inwardly stirred up to Adore and Magnifie the Riches of Gods Free Grace who hath vouchsafed to regard such poor contemptible Worms as they judge themselves to be Object 2. The Doctrine of particular Election cuts off the force and strength of all Threatenings and Warnings which are Recorded in the Scriptures as a Curb and Bit to restrain Men from Sin Answ The ever Blessed and Holy God who decreed to elect and choose a particular number to Salvation hath decreed also the means of bringing them to that End whereof those Threatenings and Warnings scattered here and there in God's Word are a part the which the good Spirit of God makes effectually useful to work and encrease in the Elect called to State of Grace the Filial and Reverential fear of God as also to Caution them against all kind of Declinings in the way of Holy walking with God in the way of new Obedience to his Holy Commandments the which God hath revealed in his Word to be the only way in which true Believers must go to an actual Possessing the purchased Inheritance according to Psal 1.1 2 3. Psal 119.1 2 3. Heb. 12.14 These Divine Threats and Warnings are through the saving Influence of the Spirit of Grace made a powerful Bit and Curb to restrain the savingly Converted from returning with Approbation and Delight to former and forsaken Folly and not only so but to keep them more close to their Duty in a Gospel Dependance on Christ their Mediatorial Head for all manner of Supplies till they come to Glory Those Threats and Warnings if they were ten thousand times more than they are will never curb or restrain any Reprobate from loving and liking Sin 'T is true that through the common Operation of the Spirit of God such Threats and Warnings may for a time influence a Hypocrite to a keeping him from the External gross Act of Sin and a putting him on doing many things which are Morally good in themselves But Alass what will this avail while the State of the Man is unchanged and his Heart unrenewed Sad Instances hereof are Recorded in God's Word witness Pharaoh Exod. 7.4 and Judas Mat. 26.15 Mat. 27.5 with many other Reprobates whose Names are left on Record in the Book of God who were neither restrained from Sin nor yet kept back from running headlong to Hell with this Bit in their Mouths The Spirit of God by the Holy Prophet gives a full Description of the natural Disposition of wicked Hypocrits as touching the Incorrigibleness of their Hearts in going on in Sin not only under God's Rod but also under his favourable Dispensation which one would think should win them to Repentance Jer. 5.3 Rev. 16.9 10 11. Esa 26.10 11. Rom. 2.4 5. Object 3. If I be elected to Life eternal before time I may live as I list I need neither to Believe to Repent or to use the means of obtaining Salvation And though I live after the Flesh I shall be Saved being elected Answ To this threadbare Objection which is commonly in the Mouths of all Cavillers against the Doctrine of Election I answer in two Particulars First This Objection doth not in the least find any Encouragement from the Doctrine of particular Election before time as will evidently appear by the Inseparableness of the End and the means asserted and held forth in the Word of God and constantly maintained by the Orthodox against Papists Arminians c. He who hath elected to Life eternal he hath also elected to the means such as believing in the Lord Jesus Christ held forth and offered in the Gospel Repenting for Sinning against God advancing in Holiness and Persevering in the same to the end From whence it plainly appears that he who makes this Objection is either wilfully ignorant not in the least understanding the Doctrine of Election according to Divine Revelation or which is unspeakably worse an affected Caviller and a wicked Subverter of the Gospel Suppose I should Query of the Papist the Arminian the Quaker and Freewiller who are all agreed in opposing and decrying the Doctrine of particular Election before time and Perseverance to the end whether they believe that God hath decreed or absolutely determined in himself how long he or they shall Live or continue in this World The Answer will undoubtedly be in the Affirmative viz. That God hath decreed or determined in himself how long he or they are to live or continue in this World If then say I you believe that God hath decreed in himself how long you are to live or continue in this World what need you to mind any of the Concerns of this World for the Support of Humane Life why will you so Insatiably covet the perishing Riches and the transitory Pleasures of the present World seeing God hath decreed how long you are to live The Answer again will be he that hath decreed how long I am to live in this World he hath also decreed and in his revealed Will commanded me to Exercise my Reason and my other natural Faculties in order to precure and make use of the ordinary means such as Food Ravment Physick and the like whereby in an ordinary way the Life and Health of the Body are secured and maintained Here in the Concerns of the Body they are sharp and witty enough even to an out-doing thousands of the Children of God But in the Concerns of the Soul they are as Corrupt and Heterodox as they are sound and rational in the other If a Papist or an Arminian should fix his Purpose of Building a House in such or such a place it cannot be rationally supposed that he intends to Build without Materials therefore my Reason tells me that in order to accomplish that his Purpose he hath also purposed to provide all the several Materials necessary for such a Purpose Qui seriò vult finem Media etiam ad finem illum tendentia vult He who in good earnest wills the end he also wills the means leading to that end is a sure Rule both in Logick and Divinity And why these Popish Arminian Cavillers should not allow it its proper place in the Doctrine of Election before time I can understand no other Reason for it than either because God hath Judicially smitten them with blindness of Mind that they should not be able to understand or believe this amazing Doctrine of Election before time or else because God hath left them as he did Pharaoh to harden themselves that they might with the greater Acuteness and Stubbornness oppose and withstand his Soveraignty in Electing some and Reprobating others of the same fallen and corrupted Mass and that before time Secondly As there can be no Argument more Cogent and Irrefragable to evince and prove a Man to be either a Fool or a Madman than his resolving to expect the Accomplishment of the end such as Building a House or Living in the World without the use of the proportionate means leading to such ends
Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the Thoughts of his Heart to all Generations What is Gods Election of some to Life Eternal and the means leading thereto but the Birth or Product of his own Counsel Rom. 9.11 The purpose of God according to Election must stand And Oh what an unspeakable cause of rejoycing is this very Consideration to that Man or Woman who find in themselves the Fruits or Effects of the New Birth to think and believe that they in particular are chosen to Life Eternal by him who cannot change that purpose of his wherewith he hath purposed to Save so poor and miserable a Sinner as the effectually called Sinner looks on himself to be Neither is the poor weak Believer to doubt but that those Sins and Backslideings both of his Heart and Life for which he will be but too apt to fear and conclude God will at length cast him off were all perfectly known to God even then when he Elected him to Salvation notwithstanding which God fixt his Love and embraced the poor Sinner in the Bosom of his irreversible Decree when nothing of Loveliness but rather the contrary appeared to the Eye of Gods Praecognition or fore knowledge in the Soul so pitcht on by his Decree Whom God once loves with that Electing Love he loves them to the end Jer. 31.8 Mal. 3.6 Jo. 13.1 Rom. 11.29 And as Gods Act in Electing is without change so in the third place it was from Eternity though the work of effectual Calling and Saving Conversion be in time yet Gods decree and purpose of bestowing that Grace and Mercy on the Elect Sinner was before time So witnesseth the Apostle Acts 15.18 Known unto God are all his Works from the beginning of the World Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World 2 Thes 2.13 From the beginning hath God chosen you Rev. 17.8 Whose Names were not written in the Book of Life from the Foundation of the World The Electing Love of God it is from one Eternity to another as it did commence before time so when time shall be swallowed up of endless Eternity this Love of God to his Elect and chosen in Christ will be and continue the same for ever And therefore let that Believer who feels himself inwardly and frequently annoyed with those discouraging Fits of fickleness and unconstancy in walking with God in the way of New Obedience take Sanctuary here by Faith applying to himself the sweet Benefits of these Properties of Gods Electing Love filling both his Head and Heart with the thoughts and fixed perswasion that the Blessed God who is the Infinite Soveraign of the World who Acts all things which pleaseth himself according to the Counsel of his own Will hath of his own good pleasure chosen him a poor unworthy empty nothing Creature to be a Vessel of Mercy through Jesus Christ to the Praise of the Glory of his own Grace And that Love wherewith God hath Loved him it began towards him before he had an actual Being yea before the World was And as that Love of God was set on him before time began so when time it self shall be no more that Love of God to him shall still be endless like God himself Nothing more conduceth under God to Heart Settlement in the ways of God then to be well Verst in Understanding and Believeing with application to ones fels these Fundamental Principles of Gospel Religion And this one thing I desire the Reader to remember and carefully to observe viz. That if there were no other Argument to evince and make good the Truth I have now asserted than the Arduous and Elaborate endeavours of Satan and his busy Agents both in Preaching and Printing against the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation it were sufficient The Devil and the Pope know full well how destructive and pernicious to both their Kingdoms the bringing Sinners to the Scriptural Knowledge and right Believing this Doctrine will be And therefore for preventing hereof the Doctrine it self must be expos'd in the blackest hue as a Doctrine which makes Men proud secure and careless of good Works and which leads Men to loose Living and in the end to final Desperation And as the Doctrine it self is shot at by the Romish and Arminian Archers so the most zealous and bold Assertors and Maintainers of it are set out in the most odious and black colours which Envy and Malice it self can devise but maugre all the Crast and Envy of Devil and his most subtil and industrious Tools the Doctrine of particular Election before time is plainly held forth and asserted in the Writings of Moses the Prophets and the Holy Apostles And in case Divine Providence calls to a suffering Condition for defence of it I do not doubt but God hath a Sealed number in these Kingdoms known to himself who will be enabled to Seal the Truth of it with their dearest Blood An Objection or two lyes in the way to be answered before I can proceed to what remains behind Object 1. The Doctrine of particular Election puffs Men with Pride Answ The contrary to this the Devil himself knows to be true For I doubt not but Satan hath made his Observations that none of all Gods called Children have more abounded with Humility and self Abasement than those who have had the highest assurance of Gods Electing Love None but these can rightly admire and adore the Grace and Love of God in Christ Jesus To me who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given c. crys that great Apostle of the Gentiles Ephes 3.8 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am the chief 1 Tim. 1.15 For I am the least of the Apostles that am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I Persecuted the Church of God 1 Cor. 15.9 But by the Grace of God I am what I am Vers 10. It is to be observed that among all the Apostles none was more highly advanced in respect of extraordinary Manifestations and Gospel Revelations than Paul was and yet among all the Apostles none more abased No greater admirer of Free Grace than he was and indeed not only Paul but others also both under the Old Testament and under the New whom Free Grace singled out to be Vessels of Mercy These were still addicted to go out of themselves in a way of self Abasement and crying up the Riches of Gods Grace and Mercy every way free and undeserved by them And herein I appeal most freely to the Personal Experience of every regenerate Believer now Living whether they do not find in themselves that the nearer they come to know and perceive the Love of God to themselves in particular the more vile they are in their own esteem and the more the Sight and Sense of their own Nothingness grows and abounds the more are they
refusing to receive and submit to the contrary Doctrine which is according to the Scriptures and the only Doctrine which designs the Destruction of Sin in the Hearts and Lives of true Believers and the Promoter of true Holiness God most Justly punisheth such People with a giving them up not only to believe the most Nonsensical Lyes for true Religion but even to wallow like Swine in the Mire of the grossest Immoralities even to an excelling the very Pagan World To illustrate the point I am now defending against the Quakers and Arminians viz. That God in Electing some and Reprobating others doth Act therein most freely as an absolute Soveraign Let them give me leave to put this Question to their Reason and Conscience such as it is suppose that all the several Parties in the City who differ in their Mode or Way of Worshipping God should in their respective Meetings instead of Worshipping God lay all their Heads Hearts and Hands together to contrive and carry on a Plot against the King and the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom with a full intent to destroy both the one and the other to which Plot all the several Parties do as one Man harmoniously and unanimously agree the Law condemns not only the Practice as Traiterous and Treasonable but Sentences the very Persons all and singular who are prov'd to have had any hand in such a Plot to a shameful and cruel Death The Plot comes to be Discovered upon Discovery the King who hath the Executive Power of the Law in his own hand he considers the matter and finding that all these several Parties whom he took to be Loyal Subjects are turned Rebels as most evidently appears by the unnatural Plot lately engaged in by them all against both his Person and Government for which both he and they know full well the Law condemns them all alike The King to whom the Executive Power of the Law belongs according to his Prerogative he Nominates two Select Parties out of all the rest viz. Quakers and Arminians to whom he resolves to extend his Favour in giving to them his Royal Pardon the other several Parties distinct from them he resolves to leave them to the Sentence of the Law to undergo the deserved Penalty thereof for that horrid and unnatural Rebellion I would fain know what the Quakers and Arminians could object against the King of England for passing an Act of Indemnity or Free Pardon on the People called Quakers and Arminians and leaving all the other Parties to suffer Death Seeing that herein the King Acts by Prerogative not according to Desert for the Quakers and Arminians deserved Death as well as the rest who are excluded out of the Pardon My reason tells me that the Quakers and Arminians would be so far from charging the King with Injustice or Partiality that they would rather sound forth his Praise for saying them by his Favour and Mercy no way deserved whom in strictness of Justice he might have left to the Sentence of the Law And in case any of the Criminals condemned to Die should offer to murmur against the King for making such a Difference between his equally guilty Subjects would not the Quaker and the Arminian both Plead the Kings Prerogative for saving themselves when at the same time and by the same Soveraignty he past by the rest and shall the King of Kings be Disputed against and Reflected on for Acting in matters of the like nature by his own undoubted Prerogative If any should be so saucy and bold as to demand a reason why or wherefore the King of England should leave seven or eight several Parties out of his Royal Pardon and extend the Benefit thereof only to two Select Parties who were both as liable to Death by the Law as the others the Answer is ready it is the Kings Soveraign Will and Pleasure to make the two Select Parties Nominated in his Pardon Objects of his Pity and Mercy and the rest to be the Objects of his incensed Justice to undergo that Death and Misery which they by Rebeilion brought upon themselves Now in all this hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessel to Honour and another to Dishonour Rom. 9.21 Reader I pray consider that the lump in the place now quoted intends no other than Men and Women whom God the absolute Soveraign of the World Decreed to Create The making Vessels is Gods Creating Mankind with a purpose to permit their Fall His making one Vessel to Honour and the other to Dishonour is Gods Creating one with a sixed purpose to recover him out of that fallen State into which he was to fall and that by Soveraign Grace the other he leaves to Die and Perish in that wretched State into which he of his own default fell In this Procedure God is altogether free neither can the Creature so left by God any way reflect on God as dealing unjustly or unequally with him and the reason is because God is under no Tye or Obligation to give Grace to that Creature who of his own accord did abuse and throw away that stock of Grace whereby he was rendred capable of keeping the Law of his Maker and who by the Instinct of his vitiated and corrupted Nature doth obstinately oppose and resist the means of Cure propounded and tendred in the Gospel So that the point in Controversy between me and the Adversaries already Named is in this comparison propounded in the Verse last quoted lively set forth from which it is apparent that the design of the Apostle is to prove that God as the undoubted Soveraign of the World who Acts what him pleaseth and that according to the Counsel of his own most Holy Will decreed to make some of the corrupted Mass to be Vessels of Mercy and of the rest Vessels of Wrath and that by Electing some unto himself upon whom he purposed to bestow his Love with all the means tending to fit and prepare those Persons so Elected and Chosen for the actual enjoyment of that Love Such as a Redeemer to Die for them Faith whereby they should be made Partakers of that Redeemer with all the saving Graces of the Spirit promised in the Covenant of Grace with final perseverance in Grace to the end the rest as hath been before observed he left or passed over purposing to leave them in that wretched and deplorable Condition into which they causelesly plung'd themselves Neither is God therefore the cause why the Reprobate is Sinful and Wicked but his own Will which being left to its own natural freedom did most freely and readily choose that which was by Gods Law forbidden upon pain of Gods Displeasure and Curse The second Property in Gods Act of Election is its unchangeableness and therefore most certain it is that he or she whom God hath once purposed to Love and Save shall never finally or totally fall away from Grace or miscarry eternally Psal 33.11 The