by Ahab and the people A prophet is one that is inspired by the Holy Ghost which those Men were not but by a lying spirit Now Simon Magus was no more a true Believer ver 22. than those true Prophets Nor his faith any more of the right kind than their predictions true prophecies We also find that the Scripture makes the Coming-to-pass of the thing foretold to be the evidence of a true prophet According to which Rule Persâ—verance to salvation is to demonstrate the truth of faith and where-ever this follows not there faith was but pretended They profess to know God Tit. 1. 16. 2 King 17. 32. ver 34. but in deeds do deny Him As of those Samaritans before mentioned It is said They feared the Lord and presently after that They feared not the Lord They feared him in shew but not in truth 4. The Foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are His 2 Tim. 2. 19. He brings it in to comfort believers touching the Sureness of their standing when others of as glorious out-sides make Shipwreck of the faith It stands sure because the Lord knoweth them that are His He knows whom He hath Chosen For whom He hath received the Attonement whom He hath Called and caused to take hold of His Covenant And these shall surely be kept Notwithstanding the wofull backslidings of others If one that believes not Now may have faith hereafter Then one that is Now a Believer may lose his faith and turn Apostate It followes not That because Christ can bind Satan and cast him out therefore Satan can do so by Christ He can come into the Devil's Nursery when He will Take a Crab-stock and transplant it and Graff it with a Noble Cyons But Satan cannot come into God's Vinyard which is a Garden enclosed and take thence What him pleaseth One who is now dead in sin may be quickened but being once alive can dye no more It is Christ's own Assertion He that liveth Joh. 11. 26. and believeth in Me shall never dye Which cannot be meant of any other but a spiritual death which is all one with losing his faith A Righteous Man may turn away from his Righteousness and that so that he shall dye for it Ezek. 18. 24. There is a twofold Righteousness 1. Moral Such as Paul had before his Conversion This a Man may continuein to the last and yet not be Saved 2. There is a Gospel Righteousness 1 Imputed This is the Righteousness of Christ by which we are Justified 2 Infused This is the Divine Nature communicated by the Spirit of Chriâ—t whereby we are Sanctified These two go inseparably and can never be lost But The Righteousness spoken of in the place objected seems to be of the former Sort viz. Moral or Outward Righteousness For Outward Conformity to the Law was the Condition of their possessing the land of Canaan with long life and prosperity in it This if they retain'd it gave them a legal Right to those Promises If they turn'd from it they ran into a forfeiture And lose it they might for they had no promise That they should abide in it But the New Covenant undertakes for That as is evident by comparing Jer. 31. 31-33 with chap. 32. 40. But if any will yet suppose The Righteous Man spoken of in that 18. of Ezek. to be meant of a true Believer there is I hope in the Answers foregoing to Solve it If any should alledg But suppose a Believer be taken away in his Sin as perhaps Josiah was and hath not time to Repent of it I Answer 1. It cannot be proved that this was the case with Josiah He probably had time sufficient between his Wounding and his Death For he was carried from Megiddo to Jerusalem before he dyed But 2. There was That in him that would have Repented and God reckons of a Man according to what he would Do It being in David's heart to build him an House it was accepted as if he had done it The Root of the matter is in every Regenerate person which if it had time would put-forth it self in fruits and therfore They shall not be dealt with as barren trees which have not that substance in them The Promise of Perseverance is not made to Faith that That shall not fail but in reference to the favour of God viz. That if Men go-on to Believe they shall abide in his love Thus to give the sense of the Promise is 1. To enervate it to make it speak but according to the Covenant of works It bereaves it wholly of that Bâ—tternes the Scripture ascribes to it in Heb. 8. 6. 2 It renders the Promise as speaking fallaciously as making shew of That it intends not It would be but as if he had said You shall keep the favour of God if you do not lose it 3. Faith is the Soul 's Coming to God Unbelief its departing from Him The Promise therefore that secures against departing from God secures your Continuance in Believing He that undertakes you shall be Crown'd doth virtually undertake for your holding-out to the end of your Race Others agen dispose Otherwise of those Promises recorded in the 36 of Ezek. and 32 of Jeremy touching Men's notdeparting from God Restraining them to the Jewish Nation and to the last Dayes To this may readily be answered 1. That the Time which then was when the Apostles wrote is called The last time 1 John 2. 18. Acts 2. 17. 2. Albeit that some particular times and persons are more peculiarly concerned in the Promises of the old Testament especially such as refer to temporal things yet is there no one Promise but in the spirituality of it belongs to Every one that belongs to Christ that is Jews in spirit No Scripture is of private Interpretation and therefore Not to be Confin'd to those particular times or persons when and to whom they were delivered They were written for the use of All 1 Cor. 10. 11. And 3. We find them accordingly apply'd in the New Testament The Promise made to Joshua touching the success of his Warfare in Canaan Josh 1. 5. with is by the Apostle applyed to Believers in general Heb. 13. 5. as an Argument against overmuch carefulness in a Married'state and for Contentedness with our present condition Isa 29. 13. with So likewise the Prophesie of Isaiah touching the hypocrites of his time is by Christ applyed to the Pharisees Math. 15. 7 8 And the Promises made to the Iews in Isa 54 13. and Ier. 31. 33 are applied to the Gentiles in John 6. 45. and Rom. 4. 15. 16. This Doctrine of Absolute Perseverance lays the Reigns of Security on the Neck of the flesh and of the old man in believers 1. This Objection is in effect the same with the first Only it speaks broader which shews That the farther Men go in opposing the Truth the worse language they give it That Many
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
Redemption do not redound to any but Elect persons Arg. 3. What ever is onewhere ascribed to Redemption as â—he special fruit and consequent thereof is elsewhere ascribed to Election and to This as the first â—nd Original Root And that Redemption it self is the Fruit of Electing love is evident by the 1 Pet. 1. 2. quoted afore Elect unto Obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ They are also said to be Blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Eph. 1. 3 4. according as He had Chosen them in Him And if all spiritual blessings be dispensed by the Law of Election then all the saving benefits of Redemption which are the same with those of Election must be dispensed by the same Rule and so to the same persons onely We also find Joh. 17. 6. That Christ's actual distribution of the Gifts He received for Men is guided answerably He manifests the Father's name to the Men He had given Him â—ut of the world To These He expounds that in private which to others He spake in parables And thus He did Because to them it was given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Math. 13. 34. 36. ver but to the Multitude it was not given And Election was That as gave it them as it followes there For So it seemed good in thy sight In like manner the Apostle in Rom. 8. puts Election and Redemption together as pertaining to the same persons And Justification which is the next effect of Redemption he makes also an unquestionable consequent of Election Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed The question being put concerning God's Elect and the Answer referring to those for whom Christ dy'd is a plain implication That Redemption and Iustification are commensurate with Election That either of them concerneth onely the same persons and that neither of them extends to any but whom the other also taketh-in IV. The price of Redemption was of that Precious and Matchless Value Arg. 4. that it could not be parted-with but with respect to the Certainty of the End for which it was paid Now the End of Redemption was the Salvation of Men below Which there could not be an End worthy the death of Christ And This Nothing could secure but Election The Elect alwaies have abtain'd and shall This is a Rule affirm'd in Rom 11. 7. But for the Rest they are blinded that is They are left to their own voluntary Misunderstanding And being so Not only they Do not Job 12. 39. but they câ—nnot believe And to what end should Christ make His Precious Soul an Offering for Such Men that never shall believe and consequently never be Saved Surely To no better purpose than for the World of ungodly whose Spirits were in prison two thousand years afore Those whom the Lord intends to save alive He appoints an Atonement to be made for them Numb 16. ver 46 47. But for those He intends to kill which is alwaies done justly He will not accept an Offering Judg. 13. 23 and therefore not appoint it As He did not under the Law for those Crimes which Men were to dye for V. I confine Redemption to Elect persons Arg. 5. because Intercession which is of equal latitude with Redemption is limited to These exclusive to Others The Priests of old were to pray for those whose sacrifice they offered And what they did was a patern of our Saviour's Priestly office Whom likewise we finde to Sacrifice and pray onely for the same persons He is an Advocate for those for whose sins He is a Propitiation 1 Joh. 2. 1. Whose transgressions He was smitten for For them He makes Intercession Isa 53. 8 12. For their sakes He Sanctified Himself and for Them it was that He made that solemn prayer in the 17 of John And He now prayes for them as being just now to offer their Sacrifice He also shuts out the World expresly from having any interest in it I pray not for the World but for them which Thou hast given Me. And He adds the Reason the foundation Reason why He would pray for These For they are Thine i. e. They were the Father 's by Election For in all other respects the Earth is the Lord's and the Fullness thereof VI. This Doctrine is further Warranted Arg. 6. by those Genuine and Necessary Conclusions which follow from divers express Scriptures touching this Subject As 1. That those who are planted with Christ in His death shall be also in His Resurrection Rom. 6. 5. 2. That those for whom Christ was Crucified their old Man was Crucified with Him That the body of sin should be destroyed Rom. 6. 6. 3. That those dead with Christ are freed from sin and shall appear with Him in Glory Rom. 6. 7. and Coll 3. 3 4. 4. That those for whom Christ dy'd are Justified and Reconciled Rom. 5. 8 9 10. 5. That for whom He was made sin and a Curse They are made the Righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5. 21. 6. They that are Redeemed do follow the Lamb and are made Kings and Priests unto God Rev 5. 9 10. Chap. 14. 3 4. All which blessings with many the like are the inseparable fruits of Redemption But it is obvious to all That all men are not like unto Christ in Newness of life All have not the body of sin destroyed in them All are not freed from sin Nor shall All appear with Christ in Glory All are not Justified and Reconciled All are not made the Righteousness of God in Christ All do not follow the Lamb Nor are All made Kings and Priests unto God Whence it should follow That All are not Redeemed VII Another Argument for Peculiar Redemption Arg. 7. is founded on the End of Christ's death with the Merit and Efficacy of it Tit. 2. 14. He gave Himself That He might Redeem those He dyed for from all iniquity Hence it follows That if Christ dyed for all then All shall be saved for iniquity only can be their Ruin Or else That Christ fails of the End of his Death But Christ cannot fall short of His End in dying For all power in Heaven and Earth is committed to Him for the Making of it good And yet All Men are not saved The Saved Ones are but a Remnant Therefore He gave not Himself to Redeem All. It is the Father's will That of All He hath given to Christ He should lose Nothing but should give them Eternal life Hence it follows Either That all men were not thus given to Christ or if they were Then All must have Eternal life And if they have Not The Father's Will is Not done But The Father's Will is done as is abundantly evident and yet All men are not saved Therefore That which Christ layed down His life for That He Merited And what He Merited
when he will We litle think how much presumption and carnal security derive from this Root whereas Peculiar Redemption in the vigour and latitude of it viz. as procuring us a Right to Faith and Holiness with the Spirit of Christ to work them effectually in us is a far greater incouragement to apply our selves to Christ for them as a part of His purchase Phil. 1. 29. and that without which we cannot partake the other benefits of His death And I cannot but think that any Man in His right mind upon a due enquiry and thorow considering the Matter would rathet depend upon such a Redemption as redeems from all iniquity though the persons concern'd in that Redemption be but few than on that which is supposed to Redeem All universally upon condition of Faith and Repentance but does not Reedeem from impenitency and unbelief In That Redemption let my part be that saves from Sin That slayes the enmity That Reconciles to God effectually that makes an end of sin and brings-in everlasting Righteousness that does not onely bring iuto a Savable state conditionally but works also and maintains those Conditions and Qualifications that have Salvation at the End of them II. Since your propriety in Redemption is founded on your Interest in Electing love Infer 2. Give all diligence to make your Election sure Spare not for pains It 's fruit will be worth all the cost and labour you can bestow upon it If cleer in this point the whole body will be full of light And among other Evidences of Election Look over those specified afore under that head Then Make out your Interest in Redemption by walking worthy of Redeeming love which cannot be done but by being and doing fomething more than others Some singular thing it must be that must warrant your claim to that singular Priviledge Hold-forth therefore in your life the effects of your Union with Christ in His death As he gave Himself for you so give up your self to Him As He is for you so be you for Him for Him only and not for another 2 Cor. 8. 5. Hosea 3. 3. 1. Determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified Count all things else not worth your knowing for in truth all knowledge without this will come to Nothing Let all therefore be loss and dung for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3. 8. 2. Let nothing be so dear to you as not to part with it for God when 't is called for and rise early to do it This is love 2 Joh. 6. that we walk after His Commandments The Lord parted with His delight for you from Eternity There 's nothing more Reasonable Nothing more Natural to an heart rightly placed than that you should love and live to Him who died for you And whoever hath known the Grace of God and the love of Christ in truth cannot but so judge 3. Let not Christ be Divided Know Him for your Lord aswell as your Redeemer Take Orders from Him as your Captain General Receive your Law from His Mouth What ever He bids you do Do it Follow Him where ever He goes and Carry it so as becomes His Attendants The Armies in Heaven follow Him upon white Horses Rev 19. 14. and arrayed in white Be not your own Director in any thing Nor over-hasty Stir not up your Beloved until He please But Await His Counsel and Conduct as preferring His knowledge of times and Seasons with the manner and method of His Working and prescribing before your own 4. Let Nothing divide you from Christ Let Nothing but death yea let not death it self separate between you and Him Nothing you see could separate Him from you yea 1 Cor. 6. 20. had it not been for you and such as you are He had not dyed We are not our own we are bought with a price which is the highest engagement in every state and Duty whether living or dying Rom. 14. 8. to be the Lord's III. Christs giving Himself a Ransom for you Infer 3. warrants your largest expectation of Good things from Him What Sins too great to be pardoned or iniquities so stubborn as not to be subdued Heb. 9. 14 or Graces so precious as not to be obtained The Lord delights in nothing more than Mercy The only Bar was Sin which being dissolved by the bloud of Christ Grace and Glory run freely The making us Kings and Priests unto God yea One in the Father and Himself being the thing He dyed for Joh. 17. 21. no inferiour good thing can be withholden from us Faith and Holyness are great things indeed and highly to be valued yet let me say That even these and all other good things when layed to-together will be but a very little heap to that Grace which put us into Christ 1 Joh. 4 10. the honour and priviledge of Union with Him and the price He hath paid for our Ransom Herein is Love that God sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins The Purchase is paid Releafes are Sealed and He in possession All things are ready It is now but His Giving forth the Revenue that lies by Him which also He delights to do IV. This Doctrine also prepares a Chief corner Stone for the Saints Perseverance They for whom Christ died died with Him and if dead with Him they shall live with Him Rom. 6. 8. Even the Righteousness of God is engaged to Save them and then He must either prevent Remove or Over-rule what ever would hinder that Salvation Therefore unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood Rev. 1. 5 6. be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen III That the purpose and end of Christ's death cannot be frustrate Or Those whom Christ dyed for cannot miss of the benefits accruing by His death All the Councels of God from eternity All His promises and Declarations holding forth those Councels and all His Dispensations in order to their accomplishment have a special relation to Christ as dying for His people and their actual Salvation thereby as the end thereof Now the End of a Thing is that for which the Thing it self is and but for which it had not been 't is that the Chief Agent principally proposeth and aimes at and if he be wise he will certainly use and appoint such Means and Order them in such manner that the thing designed shall not miscarry Men indeed may miss of their End They aim at This and That 's produced as in building the Tower of Babel But this is still from some imperfection in themselves Either the Thing it self is not feasible Or the way to it is imprudently contriv'd or the Means unduely applyed their minds alter or they are made to desist by a power above them c. But God only wise and Almighty it is not so with Him None of those things which impede the designs of Men
Jer. 37. 15. yea they proceed further for this enmity knows no bounds Some they Stoned Others they slew with the Sword Lu. 20. 10-15 When was there One that escaped them At last He sends them His Son Surely they 'l Reverence Him No This is the heir Come let us kill Him And thus they went-on Till there was no remedy 4. The World of Ungodly in Noah's time Gen. 6. 3. After warning of the flood they had the Spirit of God striving with them Sixscore years together And yet Not a Man in the whole Universe prevailed-upon The people in the Wilderness How many wayes did the Lord strive with them by mighty deliverances terrible Appearances Merciful Providences Dreadfull Judgments And this Fourty years together and yet still they went-on Rebelling against Him and vexing his holy Spirit Isa 63. 10. 5. Miracles will not do it What a Multitude of These mingled with Judgment where shewn upon Pharaoh All which did but further harden him Exod. 7. 14 22. Ch. 8. 19. Ch. 9. 7 c Then the People in the Wilderness Take but that one Instance of Korah and his Company The Earth clave asunder and swallowed-up the chief of the Mutineers with all that they had They went alive into the Pit Num 16. 32. ver 35. Two hundred and fifty more were consumed by fire from Heaven Which one would think should cause them to fear the Lord and do no more presumptuously and yet the next thing we hear of them ver 41 on the very Morrow they are at it again And that v. 41. not a Party of them but the whole Congregation All which considered and laid together It follows with much evidence III. That the New Creature is the Product of Divine Power alone The Evangelist John is clear on our side touching this Original and Pedigree of it Both Whence it is not and whence it is Joh. 1. 12. It is born 1 not of blood It belongs not to nor is brought forth in any as they are Men made of flesh and blood Ro. 9. 7. Nor as they are Abraham's feed according to the flesh Nor 2 is it born of the will of the flesh The carnal and sensual affections have nothing to do in the spiritual birth Nor 3 of the will of Man The rational faculties by which Men are set above the Rank of other Creatures these do not contribute towards our Divine Sonship But 4 It is of God i. e. It is His Work alone and the Natural Man has nothing to do in that birth he is perfectly unactive in it Ezek. 37. 5 9 14 even as the Dry bones in causing themselves to Live Or as Lazarus in Reviving himself of whom it is said Joh. 11. 44. He that was dead came-forth bound hand and foot Which was such a Demonstration of Divine Power that the Pharisees themselves acknowledge v. 48. If they now let Him alone all men will believe in Him And if it were not so the Lord alone should not be exalted And with this falls-in that other beloved Disciple James James 1. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Of His own will begate He us i. e. By His Own Divine Power He forms and brings-forth the New Creation without any assistance from the Old or Co-operation of it Peter he also tells us It is born of Incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. John 3. 8. And John agen That It is born of the Spirit which is plainly to be of the Off-spring of God Of like tenour is that of the Prophet Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us Eph. 2. 10. and that of Paul We are his workmanship Ps 100. 2. As also That of the Psalmist It is He that hath made us and not we our selves His people We find it here and in John expressed both Negatively and Positively as purposely and for ever to exclude what-ever is in Man from being so much as thought contributary to the New Creation and that the whole Work might be Father'd upon God only Which is indeed the natural Result of all those Scriptures which speak of this Work under the Notion of a Creature which necessarily implies That the whole of It both Matter and Form is from the Creatour For in truth a Creature 's foundation is Nothing besides the good pleasure of God It may further be Noted That in James The Father of Lights is said to beget it and in the Galathians Jerusalem which is above is said to be the Mother of it and in John as afore that It is born of the Spirit And if Father and Mother Begetter and Bringer-forth are both in Heaven what shall the Man of Earth found his pretensions upon as to the Parentage of the New Creature And further It is worthy of Remark 1. What sort of Instruments were mostly used in this Work Not the Learned but Illiterate Men And of These such most eminently as had neither elegancy of Speech 2 Cor. 10. 10. Nor Majestick presence And the End of this was That it might appear and Men might be Convinced That their Faith stood not in was neither made nor maintain'd by the wisdom of Men 1 Cor. 2. 3 4 5. but the Power of God 2. The natural unaptness of the Persons commonly wrought upon to Receive those high-born Principles Not many of the Wise and Noble but the poor base and foolish i. e. In comparison of Others And why These Truly it was to make good the Truth that 's here asserted viz. That no flesh might Glory in His presence ◠Cor 1. 26 27. And yet likewise take Notice That the Wise and Noble were not excluded Witness the wife of Herod's Steward Joseph Nicodemus and Sergius Paulus Acts 13 7. a Prudent Man Which further illustrates the Power of God in that He did by those weak and contemptible Means bring-in also such as These 3. The Scripture's so emphatically ascribing the Work unto God which kind of ascription were very improper if Faith and Holiness were things so Common and easily attain'd and the Natural Man so Able and Virtuous an Engine in that Work as most Men imagine Paul siles it The Faith of the Operation of God 〈◊〉 2 12. Isaiah makes it dependant on the Arm of the Lord Revealed i. e. Made-bare Isa 53. 1. and put-forth to the utmost Our Saviour He attributes it to God the Father as Lord of Heaven and Earth And Paul agen To the exceeding Greatness of His Mighty Power even the same by which He raised Jesus Christ from the Dead Even Then when the sins of all His People lay upon Him And all the Malice Strength and Subtilty of the Powers of Darkness were up in Arms against it Which was indeed the highest Indication of Divine Power that ever was put-forth or shall be III. Our next Enquiry is Who those blessed Ones are to whom these Requisites to Salvation do belong and
Persecutor in the Company Paul was a Chosen Vessel And this in brief was the Reason of it as you have it recorded in Acts 22. 14 The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee That thou shouldest know His will The Jews had many Means of knowing the Messiah and Inducements to believe in him which the Gentiles had not And yet These embrace the Gospel whiles the Jews Reject it Those who sought after Righteousness fell short of it Rom. 10. 20. when Those who sought it not attain'd it For the bottom-Reason of which different Dispensation We are referr'd to Election Rom. 11. 7 The Election hath obtained and the Rest were blinded How variously are several Men affected in hearing the same word The Sheep and the Rest have both the same Outward means One Neglects it attends not at all or Regards not what he hears A second quarrels it as the Jews often did A Third is perswaded almost as Agrippa was and those that would hear Paul agen of that Matter A Fourth is Pricked in the heart and called effectually It 's a stumbling-block to some Foolishness to Others And to some 't is the Power of God Acts 2. 39. And these some are such as were Elected of Those to whom the Promise was made and are therefore termed The Called according to His Purpose Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 8. And agen in 2 Tim. 1. 9 They are said to be Called according to His own Purpose and Grace which was given them in Christ before the World began They are first Chosen Ps 65. 4. and then Caused to approach unto God There is almost no end of Scriptures to this purpose I shall instance one more so close up this Particular All the blessings which the Saints are blessed with in time are all bestowed according to God's Decree of Election before time as is manifest from Eph. 1. ver 3 4 5. Where I observe 1. That Election goes afore the Actual Donation of Spiritual blessings 2 Tim. 19. For These are given in time That was afore time And That which comes After cannot be the Cause of That which went Afore it One Effect may be the Cause of another but not the Cause of That which caused it self 2. That the Actual Donation of Spiritual blessings is according to Election i. e. Election is the Rule by which the Dispensation is guided It is Adequate with Election and Answerable thereto even as the Impression is to the Printing-Types Or as the fashion of Davids body to the platform thereof in God's book and the Tabernacle to the patern shewn in the Mount According to which all things were made as well in respect of Number Weight and Measure as Form and Figure Spiritual blessings are not given to One More or Fewer or in other manner but just as Election hath laid it forth Which also is further confirm'd by Rev. 21. 27 Where we finde That None are admitted into the Holy City but whose Names were written in the book of life And Whosoever was not found written in that book was cast into the lake of fire chap. 20. 15. Which shews That at the latter day Acts 13. 48. it will be taken for granted That as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed And that all and every One without the list of Election dyed in Unbelief That the Election obtained Rom. 11. 7. and the Rest were blinded Therefore Faith and Holiness are not the Cause but the Certain effect and inseparable Consequent of Election IV. Our last Enquiry is Of the Way and Manner of God's Dispensing spiritual Blessings And that is Effectually and Freely I. Effectually The Soul is not turned to God by a Twyne-Thread Nor doth the Lord content Himself with Wishing and Woulding that it might be so after the manner of Men who either are Indifferent in the thing Or have not Wherewith to Effect their desires Nor merely by propounding Moving and striving by Moral Suasions Instructions Threatnings and the like which are of little avail with a dark Understanding and fixed enmity which every Natural Man is acted by But by the putting-forth of a Power Invincible A Power that will not be said Nay but what it Wills That it will doe What it undertakes it goesthorow with To doe a thing Effectually is to doe it Perfectly Thorowly Successfully that is So to use and apply the Means that the End designed is surely brought-to-pass And this Notwithstanding all the Weakness Aversness and Repugnancy of the Carnal Mind against it I might produce Instances not-a-few touching God's Effectual Working to bring-about things of lesser Moment How unwilling was Moses to be His Messenger to Pharaoh Exod. 3 4. So opposite to it That when he had no farther plea nor excuse to make chap. 4. v. 13. he carries it Perversly towards the Lord send by the hand of him whom thou shouldest send But having designed him for the Work He leaves him not until He had won him to it ver 18. So Pharaoh resolv'd he would not let the people goe But I will stretch out my hand saies God and he shall let you goe ver 20. Much more will He make His Arm bare for the salvation of His Chosen And it must be so done I. Because otherwise the Elect should be in no better condition than Other men For until conversion Satan hath as fast hold of them as of the Rest Adam's fall was the Devil's Master-peece To bring men into his own condemnation is the Trophee he glories in and being a Prince both proud subtile and Imperious you may not think he will be Baffled or Complimented out of his hold Intreaties Menaces and force of Arguments are of no weight with him He laughs at your strong Reasons and Counts them but rotten wood Mark 5. 4. Jesus I know and His Spirit I know but what are these No this kind goes not forth by consent Nothing will move him but that Power which Heaven and Earth do bow under He that made him and he onely can cause his sword to approach unto him and take the Prey from this Terrible One And for this it was that our Saviour tells the Apostles when he sends them to turn Men from Satan unto God That all power in Heaven and Earth was committed to him Math. 28. 18. And that in this power He will be with them to the end of the World Which was indeed but Needfull For they had surely gon on a sleeveless errand a weak and fruitless design if Christ himself thus impower'd had not gone with them And for the Elect themselves They are of themselves no better disposed to this work than those that Never shall be wrought-upon They are Enemies in their minds Darkness Dead in sins and Children of wrath even as Others And this they are by Nature Their State therefore could never be changed if a Power Invincible and Invincibly Resolved in what It undertakes were not engaged in
But the difference lyes in this That the New Covenant consists of better Promises And this Betterness stands in the Free Absolute Independent engagement of God Himself to Invest His Covenanted Ones with all things conducing to the Blessedness held forth And that as well what is to be done on their part as on His Own upon their doing of it That is plainly To Give to them and Work in them Whatever in this Covenant He requires of them The law shews matter of Duty but gives not where-with to perform it The Covenant of Grace does both by writing the law in the heart And without this it would still have been but a Covenant of works be the Duties enjoined whatever you will It therefore runs not upon Conditional or Failable terms I will If ye will but Absolute and Sovereign I will and ye shall This Covenant does not only give life upon terms of Believing but Faith also and Holiness as the necessary means of attaining that life And this not upon your ingenuous complyance as some term it or better improvement of what you have in common with other Men such allegations the Lord disallows and often Cautions against but of Grace It 's a Covenant made-up of Promises and Promise by Scripture intendment is alwayes Free both freely made and freely perform'd without the desert or procurement of Men. Take Isaac for instance Abraham's body was now dead Gen. 18. 11. ver 14. and Sarah besides her natural barrenness it ceased to be with her after the manner of Women and yet Sarah shall have a Son But How The Promise had in it though Abraham and Sarah had not whatever might tend to Isaac's conception and birth Gal. 4. 23 28. and for this cause He was called The Son of the Promise as also Believers are Rom. 9. 8. Gal. 3. 29. They are also termed Heirs of Promise Heb. 6. 17. And on this account Christ is called The Promised Seed and the Holy Ghost The Spirit of Promise viz To shew the Independent freeness of those Divine Gifts The Promise of sending them Their actual Coming and Effectual operations are all free and free in all respects This Dew from the Lord waiteth not for Men. Mic. 5. 7. For further illustration the Jews are a pertinent Instance as ye read in Jer. 32. from v. 30. to the 36. They had done nothing but evil from their youth up and were a continual provocation And when scattered among the Nations they were no-whit bettered but caused even the Heathen to blaspheme And yet notwithstanding all this the Lord will Gather them and give them an heart to fear Him for ever v. 37. to v. 44. And this even whiles they were not moved neither could they blush chap. 8. 12. See also with what inexpressible freeness of Grace the Lord deals with them in Isa 43. v. 25. I even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins But what 's the Introduction to this so great a Promise See it and wonder at it Thou hast not called upon Me O Jacob Miâ— v. 22. ver 23. ver 24. but thou hast been weary of Me O Israel Thou hast not brought Me the small Cattel of thy burnt Offerings Thou hast bought Me no sweet Cane with thy money but hast made Me to serve with thy sins and wearied Me with thine iniquities I even I whom thou hast dealt so ingratefully with Isa 64. 3. and disingenuously even I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake And this was a Great thing they looked not for As indeed considering themselves and what their demeanour had been they had no Reason to look for it Hence 't is cleer That Grace respects not the worthiness of Men in what It does for them Nay it must respect their Vnworthiness rather as that by which Grace is more illustrated and the glory thereof more advanced according to Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound And Paul proclaims it as verified on himself 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutour and Injurious But I obtained Mercy and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant v. 14 and hereupon he falls to Adoring that Grace Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen v. 17. The Richeâ— of Mercy is made-out by Saving the Chief of sinners and in quickening us when dead Ephes 2. 1 4. And it is very observable That the Apostles when ever they mention the Grace of God in Saving Quickening c. do not give the least intimation of Mens Worthiness Preparedness Compliance or any such thing but Dead in Sins and Quickening come one in the neck of the other as light does upon darkness which in no sort induces the light or prepares the dark Earth or Ayr for it as is abundantly evident in all their Epistles And how oft and in good earnest does the Lord declare against all the pretensions of Men as to their activeness in this Matter in Isaiah Jeremy Ezekiel Hosea c. And as a barr to those pretensions The Holy People He calls A People sought-out and that He is found of them that sought Him not with many others This I shall end with a very observable Instance within my own Memory and I bring it not in for proof but Illustration I knew a Man who when he came under convictions endeavoured with all his might to stifle them His Convictions grew stronger and he hardned himself against them He saw their tendency but so opposite to it that he resolv'd in express terms He would not be a Puritan what-ever came of it To the Church he must go His Master would have it so But this was his wont To loll oâ—r the seat with his fingers in both his ears Here General or Conditional Grace was surely non-plus'd But a Chosen Vessel must not so be lost Now steps-in Electing Grace and by a casual slip of his Elbows drew-out the stoppers and sent-in a Word from the Pulpit which like fire from Heaven melted his heart and cast it in a New Mould Surely in this the Lord did not wait for the Man's complyance or improvements His work was not Originated thence nor dependent thereon II. II. If all that pertains to Salvation were not given freely Salvation it self should not be of Grace For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace Rom. 4. 4. but of Debt But Salvation is of Grace Ephes 2. 5. By Grace ye are saved And agen v. 8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith Where also lest the adding of Faith should occasion in their esteem a lessening of this Grace or seem to detract from the Freeness of it he cautiously subjoyns That this Faith is the work of that Grace Not of your selves It is the Gift of God For if Grace be perfectly free in Choosing it must be answerably