Our Saviour in Luke 11. 21. tells us while the strong man possesses his goods all is well but when a stronger then he and that is the divine hand of God comes to take possession he binds the strong man what that binds up the resistance of the heart that when God comes to cut him of this stone and he would struggle and could not do otherwise Grace overcomes it finds a man in unbelief and doth not only command him to believe but gives faith therefore faith is not only the command but the gift of God it finds a man unwilling but it makes him willing it not only stirs up by way of exciting the will and the deed but it works to will and to do saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 13. how long may one cry and call aloud at a dead mans grave Arise come forth but if with the call there go forth a power as there did when Christ called Lazarus out of the grave then he rises and starts up This Converting grace is called by Divines Creatrix gratia a creating grace we are his workmanship created in Jesus Christ Ephes 2. 10. This raises the dead this gives Spirituale esse a spiritual being unto the soul it puts in a formal principle of eliciting holy acts this puts in new strength and heals the vicious inclinations this grace doth not only call and say Obey my voyce but it puts in the very grace of obedience I will put my law unto the heart and write it in the mind that they shall all know me Heb. 10. 16. this drawing is the teaching of God and Gods teaching is alway followed or accompanyed with success with the work it self viz. mans coming for every man that hath heard and learned thus comes to me every man John 6. 45. and in a word such is the power of this Converting grace that saith the Apostle it is mighty to cast down strong holds reasonings to bring down every high thing that exalts it self and to lead every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. and what 's that but it takes away the actual resistance of the heart at that present time Reas 2 Secondly If this Converting grace should not carry on the work with so efficacious and most sweet a hand as to overcome all our opposition one of these two things would follow First That our Conversion should be defeated and Gods intention towards his Elect should be frustrated for this grace of Conversion comes from the purpose of God which is infallible It is a calling according to his purpose Rom. 8. 29. what purpose why the purpose of his Election which must stand Rom. 9. 11. the purpose of God must stand that is not defeated frustrated and finally opposed for then it stands not And how doth it stand not of works and the compliance of the will of man but of Gods call now shall that grace that comes from a meaning and purpose of God be defeated by mans opposition and resistance no for then that could not be true that he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens God would have mercy on such a man but by his opposition made against that work he is defeated which would be a sad assertion Secondly Or else this must follow that the will of man casts the scales of his Conversion and so the chief part belongs to man which is to decide the determine the work for grace doth not then determine the will to a choice but the will determines grace to an effect oâ— event whereby man may stand out and say I made my self to differ from another for another man had as much grace as I but he repulsed and opposed it he shut the door against it but I let it in and therefore the act of difference between my self and other men is my own act the act of my own will but this I should by no means admit of for to me it seems incredible that God that made my will and gave it that liberty that it hath should not if he will so work on it or in it as he will to his own glory without any detriment to the nature or liberty of it having a most omnipotent power to incline the heart of man like a river of water whether he will De ipsis hominum volunt atibus facit quod vult God doth with the very will of man what he will as if he that makes a lock and knows all the springs of it should not be able to make a key to it without breaking it all to pieces and it is also a thing incredible to me that God that hath determined of some persons to grace and glory let me suppose that for I think it must be supposed should leave it to the will of man that knows not the purpose of God to him either to determine himself to grace or to defeat it at his pleasure this makes very ill musick in an humble and rational ear that God that determines a man to salvation should leave it to the pleasure of blind will to defeat the purpose of his grace for if he should stumble as I may say on the resistance of it he himself is gone for ever which leaves not unto God so much above the Publican or they that are past over as the Pharisee his God I thank thee Reas 3 Thirdly There is a good rule to be observed laid down by our Divines viz. To put difference between some principal acts of grace without which the salvation of Gods Elect consists not and those subsequent and following acts of grace or the motions thereof in the regenerate which though they were very good and godly acts yet a believer may be saved without them And upon the first sort viz. to believe in Christ to Convert to God to be made new creatures to persevere unto the end for the performance of these God in his time gives to his people such a grace as shall not be frustrate or defeated they shall be performed in thee But for other acts that God calls for of thee as to omit such a â—in or to do such and such a duty which being considered single and particular thou mayst be saved without in these he gives thee his Spirit whose conduct is to be followed but as experience shews the Elect and regenerate may deessegratiae may be wanting to this grace and repulse the motions and as it s said grieve the Spirit Ephes 4. 30. if in one sort of acts he should resist he is lost and therefore