Sanctification of the Spirit â—hey were elected This course because wee see it and doe observe it in the Scripture we must conceive Gâ—d bath thought fittest for the manifestation of his glory by shewing forth his mercy justice Libertie and other his attributes Now if wee understand and conceive it not so well as wee would yet should we not by any meanes question it or frame things as we please according to our easiest apprehension but rather rest denying our owne reason judgement will in that we see it to be the course which God pleaseth to take Tvvo coÌ„siderations for the clearing of the first doubt And this is that which now we come particularly to shew and prove out of his word preparing the way and endeavouring to make all plaine by handling of two maine Considerations SECT 3. First Gods promises distinguishâ—d some are of the End or of Happines Act. 16.21 Rev. 2.10 And these are conditionall Psal 1 1. Psal 119 1.2 Ioh. 20.29 RoÌ„ 4.7.8 Psal 32 1 2. Math. 24.26 Consider that Gods promises in Scripture are either of the End or of the meanes leading to the End Now first the promises concerning the End as especially concerning Salvation and Blessednes are with Condition as Beleeve and thou shalt be saved Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crowne of Life Or because here is mention of blessednes this happines is promised with Condition of Doing and Evangelicall obedience Happy are yee if yee doe them So elsewhere upon the condition of obedience negative Blessed is the man that walketh not in the Counsell of the ungodly c. 2. Assirmative Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walke in the Law of the Lord. So it is promised upon the condition of Faith Blessed are they that have not seene and yet have beleeved of the pardon of sinnes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered And of perseverance and constancy untill the day of Jesus Christ Blessed is thâ—t servant whom his Lord when he commâ—th shall finde so doing Now these promises being conditionall all partake not of the End which is Salvation because all partake not of nor keepe the condition none indeed being able of himselfe to keep any of those Conditions It is not in mans power to doe good to Beleeve Repent Peâ—severe as of himselfe the promise of this will follow anon and God is not now bound to give this power to all but to whom onely he pleaseth 2. But now God bath also made promises Some are of the Meanes and they are absolute which are most free and absolute of giving where and to whom he pleaseth as the Conditions and Meanes themselves of Life which hee himselfe worketh in us that so by these Meanes we might attaine to the End as Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou maâ—st live Where the End promised is life Suffrag Brittannorum de 5. article-Thes Hetâ—rodoxa 1. which the Israelites shall never attaine unlesse this Condition of loving God were kept But God doth here absolutely promise that he himselfe wil give unto them this Condition and accordingly will circumcise their hearts to love the Lord. So in like manner as we have heard God promiseth Blessednesse to wel-doing to Faith Repentance Perseverance c. which are also Conditions required of us And this is the tenor of the Gospell yet hee also promiseth to give Faith Repentance power to doe well with the act of weldoing and perseverance with all other Meanes and Conditions and that without Condition without Iffs And 's and absolutely So that these Graces and Meanes of Salvation are not guifts given or promised and offred upon Condition but absolutely Gods promises concerning these Meanes of Salvation and Blessednes as is said are absolute and are of such guifts and graces as which God seeing our impotency and inability to attaine the End without the meanes also to performe the Conditions and to use the Meanes as of our selves and by our owne streâ—gth and power doth promise to performe or will enable us to performe This will also bee more evident â—non in the particular instances SECT 4. But before I further proceed A digression further clearings and justifying the aforesaid distinction from the imputation of Libertinisme it wil be needfull to vindicate what hath been taught from such inferences as some mistaking or rather cavelling at this Doctrine and differenes of the promises may make yea have already made As if because it is said as shal be proved 〈◊〉 that the graces of Faith Repentance c. are promised absolutely without Iffs And 's or without respect to Conditions in man that therefore a dore is hence opened to Libertinisme and Swenckfeldianisme whereby the foundations of Christianity are overthrownne in asmuch as men are thus taught to neglect the hearing of Gods Word and of the Gospell preached not to regard meekenesse in receiving the Word and Humility unto which Grace is promised Yea even as they would have it the grace of Election I answer No such thing can rightly without willfull cavilling be inferred hence For first That life is not promised but upon condition doth exoâ—ude all negleot of means not to speake that none oppose Libertisme Familisme and Contempt or neglect of the meanes of the hearing and reading of the Gospell more then those that use this distinction of the promises this very Doctrine that the promise of Salvation is made upon condition and made good to none being otherwise capable but to those that carefully use all the meanes ordained and appointed to Salvation excludes all carelesnesse and neglect of meanes one or other seeing wee teach men according to the Scriptures Gal. 6.7.8.9 That whatsoevever a man soweth that shall he reap c. And that wee are noâ— to be weary of weldoing Without which constancie no reaping can be expected and that we ought to give earnest heed to the things we heare for how else can we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.1.2.3 c. This wee shall further shew and urge in the Conclusion of all 2. But now cheefly concerning the absolute promise of giving the Meanes and effecting the Conditions 2 concerning the absolute promises of the meanes on which blessednes and Salvation is promised I say 1. Seeing Salvation and blessednes is the maine end instanced in and the cheife end respecting man that the meanes appointed of God thereunto The meanâ—s being many must not be diviâ— being many are not to be severed and divided one from another but to be considered conjoynedly and all of them with relation to their maine end and that therefore as they are meanes of Salvation whether they have a nearer connexion with life as Faith Repentance Justification c Or be further
Spirit are the weapons of our warfarr which are mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds 2 Cor. 10 4 5. Theophilact Caje tan and Anselme in locum Act. 19. 19. Act. 26 18. RoÌ„ 1 16 1 Cor. 1 18. casting downe imaginations c. By these weapons were vanguished and brought to the Faith Dionâ—sius the Areopagite Iustin the Philosopher and Martyr Pautenus and these who had used curious arts who brought their books together and burned them the vallew of which amounted to fifty thousand peeces of silver that is to some eight hundred pounds of our money And this doe many finde by comfortable experience the power of Gods Word and grace converting them to God from such sinnes as were very powerfull and strong in them And from the power of Satan In which regard the preaching of the Gospell is called the power of God to salvation to every one that beleevèth though to them that peâ—â—sh it bee foolishnes Yet unto us saith Paul that are saved it is the power of God what us 2 Cor. 2 4 5. the preaching of the Crosse which was not saith Paul againe with the inticing words of mans wisdome Phil. 1 29 but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your Faith should not stand in the wisdome of man but in the power of God And seing it is given to us not onely to beleeve on Christ but also to suffer for his sake not onely the Act of Faith is the worke of Gods power 2 Tim. 1 8. but also our actuall suffring with patience for our Faith Hence Paul to Timothy Be not a shamed of the Testimony of the Lord nor of mee his prisoner but be thou partaker of the affliction of the Gospell according to the power of God Col. 1 11 So hee prayes that the Colossians might be strenghthened with all might according to Gods glorious power unto all patience and long suffring with joysulnes SECT 20. Foure absurdities issuing out of the Doctrine of coÌ„mon grace Now for conclusion of this point if Faith Repentance and generally the Fruit of Christs death and passion bee onely Conditionall if we will beleeve if we will Repent if we will apply the Fruit of Christs death unto our selves then will these grosse absurdities among many others follow For then first 1 Our Benefit by Christ should be no more certaine then that which we lost in Adam the Benefit we have by Christ shal be as uncertaine as that we had in and by Adam which wee lost when it was left to his keeping Happinesse was set before him and propounded to him with Condition which was renewed to the Iewes in the giving of the morall Law doe this and live Yea God gave him and us in him power to have kept that Condition If hee would but hee gave him not the power and grace that he should infallibly in very deed keepe the same Adam as we had in him power to stand or fall yet power was never granted to him or any by vertue of the first Covenant to use againe if he or they did fall Bernard But God now gives more grace and workes in us the Conditions of his new Covenant which consists chiefly not in commandements but his most gracious and free promises 2 God should be no more effectuall in good then SataÌ„ in evill Secondly if Gods grace and the efficacy of it reach not further then to morall perswasion outwardly and inwardly what doth God more towards the Conversion then the devill towards subversion of a sinner Thirdly 3 Mans goodnesse should be more ascribed to himselfe then to God in the Conversion of a sinner more should be ascribed to nature then to grace to mans will then to God because God by common grace onely moves but man obeyes Now no man is good in that barely he is moved to his duety and admonished but in that he obeyes the admonition motive or perswasion And thus should man be good and doe good be Converted have Faith and continue in weldoing especially because he so wills not because God made him good or gave him Faith and Repentance c. but onely because God admonished him that he should be good and called upon him by precepts exhortations and promises to beleeve and to be holy Lastly 4 Difference between the good and bad should bee made by man himselfe and by nature hence also it would follow that the difference betweene the good and the bad betweene the Children of God and of this World as suppose betweene Peter and Iudas should be wholy made from nature Not from grace because to use grace aright that is to yeeld consent and to will our owne Conversion is from mans free-will and that is from nature and so grace should conferre and afford no more to Peter who converts then to Iudas who remaines unconverted which is contrary to to that of the Apostle saying and asking Who distingâ—â—sheth thee or maketh thee differ from another And 1 Cor. 4 7 what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it This Text cutts the throat of free-will and overthrowes the errour of universall or common grace For so might Peter boast and glory and that justly with God for if God by his common grace give onely a possibility to will And the converted should have just cause to glory eveÌ„ in Gods sight our owne Conversion or not and mans will afford the act or to be willing to convert then grace grants no more to Peter then to Iudas and therefore Peter differenceth himselfe from Judas as all true Converts from others by something of his owne and proper to himselfe for they differ not really by any grace of God which they aforehand have receiyed wherewith they might freely worke and Co-operate with Gods grace or not For both receive the same grace in common and a power to will their owne Conversion So as that they may also vvill it This grace being thus farre common puts no difference betvveene them What doth it then Peter vvills vvhat Iudas vvills not Hee vvill make use of that common help afforded of God and that out of his ovvne Liberty of vvill and povver of nature Judas having the same Liberty and povver vvill not So that the difference betvveen them is in the last place brought to that free Co-operation and vvorking Dr. Wardin Concione de gratia discriminance vvhich eaâ—h of them hath from his naturall povver and imbred Liberty of vvill So that it vvill invincibly follovv that Peter may glory in Gods sight after this manner as even a Popish Writer handling this argument against the Jesuites brings him in thus speaking Lord I give thee thankes that thou hast in mercy conferred unto mee supernaâ—urall helpe namely to bee able to will mine owne Conversionâ— but yet thou hast afforded the like and
all thy minde So also Deut. 6.5 Yet the same Lord tells us also that hee himselfe must first Circumcise our harts to love him Saying by Moses The Lord thy God will Circumcise thine heart the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule that thou mayst live And to the like effect all these places named concerning Faith remission of sin Repentance new obedience Perseverance yea and humility all which God requires at our hands yea and exhorts us unto yet as we have said we worke not these but God by his effectuall grace and according to his promise worketh them in us So to specify it and to shew it in some of these more expresly Christ saith Mat. 11 28 Ioel. 2 12 Ier. 31 18 Come unto me all ye that labour yet the same mouth saith No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him So God bidds us turne Turne ye even unto me with all your heart c. Yet saith Ephraim Turne thou me I shal be turned And the Church Loment 5.21 Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned And in very deed we cannot suspirare sigh for sin unlesse God doe first inspirare inspire and breath it in Rom. 8.26 Psal 147 18. God must came his wâ—nde to blow and breath into us the Spirit of Life before these â—ateâ—s of repentant teares doe flow So againe Learne to doe well Isa 1.17 and Ia. 2.12 So doe as they c. And here Happy are ye if ye doe them And yet saith our Saviour Christ Without me ye can doe nothing 1 Chro. 28 9. And so for knowledge David speaketh thus And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God â—f thy Father c. And here If we know these things c. Mat 11 27. And yet 〈◊〉 Christ No man knoweth the Father save the son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveale him And John 6.46 SECT 26. Secondly 2 Gods precepts exhortations grounded on his promise 1 Thes 5 23 24. Phil. 2 12. Isa 1 16. Gen. 17 1 Ezek. 36 27. Rom. 6 12 14. such Exhortations and Precepts have their Foundation and ground not on our naturall power but on Gods promises as is said and on the new Covenant So the very God of peace sanctify you wholy and I pray God your whole soule and spirit and body be preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Then it followes Faithfull is he that calleth you who will also doe it So worke out your Selvation with feare and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure So Wash yee make yee cleane saith God by his Prophet Jsa But by his Prophet Ezeksel I will sprinkle cleane Water upon you and yee shal be cleane and I will clense you So walke before me and be thou perfect And I will cause you to walke in my Statutes Lastly Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies And sinne shall not reigne or have Dominion over you c. Rom. 6.12.14 SECT 27. Thirdly These exhortatioÌ„s are not yet in vaine 1. Not in regard of the Reprobate who thus are told what they should have done Luke 12 47. 2. They are thus convinced as was Pharaoh Exod. 8 1 and lastly I say that yet such Exhortations and Commandments are not in vaine but serve for very good ends and that both in regard of the reprobate and Elect. 1. The reprobate are hence put in minde what they should doe or should have done and what once they had power to have done Secondly they are left without excuse as knowing Gods will but not doing it and Gods justice is thus made more manifest in their condemnation they cannot say they now perish for want of meanes but because they are awanting to the meanes Such commands then are not in vaine though the thing commanded be not performed For God hath other ends which he is not bound to make knowne to us why he command such things God sends Moses to Pharaoh bidding him say unto 〈◊〉 Let my people goe that they may serve moe Which was often repeated yet the event shewed that the secret pleasure and purpose of God was that he should not let them goe yea God also told Moses so much saying Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you Exod. 11 10. and a reason is given that my wonders may be multiplied in the Land of Egypt And see Rom. 9.17 and Exod. 9.16 And thus it is added And the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart so that hee would not let the Children of Israell goe out of his Land Now though Pharaoh as others like now stood bound to obey this Commandement And the CoÌ„mandment in regard of God is not in vaine yet Gods cheife herein was not Pharaohs obedience but to convince him of Rebellion and hardnes of heart and so according to Gods intention it was properly a commandement of Conviction so I may say as found Divines have said before mee Gods Word in the ministery of it where the command is given to all to Repent and Beleeve is not to delude men though grace be not given to all so to doe That Commandement though it should of all in duety be obeyed and though in the intent of the minister who is to preach Faith and Repentance and to call them thereunto 2 Tim. 2 25. even those that oppose themselves it have onely one end namely the Salvation of those he preaches unto yet as the event makes it plaine by which God declares at length what his purpose was in the intention and counsell it hath diverse ends In them that are ordained to eternall Life it is a precept of obedience because God will enable them to doe that which he commandeth In the rest it is a commandement of tryall or conviction that to unbeleevers their sin might be discovered and all excuse cut off Thus when the precept is given to beleeve but not the grace of Faith God doth not delude but reprove and convince men of unbeleefe and that in his justice So that from such Exhortations made in common to all wee may not conclude that God hath the same and alike good minde and intent to save all Object Though God thus should attaine his end Yet God is not unjust in so doing and so in regard of him the Commandement should not be in vaine Yet should not this â—avour of great injustice and crueltie to require a thing impossible to man left to himselfe J answer Why 1. True if God not given man power a possibility 2. If Man had not willingly disabled himselfe and drawne it upon himselfe by his owne fault 3. If man should now by grace aske as hee should this ability to obey God and to acknowledge his owne impotency and bewaile it Yea 4. If God were more bound to give it without asking