made the streets of Jerusalem run down with blood yet called Paul a pesecutor a blasphemer a man mad with rage against the Church of God yet he obtained mercy and why that he might be an example to them that after should be called So that here is your comfort when Jesus Christ hath an intent to cal you neither your Poverty nor your Impietie shal withstand his cal nor turn the thoughts of his mercy from you 10. That though no man can pry into the Decrees of God about Election and Reprobation yet if you can make good your Effectual Vocation you may be sure of your election and of your glorification Though no man I say can enter into the bosome of God to know his secret decrees yet if you can finde upon good and Scripture grounds that you are â—ffâ—ctually called you may be sure you are eternally elected and shal hereafter live in glory Rom. 8.28 Whom he predestinates them he calls whom he calls them he justifies and whom he justifies them he will glorifie And therefore comfort your hearts in these consolatorie Conclusions about effectual calling SERMON V. 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe Doctrine I am yet upon in the prosecution of these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the managing of which I laid down the last Lords day twenty Propositions ten in relation to wicked men not called and ten Conclusions for the comfort of them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ I am now to proceed in the dispatch of six cases of conscience which I shal handle about effectual calling Three of which concern men not effectually called and three touching Believers who are called by Christ to grace here and to hopes of glory in the world to come The three first cases touching wicked men are these First Whether a wicked man be able to resist his own call Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to keep a wicked man from entertaining and embracing the cal of Jesus Christ Thirdly What delusions doth the Devil use to deceive Hypocrites to make them presumptuously believe that they are effectually called when they are not There are three cases more touching godly men As First Whether may a man that is effectually called be any way assured that he is so Secondly If a man may be assured then what is the reason many a godly man is not assured of his effectual calling And then Thirdly How may he come to get the assurance of his effectual calling I begin with the first about wicked men that are not called and the case is this First Whether may a wicked man a man as yet not called be able to resist and keep off his own cal And that you may understand the answer hereto I must lay down this distinction That there is a twofold callng of Christ A Significative calling and an Operative calling First a Significative calling which is such a calling whereby Christ in the Ministry of the word signifies and declares what he would have men to do Now this kind of cal wicked men may resist this cal I say and this revealed will of God in declaring what grace he would have men act and what sin he would have men forbear Therefore we read Acts 7.5 You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in heart and eares you have alwaies resisted the Holy Ghost meaning the Preaching of the word by the Ministry of his Apostles So Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye have refused c. But then secondly There is an Operative calling and that is such a call whereby God doth not onely signifie to a man what he must do but with the signification of his wil gives a man a power to do what he cals him to do accompanying the word with his Spirit making the heart stoop and yeild to Jesus Christ Now this cal no man can resist Grace is irresistible and this effectual calling by the operation of the Spirit a man cannot resist Al the gain-sayings of the heart and al the stoutnesse of the will it must stoop and must be brought under subjection to Jesus Christ Iohn 6.37 All that the Father hath given me saith Christ shall come unto me They shal not be able to withstand Jesus Christ but they shal come in unto him So Isa 55.10 As the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and returns not thither again but waters the earth to make it bring forth so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth it shal not return in vain but shall accomplish that which I intended and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it As al the world cannot hinder the rain from coming down on the earth no more can any man in the world if God hath an intent to convert and cal him hinder the benefit of the word from redounding upon his soul Now the answering of this case thus briefly wil admit of a double Use First an Use of Condemnation to wicked men that have often resisted the signicative call of Jesus Christ When Christ hath signified this is my wil I would have you leave these courses and I would have you walk in these waies Christ signifies his will in the Ministry of the Gospel yet let Christ signifie what he wil you wil do what you lift this is for thy great condemnation Secondly The answering this Query is for consolation to elect men who are not yet converted Dost thou belong to Gods Election Why before thou art converted thou hast a stubborn wil thou hast a gainsaying heart thou hast a stout spirit against God thy heart is as hard as an Adamant as hard as the Rocks yet here is thy comfort all the gain-sayings of thy spirit and all the stubbornnesse of thy wil it shal not be able to keep off converting mercy and shall not be able to keep off calling grace from thee When God hath an intent to call thee he wil come with Power by his call and make thee do what he commands thee and make thee embrace what he calls thee to Did not Jesus Christ use an operative call as wel as a significative cal no man in the world would ever be called And this is the reason that in hearing the same Sermon and following the same Preacher one man is converted the other is not The reason is this The cal of the Ministry is onely a significative cal of a Reprobate onely signifying what God would have him do But there is no power conveyed with the invitation to make the man able to do what Christ cals him to and therefore one is called the other is not Thus much in in Answer to the first case Secondly What temptations doth the Devil suggest to men who are uncalled that they should not give entertainment to
vomit not as if he loathed his meat but if he could free himself from those pangs he would fain have the meat in his body to nourish him Thus a wicked man he may disgorge and vomit up his sins and leave his sins but why it is not because he hates his sins no he would keep them as a sweet morsel under his tongue but it is because those sins cause horrour and trouble of conscience he cannot deceive nor he cannot follow his lusts but conscience will follow him Now if thou change thy sin only to stop consciences mouth and muzzle conscience this is no Argument of effectual calling Fourthly Men are tempted by the Devil to nourish presumptuous perswasions that they are effectually called when they are not because they are miscalled and reproached by the men of this world Now think they I should never be miscalled and reproached by wicked men if I were not called by my God Now to take off this briefly I answer Every reproach from wicked men can be no argument of an effectual call from God because men may be miscalled upon a twofold ground There are some men suffer as Christians and some as evil-doers we may suffer either for Christs sake or for our own sakes The distinction is laid down 1 Pet. 4.15 16 17. Let none of you suffer as a murtherer as an evil doer as a Thief as a Busie-body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed So that some men may be punished for their own evils they have done and so suffer no more then they have deserved but other men suffer for their profession because they professe Jesus Christ Now to suffer because of your evil doings this can be no evidence but to suffer for Christ meerly for professing his name this is an argument of effectual calling Therefore Christ pronounceth those blessed Matth. 5.11 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and speak evil of you for my sake This is an evidence of your effectual calling by Jesus Christ SERMON VII 2. Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THE Doctrinâ— I am yet upon drawn from these words is this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their soules that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars and resolved some cases of conscience in reference to wicked men I am now at this time to dispatch some cases of conscience more touching them that are effectually called by Jesus Christ As 1. Whether men that are effectually called by Christ into a state of grace and hope of glory may in this life attain to an infallible and firm assurance of their own effectual calling 2. If it be found that it is attainable in this life then what is the reason that many Christians who are effectually called doe so much suspect and doubt their own calling and walk so sadly for want of their assurance 3. What must be done that so you may make it sure to your own soules that you are effectually called by Jesus Christ First whether it be attainable in this life that men who are effectually called by Christ may have a firm and infallible assurance of their own call And in resolution of this I shall briefly free it from two extreams both of which are untrue about this Query The first is that of the Papists who utterly deny any such thing as assurance about a mans Calling Justification or Election by God and they hold all their followers in suspence affiâ—ming that the most a man can have is a conjectural faith an hope or conjecture that he shall be saved And hence it is that in that Popish Councel of Trent they made this Canon that if any man doth say that he is bound of faith to believe that he is certainly in the number of Gods called ones or justified ones or elect ones let him be Anathema let him be accursed That man that would so much as take this assurance to himselfe they would hold that man accursed And the reason why they doe it is because they hold another errour to wit falling from grace which they could not maintain did they not hold this also This is the first extream 2. Another extream is of the Lutherans they being opposite to the Papists in this point of assurance to confute them who deny all assurance they run into this extream to hold that assurance is of the nature of faith and whosoever hath faith hath assurance but this is another extream and an uncomfortable Doctrine for doubting Christians were it true Therefore to keep this truth in the middle betwixt two extreams I shall lay down this position by way of Answer That though sometimes persons effectually called may be without a particular assurance of their own call yet this assurance is attainable by Christians in this life and Christians may be assured of their own effectual calling And this I shall prove by four Mediums First Because the Apostle injoyns it here in my Text Give diligâ—â—ce to make your Calling and Election sure Now this is a rule in Divinity No man is bound to doe a thing impossible and therefore in that we are commanded and bound to doe it it is clear that it is possible and may be made sure Secondly because it is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to work this particular assurance in the hearts of those that are effectually called that they are in the state of grace and shall be brought to glory 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received not the Spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 John 5.10 He that believeth he hath a witnesse in himself a witness to his own soul that he doth believe Eph. 1.13 14. There the Spirit is called a Seal you are sealed by the Spirit of promise and verse 14. it is called the earnest of our inheritance Now a seal and earnest is to give more assurance to a promise and here the Spirit of God is given to Believers as a seal and earnest-penny that as they have the first fruits in grace they shall have their harvest in glory 1 Iohn 4.13 Hereby we know we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us his Spirit It is the office of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to assure our hearts in this particular Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it selfe beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Thirdly Particular servants of God in Scripture that have been partakers of this mercy they have had this firm assurance of their effectual calling I shall instance in three First in Paul and the Scripture tels us of him that he had a clear evidence of his effectual calling Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I
example both in life and worship we finde in Scripture to be a very efficatious meanes oftentimes to convince sometimes to convert and if you can finde out this in Scripture you may have abundance of comfort It hath been a means oftentimes to convince 1 Pet. 3.16 They shall be ashamed to speak evil of you while they behold your conversation in Christ When they shall see that you live-in Christ and walk according to Christ they shall be ashaemed ashamed of what they have done and what they have spoken it shall convince them So 1 Pet. 2.15 And the Apostle when he speaks of the orderly and regular managing the worship of God 1 Cor. 14.23.25 If there comes an unbeliever among you and he sees your order saith he he shall fall down in the midst of you he shall be convinced and shall say Of a truth God is among you Seeing this saith the Apostle godly men holy in their lives and holy in their worship though he be an unbeleiver he shall fall down and say Of a truth God is among you that is by way of conviction Nay further sometimes God doth blesse the gracious lives and blamelesse example of Christians to be a means to convert some when the Gospel cannot do it and you would think this very comfortable could it be made good I would commend but one Text of Scripture to you to prove what a blessing it is to live in a good family where either husband or wife or any one in the family is godly 1 Pet. 3.1 Wives be subject unto your husbands what then that your husbands that are not wonne by the Word may be wonne without the Word whilest they behold the conversation of their wives A notable text There were many wicked Husbands that all the Sermons they heard would not convert them yet the Apostle tells them that if the wife did live a godly and holy life their lives sometimes should be more efficatious to convert their Husbands then the Word should be And this Beloved doth clearly take off this first plea of yours that because you were converted by example and by living among good Christians and seeing their walkings this gained upon you this is no cause of discouragement because sometimes I say the Lord doth blesse examples of gracious lives to make them winne and gain upon men that are brought home to Jesus Christ Secondly they go yet further There is another poor soul brought home to Jesus Christ and what saith he I do misdoubt the means of my call for a Sermon never wrought upon me the first thing of all that ever gained upon me it was the reading some Chapters in the Bible or some other holy mans book and that made me first to hate sin and love the waies of God and look after his Word for my salvation And here I doubt not but many Christians have found the Word read the first means of gaining upon their hearts And therefore to take off this likewise I shall speak two or three things in way of Answer As First that God is not tyed to any means but can work with the meanest means to bring home people to Jesus Christ If Peters conversion was by a Cock a Cock crowing and a look of Christs eye why may not Christ use the Scriptures read to be a means of a mans call If from stones God can raise up children unto Abraham why cannot God do it by the Word also to make the Word read a means in his own hands to effect it God that can do all things with nothing without means can bring to passe great things by weak means Secondly and more particularly That though ordinarily preaching and hearing of the Word preached be ordained by God and crowned by him cheifly to be a means instrumental to convert souls yet God sometimes hath blessed the reading of the Word to be a means of converting souls likewise Yet Beloved I would not do as the Prelates did who would fain have brought in reading to justle our preaching Preaching is the more noble work and must be highest in our thoughts yet if God will go out in an unusual way who can control him If God will do it by a Chapter read when not by a Sermon preached who can resist God if he will shew his power by weaker means Who shal gainsay it God sometimes honours the reading of the Word to give encouragement to reading to be a means of some mens call I have read of S. Austine that he was converted not by hearing a Sermon but by opening the Bible and reading that place Rom. 13.13 Let us walk honestly as in the day time not in rioting and drunkeness not in chambering and wantounesse and the reading of this verse wrought upon him I have read of Cyprian that he was converted by reading the Prophesie of Jonas hearing of Gods mercy to save such a wicked people and of Gods mercy to Jonas when he was in so pettisâ— a mood as to be angry with God I have known likewise another famous Minister that going by a Book-binders shop he was converted by reading a Sermon of Repentance that cost but two pence and hath been a famous Minister since for the conversion of many hundreds to Jesus Christ Junius was converted by reading the first of John so the Eunuch was converted by reading Isa 53.7 Beloved God is not bound to any one way in saving man He that wrought upon Austin by a verse reading and upon another by a Sermon he can do so by thee Reading is an ordinance of God and God is not bound up but may use that as a means of thy effectual call likewise Thirdly Yea but saith another doubting soul Peradventure I was never wrought upon neither by seeing godly people among whom I lived and observing their example nor was I wrought upon by reading good books but I was first wrought upon by hearing such a Minister that I now see is run into error or a Minister that is grown loose in his practice hapily in these present times gone to joyn with the enemy against the Kingdom and become a vile liver and the Minister being bad that wrought upon me makes me question whether the work be not an unsound and bad work also and this gravels many a Christian likewise To which I answer briefly First That suppose the Minister were bad that wrought upon thee yet the badnesse of the Minister is no just ground of making us suspect our calling For then we should never be sure of our call A man may be sure of his own conversion though a man may not be sure of the conversion of him by whose means he was called Secondly Again in is clear in Scripture God may use Ministers that are wicked themselves to convert others The Ministers of the seven Churches of Asia doubtlesse some of them were bad men Paul tells you 1 Cor. 9.17 I keep under my body lest when I preach to others I my self may
them by the word whether those saving effects which God doth work in an elect person be wrought in your soules or no and that is tâ—e way to come to a sure and certain knowledge of your elecâ—ion The knowledge of your election is not attainable by ascending into Gods decree for who hath made you his Counsellors Nor is it enjoyned you by way of Revelation That is an unsure ground and you may runne into Enthusiasme as well as perswasion about your election It is not done by Revelation neither against nor without the word What ever tâ—stimony there is if it come not from the word you may suspect it to be a delusion Now the safest way though I know much cried down for you to go by in searching whethâ—r you are in the number of Gods elect is to search into your own hearts whether those things be wrought in you which are wrought in those whom God hath elected to life and salvation and here I shal content my self with the naming of six saving effects First every man that is elected sooner or later shall be effectually called and savingly converted by the power of the word This the Apostle laies down 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing brethren beloved your election of God How should this be known Vers 5. For our word came not to you in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghâ—st that is oâ—â— Gospel did not come in word onelâ— to affect youâ— eâ—rs and rest there but our word came with poweâ— being bâ—â—kâ— with the operation of the Spirit for your conveâ—â—ion This work all men that are elected sooner or later must come under to have the power of the word come with authâ—rity upon Conscience for his effectual calling So Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated whom he appointed to life tâ—eâ— he called And therefore Beloved who ever you are if you live and die without having the power of the Word to pass upon your soule for your â—ffectual Calling you may lay your hâ—arâ—s under this Conclusion that you are no elected by God to obâ—ain life and salvation For Whom he hath predestinated them he calls Secondly a man that is elected by God to life sooner or later God will sanctifie him by renewing and regenerating grace And this is onely different from the former in degree for calling is sanctificaâ—ion begun Now when God elects a man he doth not onely begin the work of grace but he carries it on in a course of sanctification And of this your read 2 Thes 2.12 13. We are bold to give thanks to God alwaies for you beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth If God hath from the beginning chosen a man to salvation the Lord doth it through sanctification not for sanctification as the Papists say or for faith foreseen but it is through it as a means whereby we are brought to salvation sanctificaâ—ion shâ—ll runne through our lives as water through a channel So 1 Pet. 1.2 They that are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by Christ through sanctification So 2 Tim. 2.21 And therefore beloved if men live and die and have not the power of sanctifying grace upon their hearts and consciences and working in their lives doubtless those men are not elected because this you see clearly that at one time or other God will work this in such men Jude 4. Thirdly men elected by God to life and salvation shal sooner or later be brought into a state of believing Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed No man that is ordained to eternal life but shall be brought to a believing estate And therefore men living and dying in a state of unbeliefe are not elected Hence you read Tit. 1.1 it is called the faith of Gods elect implying that all that are elected before they die shall have faith and none shall have faith but onely they and therefore in a peculiar manner called the faith of Gods elect appropriated only to them Fourthly That man that is elected sooner or later before he dies God will work in his heart a special delight in and an intire love to the word preached This you have expressed John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his words To be of God that is to belong to God by election Now he that is of God God will in time make him hear his word with delight and love but he that takes no delight therein is noâ— elected of God 1 John 4.5 6. Fifthly The Lord will sooner or later work in the heart of an elect man love to the people of God and compassion to those who are not the elect and chosen one of God Col. 3.12 Put on as the elect of God bowels of mercy and loving kindness The Apostle there by the manner of phrase doth seem to intimate thus much Put on as the elect of God c. As if it were a thing ordained to and inseparable from an elect man after his effectual calling that he should have bowels of mercy towards those that are not called and that he should have loving kindness towards those that are called For a man that is once elected and hath the execution of that decree in effectual calling it is proper to him to have bowels of mercy Sixthly God will sooner or later work an elect man into a new course of living and of obedience from what he had in times past 1 Pet. 1.2 You are elected according to the foreknowledg of God through sanctification to obedience that though you were disobedient before serving divers lusts yet God if he hath chosen you will bring you in a course of obedience Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us What to doe that we might be conformable to the image of his Son God intends that that person whom he chooseth to life should be conformable to Jesus Christ and that he shall live another manner of life then before that though he hath formerly been subject to sinne and satan yet then he shall walk in waies of obedience to Jesus Christ Thus having briefly finisht these heads I have onely foure or five cautions to lay down to bound what hath been said within the limits of truth As First Take notice that these six defects do not extend to children who die while they are children but to men and women that are grown in years A childe that cannot act reason as he is a childe cannot have any of these particulars wrough in him at least in that way and manner men of years have A childe as it is an infant hath not conversion in that way a man hath though it hath somewhat equivalent to it as somewhat like sanctification and somewhat like that faith men of years have but what that is and how wrought man cannot determine In pressing of this therefore I
merciful to men that sin of malicious wickednesse And therefore beloved all you that so live and resolve you will die and haply do die and yet sin obstinately that let God command what he can you wil do what you please let the Minister say what he will you will do what you lift that sin against knowledge and against conscience and without any reluctancy resolve to live and die in a course of sin the Lord be merciful to such persons for certainly there must be no Bible if such men fall within the compasse of Gods election Fourthly That man that by living under the powerful Ministry of the Word is more hard in heart and worse in life if a man grows thus it is an argument he is not within the purpose of Gods election Matth. 13.14 15. By hearing you shall hear but not understand by seeing you shall see but not perceive â—his peoples heart is waxed gross their ears dull in hearing their eyes shut lest at any time they should see with their eyes hear with â—heir ears understand with their hearts and be converted and I â—hould saâ—e them Here is the judgement God laies upon such â—inneâ—s that they shall have eyes and not see they shall be igâ—orant their hearts shall â—axe grosse they shall be uncapable â—f taking any impression of tâ—e word upon them And whaâ—'s â—he end of all this left they should be converted and I should â—ave â—hem implying that if God lets you that live under the Miâ—iâ—â—ry to have dark eyes and hard hearts it is an argument God hath no intent to save you and therefore his purpose is to condemn you So John 12.40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted Here is laid down as an act of Gods that God did harden their hearts and God did blind their eyes lest they should be converted Implying that if men do live and die in this temper that they have lived year after year under a powerful Ministry and yet they grow more blind in judgement and more profane in life and more hard in heart after 20 30 40 years hearing then they were before that the word doth but draw out their wickedness and makes them more profane and more to oppose godliness the Lord have mercy upon such soules for certainly if God leave you thus it is an argument he never intends to save you for the Lord doth thus with such that they might not be saved There is a passage Rom. 11.7 Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for but the election hath obtained and the rest were hardened By election is meant the elected the Abstract put for the Concrete As often in Scripture Circumcision put for Circumcised and so here Election put for elected The elected have obtained it what did they obtaine they obtained salvation and glory but the rest that were not elected they were hardened The Lord there makes it the badge of them that are not elected that they are a blinded people and a hardned people Imitating that men that are not elected they shall live under the word yet shall be blind in mind shall be hard in heart shall be wicked in life and the Ministry of the word shall never reform them And if any of you be such O that the Lord would make you tremble this day tremble lest you are not in Gods thoughts to do you any good another day Fifthly when God doth give up men to strong delusions not only to believe lies themselves but to teach lies to seduce others when the Lord leaves them to live and die in that estate the Scripture makes it an argument of them that are not chosen by God to life and glory You shall read therefore in that great delusion of Antichrist 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. God gave them up to strong delusions to believe lies that all might be damned that believe not the truth It is made a brand of damnation when God shall give them over to believe lies Though a godly man may die in a corrupt opinion for every errour is not a badge of damnation but errouâ—s that are foundamental that strike at the foundation of Religion wherein men runne so far as never to repent of their errour that the Scripture makes the badge of a man whose soul is in a world of danger Read that Text 2. Pet. 2.1 2 3. There were false Prophets among the people like as their shall be false teachers among you And who are they vers 2. They shall deny the Lord that bought them they shall bring in damnable heresies Every errour is not an heresie but these men shall bring in damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious waies Now what is their censure whose judgement now of a long time lingers not and their damnation slumbers not Their damnation was not asleep but for a long time damnation did attend them and they were in danger of it So that beloved it is great danger for men to be patrons of errour especially when they are grosse and palpable and when in Scripture language they may be called damnable heresies It is an argument if men live and die thus that they are not within the purpose of Gods Counsel to do them good Sixthly Men that live and die in a continual spurning and opposition against the Gospel and word of God powerfully preached it is a dreadful sign they are not within the compass of Gods election 1 John 4.5 6. You are not of God for you hear not his word So John 12. He that heareth the word is of God but you hear not his word therefore you are not of God Therefore you belong not to him But more pregnant to this purpose is that place Act. 13.46 47 48. It was necessary the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles Now compare this with vers 48. And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed The opposition lies thus As many as God purposed to save they glorified God for his word and they rejoyced and were glad in his word but those that were not decreed to salvation they put off from them the word of the Lord they spurned at it and opposed it and could not endure the word of the Lord. Therefore the Text saith The Jewes stirred up the devout and honourable women and they raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coast It was said to Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.16 By this I know that the Lord hath purposed to destroy thee because thou hast not harkned to my counsel Thus you see the Scripture makes it the badge of a man that doth not fall within the compasse of Gods election to bring
him to life and glory to live and die in opposition to the word of God Seventhly and this we may speak more confidently and positively that that man is not within the compasse of Gods election who sinnes the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12.32 He shall neither be forgiven in this life nor in the life to come This is an unpardonable sin 1 John 5.16 Now I know there are many men who confine this sin only to the Pharisees as if they onely were guilty of it There are others that say this sin is seldome committed and so many Divines speak favourably of it but Beloved I am perswaded this sin is oftner committed then most men in the world dream of and many men are plunged into this sin that think well of their own souls The sin against the holy Ghost is only this It is a wilful and deliberate act in a professor of Religion whereby he doth not onely fall from his profession but he runns into a course of sin knowingly against conscience obstinately against counsel and maliciously against Jesus Christ This is briefly a descrption of this sin Now I am perswaded there are many in the world that have professed Religion that are if not in this sin yet at the very next door to it And if a man be gone thus farre this is called in Scripture a sin unto death a sin which if a man fall into he may be sure he shall be damned And thus I have in breif given you an account of these seven particulars whereby every man may give a guesse in his own thoughts whether he be within the purpose of Gods election unto salvation or no. I have now from this sad Doctrine only a few comfortable positions to lay down and so conclude As 1. That though these partâ—culars may give you a guesse of those that are not within the compasse of Gods election yet no man is bound to make this sure to himselfe that he is not elected You are bound to make your election sure but you are not bound to make your reprobation sure For these heads I have given out not to make any godly man question his election but to startle wicked men who live quite contrary and opposite to the elect of God 2. That a man may come very nigh to the worst of these sins and yet may be an elected man We were saith Paul sometimes disobedient deceived and served divers lusts Titus 3.3 And Eph. 2.2 In times past you walked according to the course of the world according to the power of the Prince of the aire who worketh mightily in the children of disobedience In times past ye were children of wrath as well as others In times past before calling you may come very neer to these evils yet be within the compass of Gods election Provided that you do not live and die in those evils For if so there is no hope of mercy 3. That for men to question their election meerly because they do not finde the saving effects of election in their hearts and lives is rather an argument of their being then of their not being elected Because men not elected they never look after their election to make it sure they will trust all upon the mercy of God and grace of God and never look after holiness sin never troubles them profaneness never grieves them want of holinesse perplexes not them The questioning therefore of your election arising from the evils of your conversation is rather a sign that God hath chosen you to life and glory 4. Election it runnes often times to those that are the worst sort of men in the world Election runnes to them that have been worst in their lives before they were called And thereby God magnifies the riches of his grace Election passeth by civil honest men and ingeniouâ—â—emperate mâ—n and commonly runns to men that have been scandalous loose Atheistical profane livers before they were called Matth. 21.31 Whores and Harlots shall come to Heaven before you Manasseh that was a cruel murderer and Idolater yet election ran to him Mary Magdalen a common strumpet out of whom Christ cast seven Devils yet election ran to her Rahab a Harlot Paul a persecuter a blasphemer a man injurious to the Saints yet Acts 9.15 He was a chosen vessel unto God and obtained mercy God to magnifie the riches of his free grace le ts election run to the worst of men that are in the world And this should be great comfort to you though you have been drunkards and though you have been Sabbath breakers and adulterers and though you have been profane yet if you can but now close with Jesus Christ and look after heaven if you can but now mourn over your condition and repent of your former failings and come in to Jesus Christ Election hath run unto men as bad as you and though you may be now men profane in your lives yet you may be objâ—cts of Gods election SERMON XIV 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure THe last Doctrin I drew from these words was this That Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls that they are eternally elected by God to life and glory In the prosecution of which I have gone over some queries There are four difficulties or queries I am further to insist upon in treating of this point As namely First whether this election be universal or no Secondly whether a man that is once elected by God to salvation may come to be damned yea or no Thirdly whether God in electing a man to life and glory doth it out of any foresight of faith or any other grace he sees in man And fourthly whether this doctrine of election that God in his own counsel hath determined who shall be damned and who saved doth not take men off from any endeavours after their own salvation to make them desperate and neglect the use of means that they shall say if I shall be damned I shall be damned and if saved I shall be saved let me live as I lift whether this doctrine will favour this desperate conclusion yea or no First whether election be universal or no This is that the Arminians and Papists do mightily drive at And here they lay down this conclusion which they make unquestionable That there is such a thing as a certain universal election of God without limitation or restraint of persons whereby God did determine to save all mankind by Christ who were fallen in Adam This opinion was first drawn from Origen who held that all creatures should be saved and the Papists and Arminians mincing the matter to make it a little more plausible then he did they say that God in his purpose did intend to save all mankind by Jesus Christ but man falling away and walking contrary to their principles the defect lies in them that they are not saved
after that time he did evil against his God Nay you read further Nebem 13.26 27. That Solomons wives turned away his heart from the Lord though he was the beloved of his God Though he were beloved by God and were elected by him yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. The like phrasâ— you have Numb 14.23 After all these works I have done among them and the miracles I have shewn them in Aegypt and in the Wilderness they have provoked me saith the Lord these ten times After they were the Lords by covenant and after they were a delivered people after this they provoked him many a time by sinning against him and yet divers of them were elect vessels of mercy So that I say many of Gods servants after their calling are fallen foulely into scandalous sins and yet have been within the compasse of Gods election Secondly if you falling into grosse and scandalous sins have not these four sinful ingredients your falling into sin after calling may be consistent with election First if you fall not into sin voluntarily Secondly if you fall not into the same sin frequently Thirdly if you fall not into sin with complacency And fourthly if you lie not under your fall impenitently If these ingredients be mixed with your sinning after your call they are inconsistent with election First if you fall into sin voluntarily that you rush into sin as a horse into the battel Secondly if you fall into the same sin frequently then it is hazardous and dangerous It is true Peter denied Christ but it was but in one fit of a temptation Dâ—vid fell into Adultery but it was never but once Lot was guilty of drunkennesse but onely in one fit For the Servants of God though they fall yet they fall not frequently into the same sin if grosse and scandalous Thirdly if you fall into sin with complacency that you take pleasure in the evils you fall into if you do as Job saith wallow sin under your tongue counting it sweet and delightsome to you And lastly if all this be joyned with impenitency that you have not a heart to repent of the evils you fall into the Lord have mercy upon you for certainly if you fall into sin with these ingredients you are not within the compasse of Gods mercy to save But now though you do fall into sin if it be not voluntary but through the force of temptation if it be not with complacency but a dislike of the sins you fall into and as soon as you do fall and see your sins you repent and rise again though you doe fall in this way it will be no prejudice to your election Thirdly falling into sinne after calling and profession made of Jesus Christ may be consistent with Election in these foure cases First if the sins you fall into be clearly discerned Secondly if they are sensibly bewailed Thirdly if they are strongly resisted and lastly if they are dayly laboured and prayed against Though you doe fall into sinne yet in these cases sin will not be damning to you or be an impediment to your election And thus I have done with the second case of conscience Only let me urge this one thing before I leave it for I would not have you make this Doctrine a Doctrine of liberty but I would have you lay this to heart that if any of you fall foulely after conversion believe it God will make you smart for this though not in hell yet you shall have a hell in your conscience you shall have the very pregustations of hell a wounded conscience and God will expect deep humiliation and great repentance if you sin after profession made of Jesus Christ It may have that influence upon you as upon David who cried out I have no quietnesse in my bones by reason of my sin God will give you no rest night nor day by reason of sin if you run into it after profession made of Jesus Christ Thirdly men do doubt of their election because God pursues them with continual afflictions and layes the continued strokes of his heavy wrath upon them and this makes many a godly man think that he is not in the number of Gods elect ones To which I shall briefly answer That this is nothing else but a temptation and not a truth and it was the very controversie that Jobs friends had with him they would fasten this upon Job that he was a Reprobate and an Hypocrite because God did so afflict him yet Job maintained his sincerity and shews his grounds that God was his friend and that he did not reject him though he did afflict him But to speak more particularly First no man can infallibly and certainly judge of Gods purposes about mans election or reprobation by any of the dispensations of God toward their bodies in the things of this life Eccl. 9.1 2. No man knows either love or hatred by any thing that is before him All things fall alike to all The same event to him that feareth God and to him that feareth him not to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath Secondly Afflictions from God are so far from being grounds or evidences that a man is not elected that in some cases they may prove evidences that they are the very elect of God Heb. 12.6 7. He chasteneth every son whom he receiveth they are bastards and not sons whom he chastiseth not As â—any as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Rev. 3.19 In some cases afflictions from God are rather tokens of love from God then the contrary As now in case afflictions be as a spur to you to make you quicken your pace in heaven-way 2. In case your afflictions be as pruning-hooks to you to cut and lop off the luxuriant buddings and workings of sinne in the heart 3. In case affliction be as a hedge to you to keep you in and to make you walk in a close communion with God and not to wander or goe astray from him 4. In case affliction be as a file to you to file off that rust that cleaves to your nature 5. In case affliction proves a furnace to refine you from that drosse of corruption that is mixt with your services In these cases afflictions are so farre from being grounds to doubt of your Election that they may rather give you evidence you are the very elect of God Thirdly That God in his wisedome doth many times expose his own people to greater troubles in this life then he lets wicked and reprobate men undergoe God will not give reprobates their hell here that so he might give them hell hereafter God will not give the elect heaven here to make heaven more desirable to them while they live here and more welcome when they come there It is Gods pleasure in the dispensations of his providence amongst men to let his own people lie under more outward sorrows then wicked men shall do Psal