It is sometimes called The Way of life Prov. 12. 28. Sometimes the fountain and well-spring of life Chap 14. 27. And it tendeth to life Rom 11. 16. Chap. 19 22. For if the Root be holy the branâ—hes cannot be otherwise 'T is so likewise with Sin Death follows Sin not onely as a punishment for delinquency but as its natural off-spring Original corruption is the Root Pro. 23. 29 30. Sin the Stalk that grows next upon it and Death the finishing or full corn in the ear This pedigree of it ye have in James Chap. 1. 14 15. If there were no Justice to Revenge Sin Sin would be vengeance to it self Sinners lie in wait for their own blood Pro. 1. 18. Pro. 13. 21. It is their own wickedness that corrects them Jer. 2. 19. The way of Sin inclineth to death and its footsteps to the Dead Ch 2. 18. Ch. 5. 5. Its steps take hold on â—ell Vnbelief may be an instance for all as out of which all Sins else are derived This was the Root of Adam's apostacy Num. 14. 11. Rom. 11. 20. Heb. 3. 12. and of all that Peoples Rebellions in the Wilderness Faith is that which holds the Soul to God its life and blessedness Vnbelief its departing from Him or the letting go of its hold the loosing of the knot upon which the Soul falls off of its own accord And the first step from God sets in a way of Death As a branch breaking off from its Stock dies of itself This was Adam's unbelief In all Men since it is a Refusing to Return This Doctrine is still further confirm'd by the general unanimous consent and affirmation of Those best able to Judge Arg. 7. 1. They assert it Job a Man of great Wisdom and integrity Not his like in all the Earth Job 1. 8. and none so sorely afflicted yet sayes Elihu to him by way of Counsel as what himself would do in the like case I will ascribe Righteousness to my Maker Job 36. 3. And Surely God will not pervert Iudgement Chap. 34. 12. God is known i. e. He is known to be God by the Judgements which He executeth Psal 9. 16. The Lord is Vpright there is no Vnrighteousness in Him Psal 92. 15. He loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity Psal 45. 6 7. The Scepeer of his Kingdome is a Right Scepter ver 6. Righteousness and Judgement are the habitation of His Throne Ps 97. 2. Deut. 32 4. Rev 19. 2. That True and Righteous are his Judgements is the voice of those in Heaven 2 They submit to it even then when most provoked by Mens injurious dealings with them for His sake and when the Lord 's own hand hath been most severe towards them Aaron held his Peace Levit. 10. 3. It is the Lord saith Eli let Him dâ—as seemeth Him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 K. 20 19. Hezekiah also Good is the word of the Lord. Yea they have done thus when by the light of natural Reason they could see no reason for it Witness Job who when plundred of all because he feared God and eschewed evill and could justifie himself to the height as to any hypocrisy Job 9. 15. yet sayes he I will make supplication to my Iudge Look on our Lord and Saviour Himself and see His confession Our father 's cried unto thee and were delivered But I Ps 222. 4. though day nor night I am not silent Thou hearest me not How does He close His complaint Not Thou dealest morâ— hardly with Me who less have deserved it but Thou art Holy Jeremy indeed began to object because the way of the wicked prospered and they were happy that dealt treacherously But he presently bethinks himself withdrawes his plea and yields the cause Ier. 12. 1. Bighteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee I might instance the Suffrage even of wicked Men and of the most obdurate among them whose Consciences at times have enforced their confession of this Truth and the testimony of an Adversary proves strongly â— haraoh subscribes to it The Lord is Righteous I and my People are wicked Exod. 9. 27. As also doth Adonibezek and Saul Judg. 1. 7. 1 Sam. 24. 17 19. 3 The Saints triumph in the Righteousness of God as well they may and call upon others to do the like The Lord Reigneth Let the Earth rejoyce Psal 93. 97. 99. O Let the Nations be glad and sing for joy Ps 67. 4. Ps 96. 11 13. For thou shalt judg the People Righteously Let the Heavens rejoyce and the Earth be glad before the Lord For He cometh For He cometh to judge the Earâ—h Rom. 53. c. And hence it was that Paul and the rest of them though the present sense of their suffering was grievous yet they gloried in them And Rejoyced greatly in hopes of that Glory 2 Tim. 4. 8. and Crown of Righteousness which God as a Righteous Judge had prepared for them Eightly Arg. VIII The Righteousness of God is yet further illustrated by The End and Event of his darkest dispensations Isa 10. 22. The consumption decreed shall overflow with Righteousness and Nothing else shall be in it His people though long under oppression He brought them forth at last with the greater Substance His leading them about in the Wilderness as it were in a Maze fourty years together and bringing them back again to the place they had bin at many yeares afore Ps 107. 7. yet it proved to be the Right way And it was for their good in the latter end Deut. 8. 16. Davids long persecution by Saul made him the fitter for the Kingdom and adapted him for the Office of principal Secretary to the Great King opportunely acquainting him with all the affairs of the heavenly State and Councel that are fit to be known of men And by his hand and experience they are Firmed to us and this amongst the Rest Blessed is the Man whom Thou chastenest Ps 94. 12. and teachest him out of thy Law We see it also by the end the Lord made with Job Job 23. 10. 42. 12. He brought him forth like gold and doubled His blessings upon him The Basket of good figs were sent into captivity for their good Jer. 24. 5. Phil. 1. 19 Paul's afflictions turn'd to his Salvation Even Christ himself whose temptations sorrows and sufferings where such as never were known by Men Heb. 2. 17 18. they were intended and accordingly did perfect and inable Him for His Office of Mediator Lastly Arg. IX Consider the Elect those precious Soules whom the Lord had loved from everlasting and determin'd to bring them to Glory yet having sinn'd Not one of them shall enter there without satisfaction first given to His Justice Ro 3. 26. Heb. 6. 20. with Ch. 9. 12 23 Even These He will not Justifie but in such a way as to be Just in so doing The Mercy-Seat it self must
Arg. 4. as of Christ's That Man or humane Body which the second Person was to Assume and Unite to Himself was not Ordain'd to that Union upon any Condition whatever as namely If He should fullfil all Righteousness Destroy the Devil dissolve his works and make Attonement for sin For these He could never have done without that Union And that His Ordination thereto was Absolute appears by Heb. 10 5 A Body hast Thou prepared Me And Luke 1. 35 That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Matth. 1. 21 He shall save His people from their sins In which places the Absoluteness of the Decree for that Man's being United to the Son of God is evidently set forth And That our Election as to this Circumstance of it holds proportion with that of Christ ye will see more fully afterwards V. It was necessary That Election should be Absolute because of the Absoluteness of God's Decree for the death of Christ Arg 5. unto which He was Fore-ordained unrepealably 1 Pet. 1. 19 20 And all that were saved before He suffered were saved on the Credit of that Decree The Scripture also tells you plainly Rev. 13. 8. That He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Math. 26 39 42. and that it was not possible That Cup should pass from Him And if it be a thing below the prudence of Men to lay down the price without securing the Purchase Then surely the Wisdom of God would never determine the death of His Son for Men's Salvation and leave the Salvation of those very Men at an uncertainty which needs it must be if Election were not Absolute Lastly Arg 6. It might also be argued from the Nature of Divine Promises which are patterns and Declarative Copies of the Decree Now the Promises touching Spiritual blessings are Absolute Ps 119. 89. They are of that Word which is for ever settled in Heaven See the Promises of sending Christ to be a Redeemer Gen. 3. 15. The Holy Ghost to sanctifie and lead into all Truth Joh. 16. 7. To sprinkle clean water upon them Ezek 36. 26 To give them a New heart To cause them to walk in his Statutes That He will be their God and they shall be His people Jer. 24. 7. and shall not depart from Him That if they sin He will Chastise them with the rods of Men but His everlasting kindness He will not take from them And that at last He will present them faultless before the Presence of His Glory Jude ver 24. These all with others of like tenour are delivered in Positive and Absolute Terms without any shew of Reservation Proviso Condition or Hesitation about them And if These which are Transcripts of the Decree be Absolute It followes That the Decree also is the same And on this Ground it is Rom. 8. 33 34. the Apostle stands when he challengeth all the World to Nullifie God's Election which he never would have done had it not been Sovereignly Absolute III. Election is Personal AND IV. It is from Eternity These two I put together in proof because they are frequently joyned in Scripture It was not the whole lump of Mankind that was the Object of Election Nor was this Election as some speak a Decree to Elect such as should happen to be thus and so qualified But Certain Determinate Persons were Chosen by Name or singled out from among the Rest and ordain'd to Eternal life Our Saviour stiles them The Men that were given Him out of the World John 17. 6. And they were Given Him by Name as well as number and by those Names He knows them John 10 3 and 14. And that this Election was transacted from Eternity is evident John 17. 23. with ver 24. Eph. 1. 4. Rev. 13. 8. and Chap. 17. 8. c. These may be Argued I. From the Example of Christ's Election Arg. 1. It was not a person uncertain that was to be Lord and Christ but the Second Person in Humane Nature And this Capacity He sustain'd from Everlasting Pro. 8. 23. 31. Nor was it Any Body which He might assume 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. but that very same numerical Body that was prepared for Him Heb. 10. 5. with Psal 40. 7. And this very Person He loved before the foundation of the World John 17. 24. It is worthy Observation how particular the Decree was even in things Circumstantial to our Lord Christ As that He should come of Abraham's Stock of Judah's Tribe of David's Lineage Be conceived in a Virgin Born at Bethlem and this when the Sceptre was departing from Iudah That He should be Buffeted Scourged Spit-upon hanged on a Tree His hands and His fect pierced That gall and vinegar should be given Him to drink That a bone of Him should not be broken even whiles on both sides of Him they were That His Garments should be parted and lots cast on His Vesture As also That He should rise again the third day c. And that these were all Decreed appears by the Prophesies of them which are the Decree exemplified or Drawn out of the Register As touching His Resurrection It is said Expresly Ps 2. 7. I will declare the Decree And the same is as true of all the Rest And if the Election of the Head was Personal and from Eternity why not theirs that should make up His Body since They did as really exist Then as the Humane Nature of Christ did Besides it was very agreeable That He and They should both be appointed together For He could not be an Head but with respect to a Body And that they were expresly Determin'd of appears by 139 Psa v. 16. In thy book were all my Members written when as yet there was none of them If any say That was meant of David's Members I answer That if God thought the Members of an Earthly body worthy His Registring He could not be less particular and Exact about the Mystical Body of His Son Besides David was His Type Christ also was Ordain'd to be a Saviour and that by His death 1 Pet. 1. 20. and both from the foundation of the World It was therefore expedient Then also to be Determined How many and who in particular should have Salvation by Him He was not To die for Himself but for those whose security He undertook Now it is not a thing proper to speak of Security or Bail but with respect to a Debtor or Offender And that Debtor or Offender must be known too and Named Or else the entring of Bail is an Insignificant Act especially where the Surety hath no debt or default of his own to be charged with Our Lord and Saviour did not offer Himself if I may so speak for some bodie 's sins but uncertain whose Aaron knew Whose Trespasses he offer'd for Their Names were graven on his breast-plate Not their National Name viz. Israelite or
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.
of your hand at first may rise and spread to cover the whole Heavens Therefore keep-off sin at staffs end 4. Be diligent and industrious in it Think not because it is God who performeth all things for you that therefore you may sit-still or be Remiss in your duty your Arms and Armour were not provided to Rust in your Tent. There may be indeed such a Juncture in Providence that it may be your duty and so your strength to sit-still as was theirs at the Red-sea Exod. 14. 13. This is when all farther Motion is shut-up to you and then the Lord will doe His Work without you But usually There is something to be done on our part Tho' the Lord would go-forth before David and smite the Philistims yet David must bestir himself This thing is constantly to be affirm'd 2 Sam. 5. 24. That they who have believed in God be careful to maintain good Works Tit. 3. 8. And do it the rather To cut-off occasion from them which desire occasion that wherein they glory they may be found even as we 2 Cor. 11. 12. 5. Cleave to Jesus Christ and to Him only and trust not to your holding of him but to His holding of you This did David when he says Psal 73. 23. Thou holdest me by my Right hand Follow Him as Men whose dependence is upon it follow the Court Whiles following Him you cannot do amiss nor want any good thing whether for Councel Strength or Otherwise 6. Forget what is behind and press on towards perfection That if possible you might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead i. e. To be perfectly holy Tho' Perfectness in the perfection of it is not attainable here yet the higher you aim the higher shall your Attainment be and the farther-off from losing what you have Keep the Mark still in your eye and shun whatever might intercept your Sight of it These are some of the ways to make your Calling and Election sure And if ye do these things ye shall prove this Doctrine to be true And either Prevent or Retort those Carnal and groundless Calumnies that are brought against it Fourthly Infer IV. Since there are such Arguments for Believers Invincible Perseverance Let us all so demean our selves That we may have them all stand on our side for proof and evidence That we are of that happy Remnant whom the Great God hath set-apart for himself And whom He hath made and wrought for this self same thing And as it was His purpose so let it be our Spirit and practice to glorifie His Rich Grace 1. If born of God let us shew-forth the virtues of our Father and bear our selves as His Children both towards Him and towards the World Let us live upon Him and live to Him Rejoycing always before Him first for His Own blessedness and then for our own as derived from His and by Him reserv'd in Heaven for us And all as designing to honour Him as our Father 2. If we have Faith let it appear by our Works It must be some singular thing that must distinguish us from other Men It is not profession Nor Words Nor Actions neither as to the Matter of them and so farr as visible to Men that will approve us Believers but the Principle whence they grow and the End they drive at The Result of Abraham's faith was To give Glory to God 3. Let us carry our selves under all dispensations not only quietly but thankfully and so as to Answer God s End Walk humbly Hate the thing that 's evil Have the World under your feet Esteem preciously of Christ Honour His Ordinances let every Grace have its perfect work and Rejoyce in hopes of that glory which all these things are preparatory to 4. If One with Christ and He our Mediator Then let us walk as He walked who held His own Will alwaies subject to His Father's Reckoning it His Meat to do His Will and to finish His Work Let us also wait His Advice and Counsel in every business and follow it Commit our Cause to Him and Interest Him in all our Concernments 5. Apply our selves to every Attribute of God according to the present occasion and dwell upon them and leave them not until we have the Grace and Help intended by them They are all made over to the heirs of Salvation to live upon Let it not be said That in the midst of our abundance we are in streights 6. If made for the Glory of God Make-good your End He is glorious in Holiness and by Holiness onely can you glorifie Him Bear therefore on the forehead of your Designs and Conversation that Royal Inscription Holiness to the Lord By this you will set-to your seal That God is true and approve your selves to be Children that will not lie 'T will also be of singular use and service to your selves as to that other End of your Being That you have glorified God on the Earth will be a substantial argument That He will glorifie you in the World to come Joh. 17. 14. For tho your personal Righteousness be not your Title to the Heavenly Inheritance yet your constant progression in Holyness will be your best evidence next the immediate witnessings of the Spirit that you have a Title and that your Title is good Since therfore we were made for and expect such things 2 Pet. 3. 11. What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness 7. If under the Covenant of Grace let us reckon our selves strengthened with all might and hold to it as having all our salvation in it Both Keeping Support Recovery and Settlement Grace and Glory Not Minding so much how any thing looks or feels at present but what is the End it tends-to For if the End be good the Means as such cannot be otherwise And truly we cannot have a better evidence of our Interest in this Covenant Isa 56. 4 6. than a total Devolving of our selves upon it And well it is for us who find in our Selves such a proneness to backslide That our Eternal condition doth not depend on our selves 2 Tim. 2. 19. but upon that foundation of God mentioned in Timothy where the Apostle speaking of some who had made Ship-wreck of the faith lest true Believers should faint in their minds at the sight and apprehension of it he tells them That Nevertheless that is Notwithstanding this wofull backsliding of some perhaps of eminent profession yet the foundation of God standeth sure q. d. They that are of this Foundation are sure to be kept And he firms it with this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are His He knows whom He hath Chosen and concerning whom He hath Covenanted That they shall not depart from Him and therefore He will not let them go They shall be kept as those Seaven thousand were from bowing the knee to Baal Adding this Caution withall That every one which nameth the Name of the